| Index | Melrose | Minnesota | National | 
| Cost of living | 97 | 99 | 100 | 
| Goods & Services | 109 | 100 | 100 | 
| Groceries | 97 | 98 | 100 | 
| Health care | 124 | 109 | 100 | 
| Housing | 80 | 100 | 100 | 
| Transportation | 99 | 97 | 100 | 
| Utilities | 93 | 93 | 100 | 

 
				
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				| Cost of living index | |
| Goods & Services index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | 
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) | 
| Owners | $60,100 | $5,008 | $1,402 | $1,803 | 
| Renters | $26,143 | $2,179 | $610 | $784 | 
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax | 
| Minnesota | 6.875% | 7.875% | 
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) | 
| Minnesota | 5.35% | 9.85% | 
| Item | Melrose | National avg. | Difference | 
| Haircut | $27.97 | $24.26 | 15.3% | 
| Beauty Salon | $37.17 | $45.56 | 18.4% | 
| Toothpaste | $3.62 | $3.70 | 2.2% | 
| Shampoo | $1.52 | $1.28 | 18.6% | 
| Movie | $11.24 | $12.13 | 7.4% | 
| Bowling | $26.39 | $18.00 | 46.6% | 
| Item | Melrose | National avg. | Difference | 
| Ground Beef | $5.75 | $5.84 | 1.5% | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.35 | $1.57 | 13.9% | 
| Milk | $4.58 | $4.67 | 2.0% | 
| Potatoes | $4.86 | $4.93 | 1.4% | 
| Pizza | $13.07 | $12.09 | 8.2% | 
| Beer | $9.52 | $10.41 | 8.5% | 
| Item | Melrose | National avg. | Difference | 
| Optometrist | $109.94 | $125.68 | 12.5% | 
| Doctor | $162.98 | $135.78 | 20.0% | 
| Dentist | $96.90 | $113.29 | 14.5% | 
| Ibuprofen | $10.88 | $10.65 | 2.1% | 
| Lipitor | $492.95 | $468.60 | 5.2% | 
| Item | Melrose | National avg. | Difference | 
| Home Price | $132,600.00 | $184,700.00 | 28.2% | 
| Avg. Mortgage Payment | $1,954.72 | $2,346.69 | 16.7% | 
| Apartment Rent | $946.00 | $949.00 | 0.3% | 
| Item | Melrose | National avg. | Difference | 
| Gasoline | $3.31 | $3.46 | 4.3% | 
| Tire Balancing | $61.97 | $59.92 | 3.4% | 
| Item | Melrose | National avg. | Difference | 
| All Electricity | $175.69 | $193.99 | 9.4% | 
| Phone | $188.55 | $192.25 | 1.9% | 
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. | 
| Grey Eagle, MN | 296 | 89 | 11.1% | 
| West Union, MN | 81 | 90 | 10.0% | 
| Brooten, MN | 598 | 90 | 9.7% | 
| New Munich, MN | 309 | 92 | 7.7% | 
| Greenwald, MN | 224 | 93 | 7.3% | 
| Melrose, MN | 3,651 | 97 | 3.1% | 
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. | 
| Lake of the Woods, AZ | 3,652 | 102 | 1.9% | 
| Oglesby, IL | 3,652 | 83 | 17.1% | 
| Atholville, NB | 3,652 | n/a | |
| Hamilton, NY | 3,649 | 108 | 7.9% | 
| Casselman, ON | 3,649 | n/a | |
| Melrose, MN | 3,651 | 97 | 3.1% |