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 | Rochester | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218/mo | $1,174/mo | 3.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $268,800 | $264,900 | 1.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $83,973 | $69,919 | 20.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 96.3 | 96.3 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 91.7 | 91.7 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 99.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Rochester, you'd need $96,388 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 3.6% cheaper overall than Rochester, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in St. Paul than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Rochester, you'd need about $77,110 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.