Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brainerd, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Brainerd, MN: $2,441 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Brainerd, MN
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Brainerd, MN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Brainerd, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,441 in Brainerd, MN.

New York, NY $4,941
Brainerd, MN $2,441

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,450 in Brainerd, MN.

New York, NY $7,225
Brainerd, MN $3,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,460 in Brainerd, MN.

New York, NY $9,509
Brainerd, MN $4,460

Living in New York, NY is roughly 102% more expensive than in Brainerd, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Brainerd, MN 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.37 $14.37

98.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$38.35 $38.35

208.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.04 $10.04

49.80%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$1.94 $1.94

236.60%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.09 $2.09

89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.89 $1.89

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.88 $5.88

38.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.88 $5.88

67.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.91 $0.91

50.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.25 $3.25

52.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.41 $3.41

129.03%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.43 $2.43

145.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.38 $9.38

101.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.37 $9.37

92.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.23 $13.23

43.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.96 $4.96

36.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.16 $1.16

95.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.02 $6.02

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.86 $4.86

45.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.82 $3.82

10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.52 $3.52

32.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.05 $2.05

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.69 $1.69

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.90 $11.90

57.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.77 $12.77

57.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.76 $1.76

96.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.45 $3.45

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.95 $1.95

49.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.7 $59.7

132.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.54 $2.54

21.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.53 $1.53

38.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$30.96 $30.96

35.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.79%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.86%

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

$219 $219

$233 $233

-5.66%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$45.13 $45.13

64.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$59.8 $59.8

17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$42.00 $42.00

166.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$9.19 $9.19

140.91%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,221 $1,221

191.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$28.2K $28.2K

120.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$40.67 $40.67

85.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.75 $40.75

25.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$60.1 $60.1

105.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$64.5 $64.5

116.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,604 $1,604

180.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,299 $1,299

136.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,475 $2,475

281.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,152 $2,152

141.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,434 $2,434

643.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,377 $2,377

181.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.31

8.72%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brainerd, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Brainerd, MN

$1.3K 53.2% 57.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Brainerd, MN

$348 14.3% 38.2% $215

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Brainerd, MN

$225 9.2% 48.8% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Brainerd, MN

$337 13.8% 7.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Brainerd, MN

$93 3.8% 47.2% $83

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Brainerd, MN

$78 3.2% 52.7% $87

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Brainerd, MN

$60 2.5% 61.4% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,604 in Brainerd, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $38 in Brainerd, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $348 per month, with Brainerd, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Brainerd, MN

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

13,722

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Brainerd, MN 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Brainerd, MN

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

New York, NY vs Brainerd, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brainerd, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in New York, NY. 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 $7,412 in New York, NY and $3,661 in Brainerd, MN 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,604 in Brainerd, MN. 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 $38 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,441 in Brainerd, MN – Brainerd, MN is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 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.

Expats usually find Brainerd, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.