How much does it cost to live in South Dakota per month?

About $3,278 a month for a single adult covering housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and other essentials. Larger households cost more but benefit from shared housing — set yours above to see the figure. The typical South Dakota household earns $76,881 a year before tax, which is what most local budgets are built around.

Is South Dakota affordable?

That depends on your income. This tool balances South Dakota's typical costs against your take-home pay so you can see your monthly surplus or shortfall directly, rather than relying on a one-size index.

Where do these South Dakota cost figures come from?

They scale a national household budget (US Bureau of Labor Statistics) by South Dakota's regional price parity (US Bureau of Economic Analysis), and are shown with their date. See our methodology page for the full approach.

Cost of Living Calculator: South Dakota

What does it cost to live in South Dakota? A single adult spends about $3,278 a month — roughly $39,336 a year — on housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and everyday essentials, with housing alone making up about 40.5% of that. Enter your take-home pay and household below to see whether your budget balances in South Dakota and where your money goes.

Monthly balance in South Dakota

+$2,233

left over each month · 40.5% savings rate

Category	Per month	% of income
Housing	$1,329	24.1%
Food	$408	7.4%
Transportation	$576	10.5%
Healthcare	$354	6.4%
Other	$611	11.1%
Total expenses	$3,278	59.5%

Prefills are South Dakota typical costs for your household; adjust to your real spending. An estimate, not financial advice.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items), via FRED; BLS CEX national baseline (RPP 88.59, US=100) · as of 2024 · methodology

How the South Dakota budget works

We prefill each spending category with what's typical for a household your size in South Dakota, based on the state's regional price level. You can override any number to match how you actually spend.

The tool compares your total monthly expenses against your take-home income, then shows your surplus or shortfall and your savings rate — the share of income you keep after covering costs.

A common benchmark is to keep housing near or below 30% of income and to save at least 20%. The category percentages here let you see, at a glance, where South Dakota costs push your budget away from those targets.

Housing is the biggest line by far: about $1,329 of the $3,278 monthly total for a single adult in South Dakota. That's why two people on the same salary can end up with very different budgets — whoever pays more for housing has less left for food, transport, and savings. It's also the first place to look if your South Dakota budget doesn't balance.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to live in South Dakota per month?: About $3,278 a month for a single adult covering housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and other essentials. Larger households cost more but benefit from shared housing — set yours above to see the figure. The typical South Dakota household earns $76,881 a year before tax, which is what most local budgets are built around.
Is South Dakota affordable?: That depends on your income. This tool balances South Dakota's typical costs against your take-home pay so you can see your monthly surplus or shortfall directly, rather than relying on a one-size index.
Where do these South Dakota cost figures come from?: They scale a national household budget (US Bureau of Labor Statistics) by South Dakota's regional price parity (US Bureau of Economic Analysis), and are shown with their date. See our methodology page for the full approach.