

Grand Forks vs Milwaukee
$239/mo less in Milwaukee
Grand ForksMilwaukeeAbout 552 miles apart, a flight.
- Milwaukee costs you more
- Property tax 1.53%
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,607/mo in Milwaukee. $2,846/mo in Grand Forks. −$2,868 a year.
Grand Forks
$2,846
left each month
Milwaukee
$2,607
−$239 vs Grand Forks
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$239 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Grand Forks | Milwaukee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,958 | $7,645 | +$687 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,398 | $1,882 | +$484 |
| Take-home pay | $5,561 | $5,763 | +$202 |
| Rent | $924 | $1,261 | +$337 |
| Getting around | $525 | $503 | −$22 |
| Groceries | $349 | $384 | +$35 |
| Healthcare | $393 | $432 | +$39 |
| Utilities | $218 | $240 | +$22 |
| Everything else | $306 | $336 | +$30 |
| Left over | $2,846 | $2,607 | −$239 |
Salary to match Grand Forks
$96,000
Gross pay in Milwaukee that leaves the same amount as $83,500 in Grand Forks.
Tax difference
−$3,366
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.1% in Grand Forks, 24.6% in Milwaukee.
More about Milwaukee
Grand Forks, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,100 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
Milwaukee, WI in full
Lake Michigan summers, cheap housing, and a 1.5% property tax.
The other way
Start in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee → Grand Forks →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Milwaukee than Grand Forks?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Milwaukee leaves about $239 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $924 in Grand Forks 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 Grand Forks 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 Grand Forks 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.