Grocery Costs in Minnesota
How much do groceries cost in Minnesota?
A family of four in Minnesota spends about $1,146 a month on groceries, $13,757 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts Minnesota about 7% above the median state. Here is the full picture for Minnesota households, and how to come in under it. Groceries cost more in Minnesota than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 7% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less.
A family of four in Minnesota spends about $1,146 a month on groceries, $13,757 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts Minnesota about 7% above the median state. Here is the full picture for Minnesota households, and how to come in under it.
Monthly grocery costs in Minnesota by household
| Household | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Family of four (2 adults, 2 children) | $1,146 | $13,757 |
| Family of two (2 adults) | $718 | $8,618 |
| One adult | $392 | $4,700 |
| Per person, in a family of four | $287 | $3,439 |
MIT Living Wage Calculator food estimates. MIT builds its food figures from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts them for price levels in each state, Minnesota included. For Minnesota, the figures cover food made and eaten at home.
How Minnesota compares
Groceries cost more in Minnesota than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 7% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less. Over a year, a family of four in Minnesota spends about $870 more on groceries than the same family in the median state, which is real money in a Minnesota family budget: roughly a month of childcare in a cheaper state, or a solid start on an emergency fund. Food is labor, land and transport priced locally, which is why the Minnesota state line moves this number so much.
Cub, Hy-Vee, and the Minnesota food budget
Cub Foods anchors a lot of Minnesota grocery shopping, especially around the Twin Cities, while Hy-Vee draws families in the south, Walmart handles large stock up trips, and Aldi rewards shoppers who are flexible about brands. Food at home is exempt from sales tax here, so families are not adding a percentage on top of every bag the way they would in a taxed state. SNAP is run by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and WIC is run by the Minnesota Department of Health for pregnant and postpartum women and children under five. With the minimum wage at $11.41, many households feel the food budget most when hours vary in winter or summer.
Budgeting by family size in Minnesota instead? Minnesota households can also start from the USDA food plan figures for a family of four and the rest of the family size tables, then run your real numbers in the grocery budget calculator. If your income is tight in Minnesota, check the maximum SNAP benefits by household size too.
Frequently asked questions
How much do groceries cost per month in Minnesota?
The MIT Living Wage Calculator puts food costs in Minnesota at $1,146 a month for a family of four (two adults and two children), $13,757 a year. In Minnesota, two adults come to $718 a month and one adult to $392 a month. The Minnesota figures cover food prepared and eaten at home, not restaurants.
How does Minnesota compare with other states?
Minnesota ranks 42 of 50 states for a family of four, about 7% above the median state of $1,074 a month. The cheapest state in the MIT data is Texas at $948 a month and the most expensive is Hawaii at $1,319 a month; Minnesota comes in at $1,146 a month.
How can I spend less than the Minnesota figure?
Treat the Minnesota numbers as budget benchmarks, not a floor. For a Minnesota family, meal planning around store sales, cooking once and eating twice, and keeping a running pantry list routinely trim 10% or more. On Minnesota's family of four figure, 10% is about $115 a month, $1,380 a year. Our grocery budget calculator helps you compare your real Minnesota spend with this benchmark.
Keep exploring
Neighboring states in the alphabet: Michigan · Mississippi
All states: grocery costs by state and family size · Tools: Grocery budget calculator · Family budget planner
Source: MIT Living Wage Calculator (livingwage.mit.edu), food cost estimates by state and household size, retrieved 2026-10-18. For Minnesota, MIT starts from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts for state price levels. The Minnesota figures are planning benchmarks for food at home, not a quote for any one store.