Moving to Minnesota from Colorado
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Colorado to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Colorado to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 6.3% cheaper than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $64,921 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°F vs 65°F in Denver, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Colorado to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $64,921
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 8.8% less
Groceries
pay 2.9% more
Transportation
pay 5.4% less
Housing
pay 20.2% less
Childcare
pay 1.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Colorado and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota performs significantly better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Colorado generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Colorado generally does better on family life, though Minnesota leads in life expectancy.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Denver | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Denver | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Colorado?
Generally yes: Minnesota runs about 13% cheaper than Colorado on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,230 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Minnesota safe?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Colorado?
Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Colorado?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.
