Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Brest

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $1,397 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubuque, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Brest
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Brest Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Brest

🇫🇷 France

$1,397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubuque, IA and in Brest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Dubuque, IA versus $1,397 in Brest.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Brest $1,397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,538 in Dubuque, IA versus $2,166 in Brest.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Brest $2,166

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,345 in Dubuque, IA versus $2,935 in Brest.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Brest $2,935

Living in Dubuque, IA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Brest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubuque, IA 28% above, Brest 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$15.59 €13.87

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$44.43 €39.52

11.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$11.42 €10.16

3.33%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$2.97 €2.64

68.01%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.88 €2.56

-29.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.04 €1.82

-53.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$6.63 €5.90

-54.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.26 €4.68

-13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.16 €1.03

-32.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.55 €1.38

74.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.60 €2.31

8.46%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$3.64 €3.24

-21.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$18.85 €16.77

-25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$10.07 €8.95

3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.38 €12.79

-26.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.93 €2.60

13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.97 €1.76

-38.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.59 €2.30

25.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.93 €2.60

-16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.65 €1.47

-17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.04 €1.81

-18.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.40 €1.25

72.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.32 €0.28

459.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$13.23 €11.76

-34.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$6.81 €6.06

96.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.66 €2.36

-36.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.72 €2.42

3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.92 €35.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.99 €27.57

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.12 €1.88

-57.08%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$36.9K €32.9K

-33.60%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.8K €30.9K

-28.06%

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

$176 $176

$143 €127

23.55%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$28.03 €24.94

85.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$30.24 €26.90

67.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$36.17 €32.17

1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 €13.34

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$13.63 €12.12

-40.06%

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

$812 $812

$220 €196

268.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$68.8 €61.2

-19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$30.40 €27.04

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$79.9 €71.1

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$71.9 €64.0

23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$507 €451

94.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$386 €343

87.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$895 €796

64.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$718 €639

67.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$2,782 €2,475

-37.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$2,515 €2,237

-32.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$2,657 €2,363

41.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.82

37.43%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Brest

$386 27.6% 46.8% $339

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Brest

$304 21.8% 2.5% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Brest

$201 14.4% 28% $78

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Brest

$258 18.5% 6.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Brest

$113 8.1% 5.6% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Brest

$63 4.5% 19.2% $10

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Brest

$72 5.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Dubuque, IA and $507 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubuque, IA pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Dubuque, IA vs $44.00 in Brest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $304 per month, with Brest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇫🇷 Brest

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

7 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

139,619

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dubuque, IA Brest 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, IA
Brest

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

Dubuque, IA vs Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brest wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Dubuque, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Dubuque, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $507 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $812 in Dubuque, IA versus $220 in Brest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brest – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,397 in Brest versus $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Dubuque, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Brest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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

Expats usually find Brest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Dubuque, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.