Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brainerd, MN and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Brainerd, MN: $2,445 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Brainerd, MN
Learn more

Brainerd, MN Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brainerd, MN and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brainerd, MN and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,445 in Brainerd, MN versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Brainerd, MN $2,445
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,439 in Brainerd, MN versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Brainerd, MN $3,439
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,433 in Brainerd, MN versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Brainerd, MN $4,433
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Brainerd, MN costs roughly 23% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brainerd, MN 81% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$21.58 $21.58

-31.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.45 $37.45

$88.7 $88.7

-57.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$13.20 $13.20

-23.33%

Cappuccino

$1.93 $1.93

$5.59 $5.59

-65.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.63 $2.63

-20.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.26 $2.26

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 $5.95

$7.11 $7.11

-16.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$9.23 $9.23

-34.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.28 $1.28

-24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.84 $3.84

-16.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.07 $5.07

-32.94%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$4.84 $4.84

-47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$14.17 $14.17

-31.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 $9.71

$14.61 $14.61

-33.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$18.76 $18.76

-30.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.19 $5.19

-5.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.00 $2.00

-42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$4.00 $4.00

55.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.98 $4.98

-0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.79 $2.79

36.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.65 $2.65

34.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.13 $2.13

-6.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.09 $3.09

-44.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$16.05 $16.05

-24.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 $13.26

$15.20 $15.20

-12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.62 $2.62

-34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.46 $3.46

2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.47 $2.47

-19.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.39 $40.39

$75.1 $75.1

-46.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.21 $3.21

-20.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.39 $1.39

13.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.90 $30.90

$25.02 $25.02

23.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.24 $1.24

-29.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.87%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.3K $25.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$226 $226

$192 $192

17.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$44.47 $44.47

$67.8 $67.8

-34.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$60.9 $60.9

-0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.14 $42.14

$53.6 $53.6

-21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 $8.80

$17.80 $17.80

-50.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$1,554 $1,554

-23.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$31.4K $31.4K

-10.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.57 $40.57

$67.9 $67.9

-40.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 $40.14

$50.8 $50.8

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 $60.5

$101 $101

-40.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 $64.4

$143 $143

-55.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$2,383 $2,383

-32.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 $1,321

$1,712 $1,712

-22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 $2,516

$4,674 $4,674

-46.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 $2,157

$2,738 $2,738

-21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$4,158 $4,158

-42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$2,691 $2,691

-11.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.77

-6.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Brainerd, MN: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brainerd, MN

$1.3K 54.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 29.6% $391

Groceries & Markets

Brainerd, MN

$353 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 27.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brainerd, MN

$331 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 2.9% $9.7

Eating Out

Brainerd, MN

$229 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 53.8% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Brainerd, MN

$93 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 76.7% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Brainerd, MN

$60 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 49.3% $29

Getting Around

Brainerd, MN

$59 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 61.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Brainerd, MN and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Brainerd, MN vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $451 per month, with Brainerd, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Brainerd, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,722

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brainerd, MN Chicago, IL 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brainerd, MN
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brainerd, MN vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brainerd, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brainerd, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,668 in Brainerd, MN and $4,777 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Brainerd, MN versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brainerd, MN – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,445 per month in Brainerd, MN versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Brainerd, MN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brainerd, MN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,445 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brainerd, MN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Brainerd, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.