Cost of Living: St. Cloud, MN vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,119/mo in St. Cloud, MN versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 14.64% of gross in St. Cloud, MN versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so St. Cloud, MN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in St. Cloud, MN
$4,119/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in St. Cloud, MN
14.64%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between St. Cloud, MN and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): St. Cloud, MN
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: St. Cloud, MN

Cost of Living Index

St. Cloud, MN: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than St. Cloud, MN, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

St. Cloud, MN: $955/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $368/mo higher than in St. Cloud, MN.

Median Home Price

St. Cloud, MN: $212,800 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in St. Cloud, MN is $65,000 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

St. Cloud, MN: $61,112 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

St. Cloud, MN has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $4,297.

St. Cloud, MN overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons