Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Brest Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Brest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Dubuque, IA versus $1,510 in Brest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Dubuque, IA versus $2,337 in Brest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,513 in Dubuque, IA versus $3,165 in Brest.

Living in Dubuque, IA is roughly 19% more expensive than in Brest, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubuque, IA 31% above, Brest 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 $16.30

$15.98 €13.75

2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$46.59 €40.09

7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$11.42 €9.83

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.24 €2.78

54.94%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$2.94 €2.53

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.12 €1.82

-51.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$6.88 €5.92

-56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.85 €4.17

-5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.14 €0.98

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.67 €1.44

62.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.49 €2.15

37.35%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$3.61 €3.10

-22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$18.70 €16.09

-45.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 $10.42

$11.75 €10.11

-11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$14.55 €12.52

4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.04 €2.61

10.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.03 €1.74

-39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.11 €3.53

-19.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.14 €2.70

-23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.71 €1.47

-18.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.98 €1.70

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.45 €1.25

60.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.47 €0.41

278.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$14.10 €12.13

-35.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 $13.46

$7.05 €6.07

90.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.65 €3.14

-44.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.06 €2.63

-12.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 €1.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.18 €35.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 $2.75

$8.34 €7.17

-67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.29 €1.97

-31.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.81 $20.81

$32.30 €27.80

-35.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.06 €1.77

-56.80%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.2K €32.1K

-4.26%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$36.0K €31.0K

-28.85%

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

$204 $204

$182 €156

12.36%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$28.99 €24.94

134.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$28.85 €24.82

128.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.36 $37.36

$36.25 €31.19

3.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.47 €21.05

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 $7.88

$14.03 €12.07

-43.83%

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

$784 $784

$235 €203

233.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$11.9K €10.3K

105.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$58.1 €50.0

-6.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 $35.33

$43.57 €37.49

-18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$73.1 €62.9

20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 $90.7

$91.3 €78.6

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$539 €464

86.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 $723

$402 €346

79.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$880 €757

65.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 $1,190

$764 €658

55.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 $1,754

$2,888 €2,485

-39.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,691 $1,691

$2,557 €2,201

-33.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,766 $3,766

$2,694 €2,318

39.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.9

34.62%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Brest: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Dubuque, IA and $539 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubuque, IA pays 40% 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 $47.00 in Brest. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $330, with Dubuque, IA cheaper for home cooking.

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 19% 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 40% 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: $1,006 in Dubuque, IA versus $539 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Dubuque, IA versus $235 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 $47.00 versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,510 in Brest versus $1,794 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 19% less than in Dubuque, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.