What does a cost-of-living index of 106 mean?

An index of 106 means Minneapolis is about 6% more expensive than the US national average, which is set at 100. A city at 120 would be 20% more expensive, while one at 90 would be 10% cheaper. Housing is the main driver above the baseline.

Which categories make Minneapolis more expensive?

Housing and utilities pull the Minneapolis index above 100, with cold-climate heating raising utility costs. Groceries sit close to the national average, and transportation is moderate thanks to a usable transit system. Healthcare is near the baseline.

How do I convert my salary to Minneapolis terms?

Multiply your salary by the Minneapolis index and divide by the index of your current city. If you earn 80,000 dollars somewhere at index 100, you would need about 84,800 dollars in Minneapolis to keep the same buying power.

Are these indices exact?

No. Cost-of-living indices are composite estimates from surveys and vary by source and neighborhood. Use them for ballpark comparisons and relocation planning rather than precise budgeting.

Minneapolis Cost-of-Living Index

See how far your money goes in Minneapolis

Minneapolis sits slightly above the US national average for cost of living, driven mainly by housing and winter utility costs. This tool benchmarks the city’s composite index of 106 against the baseline of 100 and converts any salary into its Minneapolis equivalent so relocation and offer decisions are grounded in real numbers.

How it works

Cost-of-living indices set the US national average at 100. Minneapolis scores 106 overall, meaning daily life costs about 6% more than the national baseline. To compare a salary across cities, the tool scales by the ratio of the two indices.

equivalentSalary = currentSalary * (minneapolisIndex / yourCityIndex)
percentDifference = (minneapolisIndex / yourCityIndex - 1) * 100

The category breakdown applies the same logic per category, using Minneapolis sub-indices: housing 110, groceries 102, transportation 98, utilities 108, and healthcare 101. Each sub-index shows where Minneapolis pulls above or below your reference city.

Tips and example

If you currently live in a city at index 100 and earn 80,000 dollars, the equivalent Minneapolis salary is about 84,800 dollars, a 6% bump to hold your standard of living steady. Coming from a high-cost coastal city at index 150, the same lifestyle in Minneapolis would only need about 56,500 dollars, so an offer at your old salary is effectively a large raise. Always sanity-check housing separately, since it swings the index the most.