What is the estimated monthly cost of living in Brandon?

The latest single-person Market Basket Measure is about CAD 2,222.17 per month. Advertised rent is shown separately when published.

What salary is typically needed in Brandon?

A balanced planning estimate is around CAD 36,500 gross per year.

Are these exact prices?

No. These are planning baselines and should be adjusted to your neighborhood and lifestyle.

City snapshot

Cost of living in Brandon

Brandon offers affordable prairie living with a strong agricultural base and university town atmosphere.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026Brandon CA

3-category planning baseline

$1,290

Total annual: $15,480

Balanced salary needed

$36,500

Balanced

Population

62,723

2025 · Brandon (CA), Manitoba · Statistics Canada

Crime Severity Index

141.2

Manitoba province proxy

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,222

2 people$3,143

Family of 4$4,444

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 79% (B) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartmentNo current published observation

1-bedroom apartmentNo current published observation

2-bedroom apartmentNo current published observation

3+ bedroom apartmentNo current published observation

Full-time centre-based childcare$258

2025 · Manitoba

Local Indicators

Median after-tax income$72,000

Crime Severity Index141.2

Brandon, Manitoba

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$810

Groceries$390

Transport$90

Total monthly$1,290

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$810

Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$810

Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500

Basic household setup$600

Estimated setup total$4,720

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculator See salary needed Rent affordability Mortgage affordability Compare cities Car costs Province tax calculator After-tax income guide

City profile

GeographyBrandon CA

Common languagesEnglish, Spanish, Tagalog

Community contextIndigenous, Latin American, Filipino

Housing and rent

Lower-cost regional housing compared with Winnipeg and major Canadian metros.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $810 · Total monthly: $1,290

Commute and daily life

Short car commutes with local transit coverage

Safety context

Brandon's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for Manitoba province proxy. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index: 141.2
Violent CSI: 213.8
Non-violent CSI: 113.4

Data note: CSI uses Manitoba provincial data because Brandon is not published separately in the selected CSI table.

How this city compares

Brandon ranks #47 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is -$874 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164

Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Brandon.

Essentials$25,700

Balanced$36,500

Comfortable$48,200

Best for

Brandon is strongest for most affordable housing in canada and a lower baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $1,290 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $4,720 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 63% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is -$874.

Living in Brandon: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Brandon: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Brandon is Manitoba's second-largest city, located in the heart of the Canadian prairies.

The city serves as a regional hub for agriculture, healthcare, and education with Brandon University.

Housing costs in Brandon are among the most affordable in Canada, making it ideal for families.

The city offers a relaxed pace of life with all essential amenities and a tight-knit community feel.

Highlights

Most affordable housing in Canada
University town atmosphere
Strong agricultural economy
Regional healthcare hub
Relaxed prairie lifestyle

Common questions

What is included in Brandon's monthly baseline?: The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?: National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Brandon salary estimate?: Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.

Sources and methodology

Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent

Latest available observation varies by city

Planning baseline

Estimated rent + groceries + local transport

Not used

Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs

Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.

Sources and methodology