Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
Learn more

Sydney, NS Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
Learn more

Saint Cloud, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Sydney, NS costs roughly 15% less than in Saint Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 CA$15.74

$15.19 $15.19

-26.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 CA$88.0

$40.27 $40.27

54.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 CA$10.12

$8.63 $8.63

-17.03%

Cappuccino

$2.87 CA$4.06

$4.47 $4.47

-35.79%

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

$2.33 CA$3.30

$2.88 $2.88

-19.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.92

$2.25 $2.25

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$0.92 $0.92

133.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.61

$1.50 $1.50

70.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$1.90 $1.90

26.84%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.69

$3.78 $3.78

-12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 CA$8.87

$9.54 $9.54

-34.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 CA$11.63

$6.53 $6.53

26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 CA$18.36

$19.42 $19.42

-33.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.01 CA$9.91

$3.66 $3.66

91.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.09 $1.09

6.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$3.63 $3.63

-61.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 CA$1.18

$2.03 $2.03

-58.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.68

$2.91 $2.91

-34.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.30 CA$8.90

$1.99 $1.99

216.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.78 CA$25.14

$11.38 $11.38

56.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 CA$5.92

$3.04 $3.04

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$1.71 $1.71

-36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.48 CA$68.5

$59.8 $59.8

-18.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 CA$5.87

$3.48 $3.48

19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 $0.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 $12.16

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.70

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$25.7K CA$36.4K

$30.2K $30.2K

-14.77%

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

$19.1K CA$27.1K

$23.7K $23.7K

-19.22%

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

$86.3 CA$122

$118 $118

-26.82%

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

$36.04 CA$51.0

$46.72 $46.72

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 CA$104

$43.38 $43.38

69.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.94 CA$70.6

$24.65 $24.65

102.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 CA$4.88

$28.09 $28.09

-87.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 CA$9.96

$12.18 $12.18

-42.20%

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

$721 CA$1,020

$1,709 $1,709

-57.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,778 $5,778

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 CA$96.3

$57.4 $57.4

18.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 CA$95.1

$50.1 $50.1

34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 CA$141

$73.4 $73.4

35.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$78.9 $78.9

33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$931 $931

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 CA$1,024

$862 $862

-15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CA$2,479

$1,371 $1,371

27.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,943

$1,290 $1,290

6.52%

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)

$2,527 CA$3,573

$3,967 $3,967

-36.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

6.61

-12.25%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9%

Saint Cloud, MN

$862 45.5% 19% $137

Groceries & Markets

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16%

Saint Cloud, MN

$322 17% 25% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1%

Saint Cloud, MN

$208 11% 6.3% $12

Eating Out

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1%

Saint Cloud, MN

$262 13.8% 61% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5%

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2% 23.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney, NS

$64 4%

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6% 23.5% $15

Getting Around

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5%

Saint Cloud, MN

$74 3.9% 30.6% $17

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 $893 in Sydney, NS and $931 in Saint Cloud, MN. 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: $62.0 in Sydney, NS vs $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $322, with Sydney, NS cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

23:13 11:13 PM

2 h behind Sydney, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,960

67,109

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

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

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Sydney, NS
Saint 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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Saint Cloud, MN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Sydney, NS versus $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN – 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.