

Grand Forks vs St. Cloud
$256/mo less in St. Cloud
Grand ForksSt. CloudAbout 191 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- St. Cloud costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,590/mo in St. Cloud. $2,846/mo in Grand Forks. −$3,072 a year.
Grand Forks
$2,846
left each month
St. Cloud
$2,590
−$256 vs Grand Forks
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$256 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Grand Forks | St. Cloud | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,958 | $7,130 | +$172 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,398 | $1,778 | +$381 |
| Take-home pay | $5,561 | $5,352 | −$209 |
| Rent | $924 | $986 | +$62 |
| Getting around | $525 | $500 | −$25 |
| Groceries | $349 | $352 | +$3 |
| Healthcare | $393 | $396 | +$3 |
| Utilities | $218 | $220 | +$2 |
| Everything else | $306 | $308 | +$2 |
| Left over | $2,846 | $2,590 | −$256 |
Salary to match Grand Forks
$90,500
Gross pay in St. Cloud that leaves the same amount as $83,500 in Grand Forks.
Tax difference
−$3,956
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.1% in Grand Forks, 24.9% in St. Cloud.
More about St. Cloud
Grand Forks, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,100 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
St. Cloud, MN in full
State income tax topping out at 9.85%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,174 and 191 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.
The other way
Start in St. Cloud.
St. Cloud → Grand Forks →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in St. Cloud than Grand Forks?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, St. Cloud leaves about $256 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $924 in Grand Forks and $986 in St. Cloud.
Does St. Cloud have state income tax?
St. Cloud is in Minnesota, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Grand Forks to St. Cloud?
The paycheck is taxed in Minnesota. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Grand Forks and St. Cloud changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.