Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Merced, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Paul, MN: $2,445 a month against $2,556 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Merced, CA despite lower rent and utilities.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Paul, MN and in Merced, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,556 in Merced, CA.

Saint Paul, MN $2,445
Merced, CA $2,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN versus $3,713 in Merced, CA.

Saint Paul, MN $3,672
Merced, CA $3,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN versus $4,870 in Merced, CA.

Saint Paul, MN $4,900
Merced, CA $4,870

Living in Saint Paul, MN costs roughly 4% less than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Paul, MN 80% above, Merced, CA 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.66 $15.66

$17.37 $17.37

-9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$40.27 $40.27

68.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.91 $11.91

-15.45%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$5.79 $5.79

-13.13%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.43 $2.43

27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.47 $1.47

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$8.95 $8.95

-32.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$10.02 $10.02

-26.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.24 $1.24

-20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.35 $4.35

-12.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.04 $4.04

-17.57%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$5.82 $5.82

-49.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

$19.36 $19.36

-51.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$14.35 $14.35

-32.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$21.51 $21.51

-38.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.35 $4.35

11.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.94 $1.94

-42.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$5.64 $5.64

4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.49 $5.49

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.52 $3.52

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.03 $3.03

14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.35 $2.35

-12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.55 $2.55

-31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 $12.68

$11.81 $11.81

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$15.91 $15.91

-7.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.42 $2.42

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.31 $3.31

3.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.54 $1.54

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$61.1 $61.1

69.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.03 $3.03

-16.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.70 $1.70

-10.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 $31.02

$26.85 $26.85

15.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.33 $1.33

-22.56%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$36.4K $36.4K

-25.67%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.44%

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

$232 $232

$240 $240

-3.10%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$29.53 $29.53

71.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$84.6 $84.6

-23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.74 $29.74

$33.09 $33.09

-10.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 $8.50

$13.86 $13.86

-38.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 $13.07

$16.14 $16.14

-19.02%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$1,870 $1,870

-20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$39.2K $39.2K

-28.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.01 $41.01

$60.7 $60.7

-32.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 $40.23

$52.1 $52.1

-22.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 $82.1

$102 $102

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$121 $121

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,641 $1,641

-12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,102 $1,102

4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$1,970 $1,970

35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,889 $1,889

12.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$2,939 $2,939

-10.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 $1,949

$2,932 $2,932

-33.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 $4,256

$3,357 $3,357

26.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.36

-0.79%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 43.1% 4.5% $52

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7%

Merced, CA

$480 18.8% 33.4% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2%

Merced, CA

$354 13.9% 1.8% $6.2

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6%

Merced, CA

$325 12.7% 14.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5%

Merced, CA

$151 5.9% 22.9% $28

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Merced, CA

$79 3.1% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3%

Merced, CA

$65 2.6% 17% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN and $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Saint Paul, MN vs $40 in Merced, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $480, with Saint Paul, MN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

2 h behind Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

83,316

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Merced, CA 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
Merced, CA

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 Paul, MN vs Merced, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN and $2,556 in Merced, CA, so Saint Paul, MN is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Saint Paul, 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: $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,870 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.