Living Cost Compare
Jacksonville

Florida

$1,320/mo est.

vs
St. Paul

Minnesota

$1,300/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,320 in Jacksonville, FL versus $1,300 in St. Paul, MN. Overall, St. Paul, MN is roughly 2% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Jacksonville, FL, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $66,981 in Jacksonville, FL and $73,055 in St. Paul, MN — about 8% higher in St. Paul, MN. Florida has no state income tax and a 6% state sales tax; Minnesota has a top state income tax rate of 9.85% and a 6.875% state sales tax.

Jacksonville, FL
St. Paul, MN

Rent

Studio
$1,127
$995
+12% in Jacksonville, FL
1 Bedroom
$1,146
$1,126
+2% in Jacksonville, FL
2 Bedroom
$1,385
$1,384
+0% in Jacksonville, FL
3 Bedroom
$1,545
$1,662
+8% in St. Paul, MN

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$266,100
$280,300
+5% in St. Paul, MN

Income

Median Household Income
$66,981
$73,055
+9% in St. Paul, MN
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$48,830
$59,320
+21% in St. Paul, MN

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
36.4 yr
33.5 yr
+2.9 yr in Jacksonville, FL
Homeownership
57.4%
53.2%
+4.2 pp in Jacksonville, FL
Bachelor's+ (25+)
31.8%
43.5%
+11.7 pp in St. Paul, MN
Avg Commute
24.1 min
22.3 min
+1.8 min in Jacksonville, FL

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
558.4
619
+11% in St. Paul, MN
Property Crime
2,600.1
2,897.2
+11% in St. Paul, MN

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
70.2°F
47.1°F
+23.1°F in Jacksonville, FL
Annual Precipitation
49.2 in
28.5 in
+20.7 in in Jacksonville, FL

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$3.77/gal
$3.95/gal
+5% in St. Paul, MN

Area: Florida vs Minnesota.

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
$1.75
—

Adult base one-way fare — JTA vs — (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
15.2
16.9
+12% in St. Paul, MN
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$23.62
$14.95
+37% in Jacksonville, FL

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.00
$4.31
+8% in St. Paul, MN
Bread (lb)
$1.75
$1.66
+5% in Jacksonville, FL
Eggs (doz)
$2.21
$3.63
+64% in St. Paul, MN
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.45
$6.77
+5% in St. Paul, MN
Chicken (lb)
$1.90
$2.10
+10% in St. Paul, MN
Bananas (lb)
$0.62
$0.62
about equal

Average prices — South vs Midwest (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (FL / MN)
6%
6.875%
+0.9 pp in MN
Income Tax (top rate)
None
9.85%
+9.8 pp in MN

Jacksonville vs St. Paul — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Jacksonville or St. Paul?
St. Paul, MN is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,300 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 2% below Jacksonville, FL's $1,320, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Jacksonville than in St. Paul?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $46,000 a year in Jacksonville versus $45,000 in St. Paul.
Which has lower taxes, Jacksonville or St. Paul?
Jacksonville is taxed under Florida's rules (no state income tax and a 6% state sales tax); St. Paul under Minnesota's (a top state income tax rate of 9.85% and a 6.875% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).