CostIndexUSA

St. Cloud, MN vs Tuscaloosa, AL Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostMN
St. Cloud
87.6
overall index
$1,175/mo rent
AL
Tuscaloosa
87.7
overall index
$1,525/mo rent

St. Cloud and Tuscaloosa have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

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

🏠 Housing−10.6%
St. Cloud
65.1
Tuscaloosa
58.2
🛒 Groceries+1.0%
St. Cloud
95.4
Tuscaloosa
96.4
🚗 Transportation+4.9%
St. Cloud
96.8
Tuscaloosa
101.5
🏥 Healthcare+4.9%
St. Cloud
87.6
Tuscaloosa
91.9
⚡ Utilities−4.8%
St. Cloud
88.7
Tuscaloosa
84.4

Salary Equivalency Calculator

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

$
→
Equivalent salary in Tuscaloosa, AL
$80,100
$100 more needed in Tuscaloosa

Formula: salary × (87.7 ÷ 87.6) = salary × 1.0011. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

St. Cloud, MN

Median Home Price
$302,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,175
Housing Index
65.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
21.4×

Tuscaloosa, AL

Median Home Price
$213,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,525
Housing Index
58.2
Price-to-Rent Ratio
11.6×

St. Cloud has 10.6% lower housing costs compared to Tuscaloosa.

Income & Job Market

St. Cloud, MN

Median Household Income
$74,000
Per Capita Income
$42,200
Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Population
67,984
Top Industries
HealthcareManufacturingEducationRetailTechnology

Tuscaloosa, AL

Median Household Income
$58,200
Per Capita Income
$33,200
Unemployment Rate
5.9%
Population
99,543
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareManufacturingAutomotiveGovernment

Affordability at a Glance

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

St. Cloud, MN
5.2×income-to-rent ratio

81% of income left after rent (median)

Tuscaloosa, AL
3.2×income-to-rent ratio

69% of income left after rent (median)

St. Cloud vs other cities

St. Cloud, MN
vs
Duluth, MN
Index: 87.6Index: 88.8
St. Cloud, MN
vs
Minneapolis, MN
Index: 87.6Index: 104.8
St. Cloud, MN
vs
Rochester, MN
Index: 87.6Index: 90.8
St. Cloud, MN
vs
Johnson City, TN
Index: 87.6Index: 87.9
St. Cloud, MN
vs
Portland, ME
Index: 87.6Index: 101.9

Tuscaloosa vs other cities

Tuscaloosa, AL
vs
Birmingham, AL
Index: 87.7Index: 91.6
Tuscaloosa, AL
vs
Huntsville, AL
Index: 87.7Index: 93.1
Tuscaloosa, AL
vs
Mobile, AL
Index: 87.7Index: 88.1
Tuscaloosa, AL
vs
Roanoke, VA
Index: 87.7Index: 93.6
Tuscaloosa, AL
vs
Albany, NY
Index: 87.7Index: 99.6

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.