Cost of Living Comparison Between Brainerd, MN and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Brainerd, MN and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,298 in Brainerd, MN versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,068 in Brainerd, MN versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,839 in Brainerd, MN versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Brainerd, MN and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brainerd, MN 72% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.86 $13.86

$16.19 €14.18

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 $64.8

$63.3 €55.5

2.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$10.32 €9.04

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$1.87 $1.87

$2.83 €2.48

-33.92%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.29 €2.01

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.58 €1.38

20.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.40 €2.98

75.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.03 €3.53

49.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.09 €0.96

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.75 €1.53

90.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.76 €1.54

121.59%

Eggs

$2.53 $2.53

$3.17 €2.77

-20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 $9.60

$13.19 €11.56

-27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 $8.14

$7.97 €6.98

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$15.53 €13.60

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.37 €2.07

110.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.71 €1.49

-29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.01 €1.76

193.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.43 €2.13

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.76 €1.54

120.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.03 €1.78

81.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.92 €1.68

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.85 €0.74

131.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.68 $10.68

$6.58 €5.76

62.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 $12.16

$5.58 €4.89

117.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.33 €1.17

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.97 €2.60

53.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.28 €1.99

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.11 $40.11

$45.79 €40.10

-12.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$4.23 €3.70

-29.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.81 €0.71

67.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.83 $28.83

$18.44 €16.15

56.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.08 €1.82

-60.58%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$34.7K €30.4K

1.24%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.2K €34.3K

-35.93%

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

$217 $217

$148 €130

46.89%

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

$45.31 $45.31

$20.46 €17.92

121.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$39.56 €34.64

53.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.23 $42.23

$47.99 €42.03

-12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 $9.24

$9.22 €8.08

0.22%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$616 €540

92.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$16.4K €14.4K

84.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.35 $39.35

$103 €90.0

-61.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.64 $41.64

$41.74 €36.55

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 $59.1

$94.8 €83.0

-37.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 $64.2

$122 €107

-47.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,633 €1,430

-1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$1,232 €1,079

-3.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$3,098 €2,713

-15.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$2,031 €1,779

-25.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,424 $2,424

$7,831 €6,858

-69.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,400 $2,400

$4,389 €3,844

-45.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.81

68.77%

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

Last update for Brainerd, MN: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Brainerd, MN and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Brainerd, MN vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $3,446 in Brainerd, MN and $3,437 in Lisbon 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: $1,604 in Brainerd, MN versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,188 in Brainerd, MN versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $65.0 in Brainerd, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,298 in Brainerd, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Brainerd, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,291 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brainerd, MN and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Brainerd, MN on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.