These are the 25 Cheapest Places to Live in Minnesota For 2026

Nowadays, everyone is looking for ways to stretch their dollars, and finding an affordable place to call home is an essential part of that quest.

One of the biggest chunks of most people's budgets goes toward basic and necessary living expenses. For this list of the cheapest places to live in Minnesota, using EPI data, we focused solely on the seven main areas of expense individuals and families face:

• Housing
• Food
• Child Care
• Transportation
• Health Care
• Other Necessities
• Taxes

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How Much Does It Cost To Live in Minnesota?

While living expenses vary quite a bit depending on location, according to MIT's living wage calculator, the statewide average annual cost for a family of four with two working parents is $110,360 in 2026 (up from $108,327 in 2025 and $106,353 in 2024).

The living hourly wage for a family of four in Minnesota is now $31.62 per working parent (up from $30.20 in 2025 and $29.42 in 2024) -- a combined annual salary of $131,549 (up from $125,618 in 2025 and $122,387 in 2024).

Minnesota's Total Living Expense Compared to the Rest of the Country

The most recent data shows the average annual expense for a family of 4 in the United States is around $101,500 to $103,000, which means the cost to live in Minnesota is now 8.73 percent higher than the national average (up from 6.71 percent in 2025). As a whole, Minnesota now ranks 29th in the country for affordability, according to US News.

What is the Total Living Expense in Major Minnesota Metro Areas?

Before we get into the list of places with the lowest total living expenses in Minnesota, let's take a quick look at the average total annual expense for a family of four in some of the bigger metro areas of the North Star State:

• Twin Cities metro: $134,789 (up from $127,391 in 2025 and $119,229 in 2024)
• Rochester metro: $138,018  (up from $126,858 in 2025 and $123,640 in 2024)
• Duluth metro: $107,757 (up from $103,625 in 2025 and $101,940 in 2024)
• St. Cloud metro: $123,747 (up from $117,247 in 2025 and $99,166 in 2024)
• Mankato metro: $112,330 (up from $105,867 in 2025 and $103,886 in 2024)

SEE ALSO: 8 Retail Jobs You’ll Find in Minnesota Paying $20+ Per Hour