City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Billings | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,064/mo | $1,174/mo | 9.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $285,300 | $264,900 | 7.7% higher in A |
| Median household income | $69,692 | $69,919 | 0.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.4 | 101.0 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 88.2 | 93.0 | 5.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 102.2 | 1.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.3 | 102.8 | 2.4% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Billings, you'd need $114,187 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Billings, MT is about 12.4% cheaper overall than St. Paul, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Billings than in St. Paul. If you earn $80,000 in Billings, you'd need about $91,350 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.