Cost of Living: Milwaukee, WI vs Phoenix, AZ

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 $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 15.05% of gross in Milwaukee, WI versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Milwaukee, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Milwaukee, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Milwaukee, WI
15.05%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

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: Phoenix, AZ

Cost of Living Index

Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $403/mo higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Home Price

Milwaukee, WI: $172,000 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $209,900 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Household Income

Milwaukee, WI: $51,888 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than Milwaukee, WI by $25,153.

Milwaukee, WI overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons