How Much Does Off-Campus Housing Cost Near the University of Minnesota? Dinkytown, Marcy-Holmes and Como Rents

The cost of off-campus housing at the University of Minnesota runs about $400 to $925 a month per person if you share, based on FMP listings in Dinkytown, Marcy-Holmes and Como as of October 2026. Living alone costs more: one-bedrooms near campus list from $899 at 700 University Ave SE to $1,420 at The Knoll Dinkytown. Expect to add utilities and a security deposit, which Minneapolis caps at one month's rent.

Key Takeaways

• Dinkytown's student towers list beds from $459 (a shared room at Yugo 412 Lofts) to about $925 for a private room.
• Split four ways, a whole Marcy-Holmes unit can land between $400 and $662 per person.
• Como has fewer listings. A five-bedroom on 26th Ave SE works out to $700 each.
• Solo? Budget $899 to $1,425 a month for a studio or one-bedroom within a mile of campus.
• Minneapolis limits a deposit to one month's rent (half a month if you also prepay first or last month's rent).
• A standard double in a UMN residence hall is $4,508 per semester before the required meal plan, which starts at $3,190.

What Off-Campus Housing Costs Near the University of Minnesota in 2026

Shared housing near UMN lists between about $400 and $925 per person on FMP right now. The number moves with two things: the neighborhood, and whether the building prices by the bed or by the whole apartment. Towers in Dinkytown mostly price by the bed. Older buildings and houses in Marcy-Holmes and Como usually quote the whole unit, and you divide.

FMP lists 88 properties tied to the campus, and you can sort all of them on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities off-campus housing page. Every price below is base rent. None of these buildings has posted monthly fees yet, so ask for the all-in number before you sign.

Dinkytown Rent: Per-Bed Towers From Under $500

Dinkytown is the cheapest way to live closest to the East Bank, as long as you're fine sharing. It's technically the commercial core of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, but students treat the blocks around University Avenue SE, 4th Street SE and 14th Avenue as their own place.

• Yugo Minneapolis 412 Lofts, 406 12th Ave SE, 0.5 miles from campus. The "double" rate in a two-bedroom lists at $459 (doubles are typically a shared bedroom, so ask), and a private bedroom runs from $609 per person.
• Historic Florence Court at 1022 University Ave SE lists a three-bedroom from $690 and a one-bedroom at $995. Rent falls as bedrooms rise, so $690 is almost certainly a per-bed price. Confirm it.
• At The Knoll Dinkytown (1101 University Ave SE), four-bedroom plans list from $875 and a private room in a four-bedroom is $925 per person. Want the place to yourself? Its one-bedroom is $1,420.

Our take: the $459 double is real money saved, but you're sharing a bedroom. For most upperclassmen, the $600 to $700 private-room tier is the sweet spot.

Marcy-Holmes Rent: Whole Units You Split

Marcy-Holmes, the residential blocks west of Dinkytown toward the Mississippi, is where splitting a whole apartment or house gets cheap. Listings here quote the entire unit, and rent climbs with each bedroom.

• 319 7th Ave SE lists a four-bedroom, two-bath for $1,600. Split evenly, that's $400 each, the lowest per-person number in this guide (0.9 miles out).
• 700 University Ave SE has a 625-square-foot one-bedroom at $899 and two-bedrooms from $1,241, or about $620 a person.
• At MPA / Marcy Park Apartments, 1015 8th St SE, a four-bedroom is $2,649 ($662 each) and a two-bedroom is $1,699 ($850 each).

One thing to watch: whole-unit leases are usually joint. If a roommate bails, everyone left on the lease can be on the hook for the full rent.

Como Rent: Houses, Trains and Fewer Listings

Southeast Como, north of the rail tracks around Como Avenue SE, has the thinnest inventory of the three neighborhoods. What's there leans toward houses for groups and a few newer small buildings.

1046 26th Ave SE is a five-bedroom, two-bath house listed at $3,500, so $700 each if all five rooms fill. It's 1.3 miles from campus, which means a bike or bus most of the year.

For a solo place, Elmwood Properties at 1040 Como Ave SE lists studios at $1,225 and one-bedrooms at $1,425. The listing itself warns about freight trains next to the bedroom windows, and parking runs on a waitlist. Tour at night before you commit.

Upfront Costs Beyond Rent in Minneapolis

Minneapolis caps security deposits at one month's rent, and the city enforces it through its rental licensing rules. Under the city's renter protection rules, a landlord who also charges first or last month's rent up front can only take half a month as a deposit, payable over three months. The deposit has to come back with interest within 21 days of move-out.

Utilities are the other line item. Heating season here runs from roughly October through April, so ask each landlord whether heat is included. In an older Marcy-Holmes or Como house it often isn't, and January gas bills are the ones that surprise people.

Off-Campus vs. UMN Residence Halls: Which Costs Less?

Off-campus housing near UMN usually costs less per month than a residence hall room. A standard double for 2026-27 is $4,508 per person, per semester on UMN Housing & Residential Life's rate sheet, and every hall resident has to buy a meal plan starting at $3,190. Two semesters of the double alone is $9,016 for a school year that runs September 5 to May 12, or roughly $1,127 a month for a shared room before a single meal.

Compare that with a $609 private bedroom at Yugo 412 Lofts or a $662 share at Marcy Park. Even on a 12-month lease, you're paying less per month and you get your own room. The dorm still wins on simplicity (no utility bills, no lease co-signer, no furniture), and that's worth something your first year.

Still choosing a neighborhood? FMP's guide to the best Minneapolis neighborhoods for University of Minnesota students compares walk times and vibe, not just price.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Cost of Off-Campus Housing at the University of Minnesota

How much is rent in Dinkytown?

About $460 to $925 a month for a bed or private room in a student building. FMP listings range from a $459 shared double at Yugo 412 Lofts to $925 for a private room at The Knoll Dinkytown, while one-bedrooms run $995 to $1,420.

What is the cheapest area to live near UMN?

Marcy-Holmes, if you split a whole house. A four-bedroom at 319 7th Ave SE lists at $1,600, or $400 per person, and several other Marcy-Holmes units work out to $600 to $700 each.

Is it cheaper to live off campus at the University of Minnesota?

Usually, yes. A residence hall double costs $9,016 for two semesters before meals, about $1,127 a month, while shared off-campus rooms near campus commonly list from $459 to $700.

How much is a security deposit in Minneapolis?

One month's rent at most. If your landlord also collects first or last month's rent up front, the deposit drops to half a month and must be payable over three months.

Do UMN off-campus prices include utilities?

Not by default. The FMP listings in this guide show base rent only, so ask each landlord for heat, electric, internet and fees in writing.