Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brownsville, TX and Saint Joseph, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
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Saint Joseph, MI Living Index

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Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,752

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brownsville, TX and in Saint Joseph, MI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brownsville, TX and in Saint Joseph, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,752 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $1,752
Saint Joseph, MI $1,920

A couple spends around $2,612 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $3,070 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $2,612
Saint Joseph, MI $3,070

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $4,219 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $3,472
Saint Joseph, MI $4,219

Brownsville, TX is about 9% cheaper than Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brownsville, TX and Saint Joseph, MI sit above the global median – Brownsville, TX by 29%, Saint Joseph, MI by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 $10.13

$13.89 $13.89

-27.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 $59.9

$73.9 $73.9

-19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.74 $8.74

-9.04%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$4.01 $4.01

0.50%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$3.00 $3.00

-32.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.04 $2.04

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.91 $3.91

29.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$4.97 $4.97

2.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.81 $0.81

4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.86 $2.86

-21.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.96 $2.96

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.83 $2.83

$3.53 $3.53

-19.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$7.85 $7.85

18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.53 $10.53

21.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 $9.11

$8.36 $8.36

8.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$5.71 $5.71

-54.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.65 $1.65

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.53 $3.53

-52.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$5.39 $5.39

-63.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.75 $1.75

65.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.22 $3.22

-66.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.63 $1.63

-38.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.46 $2.46

-58.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$12.15 $12.15

-21.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$8.21 $8.21

-10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.70 $1.70

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.30 $3.30

-32.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 $53.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.05 $3.05

36.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.79 $1.79

-56.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.76 $29.76

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.80 $0.80

7.50%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$24.4K $24.4K

18.30%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

-6.10%

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

$162 $162

$172 $172

-5.83%

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

$37.04 $37.04

$51.1 $51.1

-27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$51.9 $51.9

29.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.89 $49.89

$41.52 $41.52

20.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 $11.78

$10.59 $10.59

11.24%

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

$595 $595

$1,521 $1,521

-60.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 $78.7

$40.22 $40.22

95.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.47 $44.47

$49.07 $49.07

-9.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 $75.8

$76.1 $76.1

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$75.6 $75.6

27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 $944

$1,075 $1,075

-12.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 $796

$842 $842

-5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 $1,656

$1,887 $1,887

-12.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 $1,384

$1,791 $1,791

-22.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,773 $2,773

-32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,856 $1,856

$2,380 $2,380

-21.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,159 $3,159

$4,999 $4,999

-36.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.43

0.78%

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

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brownsville, TX

$796 45.5%

Saint Joseph, MI

$842 43.9% 5.8% $46

Groceries & Markets

Brownsville, TX

$271 15.4%

Saint Joseph, MI

$323 16.8% 19.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brownsville, TX

$266 15.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$275 14.3% 3.2% $8.5

Eating Out

Brownsville, TX

$205 11.7%

Saint Joseph, MI

$235 12.3% 14.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Brownsville, TX

$133 7.6%

Saint Joseph, MI

$108 5.7% 18.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Brownsville, TX

$73 4.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$63 3.3% 14.6% $11

Getting Around

Brownsville, TX

$8 * 0.5%

Saint Joseph, MI

$74 3.9% 826% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in Brownsville, TX versus $1,075 in Saint Joseph, MI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Saint Joseph, MI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Brownsville, TX versus $74 in Saint Joseph, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $323 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

1 h ahead of Brownsville, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,738

76,780

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brownsville, TX Saint Joseph, MI 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Brownsville, TX
Saint Joseph, MI

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

Brownsville, TX vs Saint Joseph, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,628 per month in Brownsville, TX and $2,880 in Saint Joseph, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $1,075 in Saint Joseph, MI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,752 in Brownsville, TX and $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI. That’s a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $595 per month in Brownsville, TX and $1,521 in Saint Joseph, MI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,752 in Brownsville, TX and $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Brownsville, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Brownsville, TX. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Joseph, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.