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 | Lafayette | Mankato | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $976/mo | $1,023/mo | 4.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $145,200 | $236,200 | 38.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $50,674 | $61,726 | 17.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.9 | 95.7 | 0.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 88.0 | 88.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 98.5 | 93.6 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 94.3 | 5.2% higher 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 Lafayette, you'd need $100,114 in Mankato to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lafayette and Mankato have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Lafayette than in Mankato. If you earn $80,000 in Lafayette, you'd need about $80,091 in Mankato to keep the same standard of living.