Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Appleton, WI and Watertown, NY

For one person, living costs are similar in Appleton, WI and in Watertown, NY: $2,114 and $2,027 a month, rent and utilities included.

103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Watertown, NY
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Watertown, NY Living Index

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Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

Watertown, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Appleton, WI and in Watertown, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Appleton, WI and in Watertown, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,114 per month in Appleton, WI vs $2,027 in Watertown, NY, rent included.

Appleton, WI $2,114
Watertown, NY $2,027

A couple spends around $3,257 per month in Appleton, WI vs $3,043 in Watertown, NY, rent included.

Appleton, WI $3,257
Watertown, NY $3,043

A family of three spends $4,400 per month in Appleton, WI vs $4,058 in Watertown, NY, rent included.

Appleton, WI $4,400
Watertown, NY $4,058

Appleton, WI costs about 4% more than Watertown, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Appleton, WI and Watertown, NY sit above the global median – Appleton, WI by 57%, Watertown, NY by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 $18.17

$13.72 $13.72

32.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$64.0 $64.0

1.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$11.93 $11.93

-6.96%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$4.02 $4.02

33.58%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.64 $2.64

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.10 $2.10

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.07 $5.07

-9.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$7.03 $7.03

-13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.86 $0.86

19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.74 $2.74

11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.59 $5.59

-8.23%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$3.01 $3.01

50.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$13.05 $13.05

8.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$4.28 $4.28

95.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 $15.52

$15.98 $15.98

-2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.56 $3.56

35.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.48 $1.48

-10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.22 $2.22

41.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.15 $5.15

-15.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.65 $2.65

-19.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.99 $2.99

-12.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.98 $0.98

125.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.51 $0.51

515.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 $10.94

$14.44 $14.44

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$9.12 $9.12

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.56 $1.56

12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.98 $1.98

68.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$5.15 $5.15

-37.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.21 $2.21

-37.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$45.90 $45.90

-46.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.94 $0.94

4.26%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K $35.4K

$35.6K $35.6K

-0.40%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

-0.14%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$174 $174

$188 $188

-7.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$44.20 $44.20

$52.4 $52.4

-15.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$66.4 $66.4

-7.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 $23.46

$37.14 $37.14

-36.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.62 $39.62

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$10.91 $10.91

33.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$1,484 $1,484

1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$32.2K $32.2K

-2.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.23 $39.23

$29.66 $29.66

32.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.89 $24.89

$44.13 $44.13

-43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.0 $50.0

$88.6 $88.6

-43.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$102 $102

9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$1,147 $1,147

32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 $992

$980 $980

1.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,600 $1,600

12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$1,781 $1,781

6.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$1,477 $1,477

52.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,278 $2,278

$1,502 $1,502

51.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,999 $3,999

$3,401 $3,401

17.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.52

-2.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Watertown, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Appleton, WI

$992 46.9%

Watertown, NY

$980 48.3% 1.2% $12

Groceries & Markets

Appleton, WI

$380 18%

Watertown, NY

$294 14.5% 22.6% $86

Eating Out

Appleton, WI

$298 14.1%

Watertown, NY

$252 12.4% 15.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Appleton, WI

$280 13.3%

Watertown, NY

$307 15.1% 9.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Appleton, WI

$101 4.8%

Watertown, NY

$119 5.9% 17.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5%

Watertown, NY

$59 2.9% 12.2% $6.4

Getting Around

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5%

Watertown, NY

$16 * 0.8% 59.4% $6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,524 in Appleton, WI versus $1,147 in Watertown, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Appleton, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Appleton, WI versus $64.0 in Watertown, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $294 – making Watertown, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 Watertown, NY

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

1 h ahead of Appleton, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,139

31,915

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Appleton, WI Watertown, NY 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Appleton, WI
Watertown, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Appleton, WI vs Watertown, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,170 per month in Appleton, WI and $3,041 in Watertown, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Watertown, NY, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Appleton, WI and $64.0 in Watertown, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Appleton, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Watertown, NY, where all-in costs run around $2,027, than in Appleton, WI at $2,114. In Watertown, NY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Watertown, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Watertown, NY. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Appleton, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.