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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Madison skyline
Dori. CC BY 2.5. Photo source · License
Milwaukee skyline
Bfkenney. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Madison vs Milwaukee

$13/mo less in Milwaukee

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

MadisonMilwaukeeAbout 88 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Milwaukee costs you more
  • Property tax 1.53%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,601/mo in Milwaukee. $2,614/mo in Madison. −$156 a year.

Madison

$2,614

left each month

Milwaukee

$2,601

−$13 vs Madison

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Milwaukee wins 2 of 4Madison 2 · ties 0
$5,859Take-home · Madison$5,757
$1,330Rent · Milwaukee$1,261
$1,915Other bills · Milwaukee$1,895
$2,614Left over · Madison$2,601

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,308 households moved Madison → Milwaukee (avg AGI $65,723). 1,347 went the other way. The whole move →

−$13 / 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 monthMadisonMilwaukee
Less leftMore left
Milwaukee · this breakdownMadison · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Madison, WI and Milwaukee, WI
Per monthMadisonMilwaukeeDifference
Gross pay$7,792$7,636−$156
Income and payroll tax$1,933$1,878−$54
Take-home pay$5,859$5,757−$101
Rent$1,330$1,261−$69
Getting around$509$503−$6
Groceries$388$384−$4
Healthcare$437$432−$5
Utilities$243$240−$3
Everything else$340$336−$4
Left over$2,614$2,601−$13

Salary to match Madison

$92,000

Gross pay in Milwaukee that leaves the same amount as $93,500 in Madison.

Tax difference

+$99

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.8% in Madison, 24.6% in Milwaukee.

More about Milwaukee

Madison, WI in full

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

Milwaukee, WI in full

Lake Michigan summers, cheap housing, and a 1.5% property tax.

The other way

Start in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee → Madison →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Milwaukee than Madison?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Milwaukee leaves about $13 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,330 in Madison and $1,261 in Milwaukee.

Does Milwaukee have state income tax?

Milwaukee is in Wisconsin, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Madison to Milwaukee?

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 Madison and Milwaukee 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.