Overall
Illinois feels cheaper overall
Illinois has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Minnesota by 4.3 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Illinois vs Minnesota: Cost of Living
Illinois is cheaper overall by 4.3 cost-of-living points, but Illinois has lower median home values.
95.2
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Minnesota
MN • Midwest
99.5
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Illinois
95.2
Minnesota
99.5
Difference: 4.3 points — Illinois leads.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for cost of living.
Illinois
#19 · 95.2
Minnesota
#24 · 99.5
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Cost of Living
Lower is better
#1
West Virginia
83.6
West Virginia
#2
Mississippi
85.5
Mississippi
#3
Arkansas
87.6
Arkansas
#4
Kentucky
88.0
Kentucky
#5
Alabama
88.6
Alabama
#6
Oklahoma
88.6
Oklahoma
#7
Missouri
90.0
Missouri
#8
Kansas
90.2
Kansas
#9
Iowa
91.0
Iowa
#10
Ohio
91.0
Ohio
Selected states
#19
Illinois
95.2
Illinois
#24
Minnesota
99.5
Minnesota
Illinois ranks 19th and Minnesota ranks 24th nationally for cost of living.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.2x more for a home
Illinois has the lower median home value, while buying in Minnesota costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Minnesota puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Minnesota than in Illinois, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Illinois keeps more income after state tax
Illinois has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Illinois
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
95.2
Regional price parity
97.6
Regular gas price
$4.294/gal
Electricity price
16.36 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,227/mo
Median home value
$247,500
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.95%
State sales tax
6.25%
Property tax
2.01%
Income
Median household income
$78,433
Income after median rent
$5,309
Minimum wage
$15.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
Minnesota
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
99.5
Regional price parity
95.5
Regular gas price
$3.572/gal
Electricity price
14.98 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,163/mo
Median home value
$293,200
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
9.85%
State sales tax
6.88%
Property tax
1.02%
Income
Median household income
$84,313
Income after median rent
$5,863
Minimum wage
$10.85/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Illinois has lower median home values.
- Illinois has the lower overall cost index.
- Minnesota has the higher median household income.
- Illinois looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Illinois vs Minnesota: Cost of Living in context
Illinois has a cost of living of 95.2, compared with 99.5 in Minnesota. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Illinois
95.2
Minnesota
99.5
Difference
4.3 points
People Also Ask
Illinois vs Minnesota Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Illinois's cost of living?
Illinois's cost of living is 95.2.
Q What is Minnesota's cost of living?
Minnesota's cost of living is 99.5.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Illinois or Minnesota?
Illinois is cheaper overall by 4.3 cost-of-living points, but Illinois has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Illinois vs Minnesota
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.