Cost of Living: Milwaukee, WI vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,207/mo in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 15.05% of gross in Milwaukee, WI versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Milwaukee, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Milwaukee, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Milwaukee, WI
15.05%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Milwaukee, WI and Los Angeles, CA.

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: Los Angeles, CA

Cost of Living Index

Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $713/mo higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Home Price

Milwaukee, WI: $172,000 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $485,700 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Household Income

Milwaukee, WI: $51,888 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Milwaukee, WI by $22,897.

Milwaukee, WI overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons