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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Dubuque skyline
Corey Coyle. CC BY 3.0. Photo source · License
Madison skyline
Dori. CC BY 2.5. Photo source · License

Dubuque vs Madison

$361/mo less in Madison

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

DubuqueMadisonAbout 78 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Madison costs you more
  • Property tax 1.60%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,620/mo in Madison. $2,981/mo in Dubuque. −$4,332 a year.

Dubuque

$2,981

left each month

Madison

$2,620

−$361 vs Dubuque

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Madison wins 1 of 4Dubuque 3 · ties 0
$5,542Take-home · Madison$5,865
$806Rent · Dubuque$1,330
$1,755Other bills · Dubuque$1,915
$2,981Left over · Dubuque$2,620

Next

In 2022-2023, 69 households moved Dubuque → Madison (avg AGI $56,116). 29 went the other way. The whole move →

−$361 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthDubuqueMadison
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Madison · this breakdownDubuque · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Dubuque, IA and Madison, WI
Per monthDubuqueMadisonDifference
Gross pay$7,208$7,801+$593
Income and payroll tax$1,666$1,936+$270
Take-home pay$5,542$5,865+$323
Rent$806$1,330+$524
Getting around$496$509+$13
Groceries$347$388+$41
Healthcare$391$437+$46
Utilities$217$243+$26
Everything else$304$340+$36
Left over$2,981$2,620−$361

Salary to match Dubuque

$100,500

Gross pay in Madison that leaves the same amount as $86,500 in Dubuque.

Tax difference

−$1,132

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.1% in Dubuque, 24.8% in Madison.

More about Madison

Dubuque, IA in full

A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $959 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.

Madison, WI in full

A university town with big-city wages and small-city commutes.

The other way

Start in Madison.

Madison → Dubuque →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Madison than Dubuque?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Madison leaves about $361 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $806 in Dubuque and $1,330 in Madison.

Does Madison have state income tax?

Madison is in Wisconsin, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Dubuque to Madison?

The paycheck is taxed in Wisconsin. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Dubuque and Madison changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.