Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Magdeburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Magdeburg: $1,872 a month against $2,217 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in La Crosse, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Magdeburg
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Magdeburg Living Index

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La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

Magdeburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Crosse, WI and in Magdeburg

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

A single person spends $2,217 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,872 in Magdeburg, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $2,217
Magdeburg $1,872

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,769 in Magdeburg, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $3,376
Magdeburg $2,769

A family of three spends $4,535 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $3,665 in Magdeburg, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $4,535
Magdeburg $3,665

La Crosse, WI costs about 18% more than Magdeburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both La Crosse, WI and Magdeburg sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 63%, Magdeburg by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 $15.24

$13.05 €11.73

16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 $69.5

$66.2 €59.5

4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$11.37 €10.22

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.12 €2.80

84.94%

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

$2.10 $2.10

$3.66 €3.29

-42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.99 €2.69

-60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.41 €3.96

0.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.43 €3.98

35.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.40 €1.26

-47.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.06 €1.85

18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.96 €3.56

15.66%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$3.85 €3.46

-35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$14.55 €13.07

-29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$10.88 €9.77

1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 $16.42

$23.84 €21.42

-31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.25 €2.92

51.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.14 €1.92

-48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.04 €1.83

57.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.34 €3.90

20.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.40 €1.26

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.08 €0.97

117.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.44 €1.29

39.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 €1.45

6.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 $9.93

$9.76 €8.77

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 $10.81

$5.64 €5.07

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.22 €1.10

50.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.71 €1.54

19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.36 €3.02

-70.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.33 $35.33

$71.5 €64.2

-50.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$11.38 €10.22

-69.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.76 €2.48

-34.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.84 $45.84

$11.12 €9.99

312.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.09 €1.88

-56.46%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$33.3K €29.9K

-0.91%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$38.5K €34.6K

-36.51%

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

$208 $208

$431 €387

-51.72%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$25.89 €23.26

110.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$38.07 €34.21

72.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.79 $40.79

$38.13 €34.26

6.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.89 $3.89

$31.92 €28.68

-87.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$13.82 €12.41

-13.46%

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

$888 $888

$226 €204

291.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$89.5 €80.4

-29.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.6 $63.6

$33.51 €30.11

89.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 $77.5

$107 €96.1

-27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$166 €149

-29.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 $774

$607 €546

27.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 $1,017

$443 €398

129.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$1,160 €1,042

89.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$747 €671

156.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,972 $1,972

$3,878 €3,485

-49.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 $1,965

$1,837 €1,651

6.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,185 $4,185

$2,733 €2,455

53.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

3.95

67.85%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 27, 2026

Last update for Magdeburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.9%

Magdeburg

$443 23.7% 56.4% $574

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$340 15.3%

Magdeburg

$347 18.5% 2% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.8%

Magdeburg

$495 26.4% 50.7% $166

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$271 12.2%

Magdeburg

$233 12.5% 13.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$145 6.5%

Magdeburg

$178 9.5% 23% $33

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$65 2.9%

Magdeburg

$66 3.5% 1.6% $1

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.3%

Magdeburg

$110 5.9% 112% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $774 in La Crosse, WI versus $607 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 53% higher in La Crosse, WI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in La Crosse, WI versus $66 in Magdeburg. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in La Crosse, WI vs $347 in Magdeburg – so La Crosse, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇩🇪 Magdeburg

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

6 h ahead of La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

231,021

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Crosse, WI Magdeburg 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, WI
Magdeburg

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,217 in La Crosse, WI, $1,872 in Magdeburg – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,326 per month in La Crosse, WI and $2,808 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $774 in La Crosse, WI.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in La Crosse, WI and $66 in Magdeburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 51% less in La Crosse, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,217 in La Crosse, WI and $1,872 in Magdeburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.