Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and St. Cloud, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN: $2,005 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in St. Cloud, MN
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St. Cloud, MN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

St. Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in St. Cloud, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,005 in St. Cloud, MN.

Seattle, WA $3,762
St. Cloud, MN $2,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,124 in St. Cloud, MN.

Seattle, WA $5,651
St. Cloud, MN $3,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,244 in St. Cloud, MN.

Seattle, WA $7,541
St. Cloud, MN $4,244

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 88% more expensive than in St. Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, St. Cloud, MN 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$19.95 $19.95

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$74.5 $74.5

32.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.80 $10.80

38.33%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.83 $5.83

16.47%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.78 $2.78

16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.53 $2.53

24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$6.83 $6.83

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.85 $7.85

0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.76 $0.76

53.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.80 $2.80

88.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.23 $3.23

78.33%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$2.22 $2.22

120.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$4.92 $4.92

311.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$9.47 $9.47

89.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$17.54 $17.54

33.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.79 $3.79

56.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.36 $1.36

38.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.39 $3.39

57.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.15 $2.15

205.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$0.74 $0.74

358.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.67 $1.67

72.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.01 $2.01

43.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.83 $1.83

32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.06 $10.06

21.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$12.09 $12.09

26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.77 $1.77

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.40 $3.40

73.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.77 $1.77

67.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$66.1 $66.1

65.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.88 $3.88

-35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.63 $1.63

5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$26.12 $26.12

13.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.00 $1.00

51.00%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

31.52%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.98%

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

$289 $289

$165 $165

75.22%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$46.26 $46.26

49.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$44.52 $44.52

90.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$40.74 $40.74

70.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$14.27 $14.27

25.93%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,724 $1,724

63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$11.3K $11.3K

287.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$63.1 $63.1

44.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$62.4 $62.4

-11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$73.1 $73.1

73.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$84.4 $84.4

91.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$987 $987

161.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$835 $835

132.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$1,879 $1,879

171.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,622 $1,622

118.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$1,853 $1,853

297.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$1,843 $1,843

166.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$5,259 $5,259

22.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.64

2.41%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for St. Cloud, MN: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

St. Cloud, MN

$835 41.7% 57% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

St. Cloud, MN

$299 14.9% 45% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

St. Cloud, MN

$256 12.8% 42.3% $187

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

St. Cloud, MN

$333 16.6% 16.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

St. Cloud, MN

$127 6.4% 35% $69

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

St. Cloud, MN

$85 4.3% 35.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

St. Cloud, MN

$69 3.5% 34.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $987 in St. Cloud, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% 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: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $75 in St. Cloud, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $299 per month, with St. Cloud, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 St. Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

65,842

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA St. Cloud, MN 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
St. Cloud, MN

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

Seattle, WA vs St. Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Cloud, MN is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $987 in St. Cloud, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN – a meal for two runs $75 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,005 in St. Cloud, MN – St. Cloud, MN is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,005 in St. Cloud, MN versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St. Cloud, MN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes St. Cloud, MN 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 St. Cloud, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.