The St. Cloud area experienced a below average cost of living in the first quarter of 2015, based on a cost of living index study.

President of St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Teresa Bohnen says the area of cost of living index for the first three months of 2015 is garnered and released by the Council for Community and Economic Research. The index determines regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures.

Grocery items in St. Cloud were the only item measured that cost much more than other Minnesota and Midwest cities at 113.7 percent. However, the cost of housing is 76.4, almost 35 percent cheaper than it is in St. Paul. St. Cloud health care spending is at 92.2, nearly 11 percent less than Minneapolis which is 113.8.

Utilities cost is another important factor as St. Cloud ranked third with 89.4 percent of comparable cost of living. Lastly, in transportation costs in St. Cloud ranked at 92.2 percent.