CostIndexUSA

Boulder, CO vs St. Paul, MN Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostCO
Boulder
105.2
overall index
$2,250/mo rent
MN
St. Paul
104.8
overall index
$1,675/mo rent

Boulder and St. Paul have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing−28.8%
Boulder
157
St. Paul
111.8
🛒 Groceries+7.3%
Boulder
96.1
St. Paul
103.1
🚗 Transportation+4.6%
Boulder
104.8
St. Paul
109.6
🏥 Healthcare+4.6%
Boulder
94.8
St. Paul
99.2
⚡ Utilities+13.1%
Boulder
82.7
St. Paul
93.5

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Boulder to see what you'd need to earn in St. Paul to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
→
Equivalent salary in St. Paul, MN
$79,700
$300 less needed in St. Paul

Formula: salary × (104.8 ÷ 105.2) = salary × 0.9962. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Boulder, CO

Median Home Price
$702,000
Median Monthly Rent
$2,250
Housing Index
157
Price-to-Rent Ratio
26.0×

St. Paul, MN

Median Home Price
$374,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,675
Housing Index
111.8
Price-to-Rent Ratio
18.6×

Boulder has 28.8% lower housing costs compared to St. Paul.

Income & Job Market

Boulder, CO

Median Household Income
$95,400
Per Capita Income
$54,400
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
Population
105,112
Top Industries
TechnologyEducationResearchHealthcareOutdoor Recreation

St. Paul, MN

Median Household Income
$95,100
Per Capita Income
$54,200
Unemployment Rate
2.9%
Population
311,527
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceEducationGovernmentManufacturing

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Boulder, CO
3.5×income-to-rent ratio

72% of income left after rent (median)

St. Paul, MN
4.7×income-to-rent ratio

79% of income left after rent (median)

Boulder vs other cities

Boulder, CO
vs
Aurora, CO
Index: 105.2Index: 105.8
Boulder, CO
vs
Colorado Springs, CO
Index: 105.2Index: 100.7
Boulder, CO
vs
Denver, CO
Index: 105.2Index: 105.8
Boulder, CO
vs
Tyler, TX
Index: 105.2Index: 92.2
Boulder, CO
vs
Wichita Falls, TX
Index: 105.2Index: 89.5

St. Paul vs other cities

St. Paul, MN
vs
Duluth, MN
Index: 104.8Index: 88.8
St. Paul, MN
vs
Minneapolis, MN
Index: 104.8Index: 104.8
St. Paul, MN
vs
Rochester, MN
Index: 104.8Index: 90.8
St. Paul, MN
vs
Newark, NJ
Index: 104.8Index: 112.6
St. Paul, MN
vs
Santa Ana, CA
Index: 104.8Index: 113.6

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.