Cost of Living: Madison, 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 Madison, WI versus $4,207/mo in Milwaukee, WI. In the model, rent is about 19.87% of gross in Madison, WI versus 15.05% in Milwaukee, WI, so Milwaukee, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Madison, WI and Milwaukee, WI.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Milwaukee, WI
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Milwaukee, WI
- Lower home prices: Milwaukee, WI
- Higher median household income: Madison, WI
Cost of Living Index
Madison, WI: 105.4 (U.S. = 100) · Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100)
Milwaukee, WI has a lower cost-of-living index than Madison, WI, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Madison, WI: $1,296/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo
Median rent in Madison, WI is $314/mo higher than in Milwaukee, WI.
Median Home Price
Madison, WI: $346,900 · Milwaukee, WI: $172,000
Median home price in Madison, WI is $174,900 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.
Median Household Income
Madison, WI: $76,983 · Milwaukee, WI: $51,888
Madison, WI has a higher median household income than Milwaukee, WI by $25,095.
Madison, WI overview · Milwaukee, WI overview · Popular comparisons