Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Brainerd, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Brainerd, MN: $2,445 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Brainerd, MN
Learn more

Brainerd, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Brainerd, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA 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 Seattle, WA and in Brainerd, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Brainerd, MN $2,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,439 in Brainerd, MN.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Brainerd, MN $3,439

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,433 in Brainerd, MN.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Brainerd, MN $4,433

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 55% more expensive than in Brainerd, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Brainerd, MN 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$14.72 $14.72

72.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$37.45 $37.45

171.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.12 $10.12

46.74%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$1.93 $1.93

241.45%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.10 $2.10

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.99 $1.99

57.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.95 $5.95

37.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.02 $6.02

33.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.97 $0.97

24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.19 $3.19

60.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.40 $3.40

85.29%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.54 $2.54

92.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$9.74 $9.74

96.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.71 $9.71

90.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.01 $13.01

77.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.92 $4.92

18.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.15 $1.15

69.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$6.23 $6.23

-15.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.95 $4.95

30.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.82 $3.82

-6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.56 $3.56

-11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.00 $2.00

42.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.73 $1.73

39.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$12.06 $12.06

5.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.26 $13.26

13.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.71 $1.71

143.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.54 $3.54

69.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.98 $1.98

53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$40.39 $40.39

172.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$30.90 $30.90

-4.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.87 $0.87

63.22%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

0.01%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

0.88%

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

$299 $299

$226 $226

32.36%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$44.47 $44.47

59.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$60.3 $60.3

46.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$42.14 $42.14

88.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$8.80 $8.80

94.55%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,186 $1,186

154.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$40.57 $40.57

90.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$40.14 $40.14

37.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$60.5 $60.5

107.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$64.4 $64.4

152.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,612 $1,612

52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,321 $1,321

48.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,516 $2,516

87.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,157 $2,157

64.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,373 $2,373

209.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,390 $2,390

111.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.31

8.56%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Brainerd, MN: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Brainerd, MN

$1.3K 54.1% 32.5% $635

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Brainerd, MN

$353 14.4% 34.9% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Brainerd, MN

$331 13.5% 27.8% $127

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Brainerd, MN

$229 9.4% 43.9% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Brainerd, MN

$93 3.8% 51.1% $97

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Brainerd, MN

$59 2.4% 55.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Brainerd, MN

$60 2.4% 47.5% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,612 in Brainerd, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $37.00 in Brainerd, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $353 per month, with Brainerd, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Brainerd, MN

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

13,722

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Brainerd, MN 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs Brainerd, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brainerd, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Seattle, WA. 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 $5,701 in Seattle, WA and $3,668 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,612 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 $37.00 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,445 in Brainerd, MN – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 work as nomad bases, but Brainerd, MN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,445 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brainerd, MN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Brainerd, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.