Cost of Living: Appleton, WI vs Milwaukee, WI

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,207/mo in Appleton, WI versus $4,207/mo in Milwaukee, WI. In the model, rent is about 13.94% of gross in Appleton, WI versus 15.05% in Milwaukee, WI, so Appleton, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Appleton, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Milwaukee, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Appleton, WI
13.94%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Milwaukee, WI
15.05%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Appleton, WI and Milwaukee, WI.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Milwaukee, WI
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Appleton, WI
  • Lower home prices: Milwaukee, WI
  • Higher median household income: Appleton, WI

Cost of Living Index

Appleton, WI: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100)

Milwaukee, WI has a lower cost-of-living index than Appleton, WI, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Appleton, WI: $909/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo

Median rent in Milwaukee, WI is $73/mo higher than in Appleton, WI.

Median Home Price

Appleton, WI: $211,500 · Milwaukee, WI: $172,000

Median home price in Appleton, WI is $39,500 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Household Income

Appleton, WI: $77,450 · Milwaukee, WI: $51,888

Appleton, WI has a higher median household income than Milwaukee, WI by $25,562.

Appleton, WI overview · Milwaukee, WI overview · Popular comparisons