Nowadays, everyone is looking for ways to stretch their dollars, and finding an affordable place to call home is an essential part of that quest. One of the biggest chunks of most people's budgets goes toward basic and necessary living expenses. While living expenses vary quite a bit depending on location, according to MIT's living wage calculator, the statewide average annual cost for a family of four with two working parents is $110,360 in 2026 (up from $108,327 in 2025 and $106,353 in 2024). What is the Total Living Expense in Major Minnesota Metro Areas? Before we get into the list of places with the lowest total living expenses in Minnesota, let's take a quick look at the average total annual expense for a family of four in some of the bigger metro areas of the North Star State: