Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Cloud, MN and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
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Saint Cloud, MN Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,894

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Cloud, MN and in Sydney, NS

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint Cloud, MN and in Sydney, NS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $1,614 in Sydney, NS.

Saint Cloud, MN $1,894
Sydney, NS $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,718 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $2,535 in Sydney, NS.

Saint Cloud, MN $2,718
Sydney, NS $2,535

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,543 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $3,456 in Sydney, NS.

Saint Cloud, MN $3,543
Sydney, NS $3,456

Living in Saint Cloud, MN is roughly 17% more expensive than in Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Cloud, MN 40% above, Sydney, NS 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$11.13 CA$15.74

36.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 $40.27

$62.3 CA$88.0

-35.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 $8.63

$7.16 CA$10.12

20.53%

Cappuccino

$4.47 $4.47

$2.87 CA$4.06

55.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.33 CA$3.30

23.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.07 CA$2.92

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.15 CA$3.04

-57.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.56 CA$3.61

-41.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.41 CA$3.41

-21.16%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$3.32 CA$4.69

13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$6.27 CA$8.87

52.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$8.23 CA$11.63

-20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$12.99 CA$18.36

49.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$7.01 CA$9.91

-47.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.16 CA$1.63

-6.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.38 CA$1.95

163.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.84 CA$1.18

141.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.90 CA$2.68

53.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$6.30 CA$8.90

-68.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 $11.38

$17.78 CA$25.14

-36.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.18 CA$5.92

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.08 CA$1.53

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$48.48 CA$68.5

23.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.15 CA$5.87

-16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 $0.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 $12.16

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.20 CA$1.70

-23.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.2K $30.2K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

17.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.7K $23.7K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

23.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$118 $118

$86.3 CA$122

36.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$46.72 $46.72

$36.04 CA$51.0

29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.38 $43.38

$73.3 CA$104

-40.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.65 $24.65

$49.94 CA$70.6

-50.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 $28.09

$3.45 CA$4.88

714.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$7.04 CA$9.96

73.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,709 $1,709

$721 CA$1,020

136.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,778 $5,778

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$68.1 CA$96.3

-15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$67.2 CA$95.1

-25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 $73.4

$99.7 CA$141

-26.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$105 CA$148

-24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 $931

$893 CA$1,262

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 $862

$724 CA$1,024

18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$1,753 CA$2,479

-21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$1,374 CA$1,943

-6.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,993 $1,993

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,745 $1,745

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,967 $3,967

$2,527 CA$3,573

56.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

5.8

13.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint Cloud, MN: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saint Cloud, MN

$862 45.5%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 15.9% $137

Groceries & Markets

Saint Cloud, MN

$322 17%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 20% $64

Eating Out

Saint Cloud, MN

$262 13.8%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 37.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Cloud, MN

$208 11%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 5.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 30.9% $36

Getting Around

Saint Cloud, MN

$74 3.9%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 23.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 30.6% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $931 in Saint Cloud, MN and $893 in Sydney, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Cloud, MN pays 57% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN vs $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $258, with Sydney, NS cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

01:57 1:57 AM

2 h ahead of Saint Cloud, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,109

30,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Cloud, MN Sydney, NS 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Cloud, MN
Sydney, NS

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Cloud, MN vs Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Cloud, MN and Sydney, NS differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,894 vs $1,614 including rent). Sydney, NS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Saint Cloud, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $931 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $893 in Sydney, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,894 per month in Saint Cloud, MN versus $1,614 in Sydney, NS – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sydney, NS runs roughly 23% less than in Saint Cloud, MN. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,614 in Sydney, NS versus $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sydney, NS but tight or insufficient in Saint Cloud, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Sydney, NS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Sydney, NS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Saint Cloud, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.