Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Magdeburg Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Magdeburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,142 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,894 in Magdeburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,401 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,964 in Magdeburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,661 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $4,033 in Magdeburg, rent included.

La Crosse, WI costs about 13% more than Magdeburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both La Crosse, WI and Magdeburg sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 60%, Magdeburg by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 $13.05

$14.07 €12.05

-7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 $82.9

$70.7 €60.5

17.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$11.68 €10.00

3.00%

Cappuccino

$5.87 $5.87

$3.38 €2.89

73.67%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.81 €2.41

10.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.49 €2.13

-9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.80 €4.11

31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.32 €3.70

61.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.21 €1.03

-33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.21 €1.89

-1.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.52 €3.01

52.56%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.78 €3.23

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$14.65 €12.54

-61.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$13.96 €11.95

0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$21.20 €18.15

-15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.29 €2.82

96.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.71 €1.46

2.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.25 €1.93

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.79 €4.10

-30.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.56 €1.33

43.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.53 €1.31

143.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.83 €1.57

30.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.53 €1.31

32.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$9.91 €8.48

20.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 $15.50

$5.88 €5.03

163.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.05 €0.90

67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.62 €1.38

19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.01 €2.57

-48.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.55 $34.55

$62.2 €53.3

-44.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 $4.67

$11.47 €9.82

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.54 €1.32

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$11.35 €9.71

112.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.94 €1.66

-57.73%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$31.9K €27.3K

-5.87%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$38.0K €32.6K

-36.86%

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

$162 $162

$438 €375

-62.90%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$30.51 €26.11

68.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$51.4 €44.02

28.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 $40.32

$35.50 €30.39

13.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.05 $4.05

$18.41 €15.76

-78.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$11.97 €10.24

0.50%

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

$1,633 $1,633

$230 €196

611.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K $26.3K

$11.4K €9,716

131.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$90.5 €77.5

-30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.37 $44.37

$35.16 €30.10

26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$98.0 €83.9

-12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$177 €152

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$622 €533

22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 $986

$431 €369

128.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 $2,163

$1,560 €1,335

38.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 $1,975

$1,055 €903

87.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$5,063 €4,334

-62.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 $1,946

$1,609 €1,378

20.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,518 $4,518

$2,921 €2,501

54.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.96

64.39%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: April 26, 2026

Last update for Magdeburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $762 in La Crosse, WI versus $622 in Magdeburg. 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 55% higher in La Crosse, 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 $83.0 in La Crosse, WI versus $71.0 in Magdeburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $354 – making Magdeburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

La Crosse, WI vs Magdeburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,142 in La Crosse, WI, $1,894 in Magdeburg – roughly 13% apart. La Crosse, WI costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,212 per month in La Crosse, WI and $2,841 in Magdeburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 4% more in La Crosse, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in La Crosse, WI and $71.0 in Magdeburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Magdeburg, where all-in costs run around $1,894, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,142. In Magdeburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Magdeburg – 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 Magdeburg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.