Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota has been deemed a “Five Star Community” by Expansion Management magazine’s Quality of Life Quotient, was ranked #5 on the Forbes list of Best Small Metros for Business and Careers, and has been designated an All-America City. And to top it off, Bismarck-Mandan is an affordable place to live. The community offers affordable housing, groceries, utilities and transportation all below the national average.

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures the relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places equals 100, and each participant's index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.

The first quarter 2011 ACCRA Cost of Living Index for Bismarck-Mandan is:

Composite Index:	94.0
Grocery Items:	105.4
Housing:	90.5
Utilities:	76.4
Transportation:	90.4
Healthcare:	102.9
Misc. Goods/Services:	97.8

The following table offers sample cost of living comparisons between Bismarck-Mandan and other U.S. cities. The table shows what your salary would need to be in Bismarck-Mandan in order to maintain the same purchasing power of a $60,000 salary in the other cities. It also compares the cost of grocery items, housing, transportation, and healthcare. The data used in this calculator is provided by ACCRA. The data is generated from an average of the past four quarters ending 2011 first quarter.

		Bismarck-Mandan cost compared to listed cities
To maintain the same purchasing power, a $60,000 salary in the following cities	Needs to be this in Bismarck-Mandan, ND	Grocery Items	Housing	Transportation	Heatlhcare
San Jose, CA	$36,653	8% lower	65% lower	10% lower	16% lower
Denver, CO	$55,460	5% lower	15% lower	8% higher	5 lower
Boston, MA	$43,187	9% lower	40% lower	2% lower	19% lower
Minneapolis, MN	$51,559	5% lower	22% lower	1% lower	5% lower
St. Paul, MN	$51,981	1% lower	19% lower	0% lower/higher	6% lower
Reno, NV	$56,613	0% lower/higher	10% lower	4% lower	1% lower
Cleveland, OH	$56,613	2% lower	2% lower	1% higher	4% lower
Portland, OR	$51,420	0% lower/higher	30% lower	3% lower	12% lower
Olympia, WA	$54,927	1% lower	10% lower	11% lower	17% lower
Seattle, WA	$47,178	8% higher	35% lower	14% lower	16% lower
Milwaukee, WI	$56,224	8% higher	19% lower	3% higher	7% lower
Larimie, WY	$59,009	0% lower/higher	10% lower	12% higher	3% higher