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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,781 in Wolfsburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,398 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,859 in Wolfsburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,587 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $3,937 in Wolfsburg, rent included.

La Crosse, WI costs about 24% more than Wolfsburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both La Crosse, WI and Wolfsburg sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 64%, Wolfsburg by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.75 $12.75

$14.16 €12.05

-9.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 $84.4

$58.2 €49.49

45.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$9.08 €7.73

32.49%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.92 €3.34

49.49%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.84 €2.42

8.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.26 €1.93

2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.16 €3.54

45.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.22 €2.74

114.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.20 €1.02

-31.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.14 €1.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.40 €2.89

59.71%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$3.77 €3.21

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$14.58 €12.41

-62.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.34 $14.34

$15.29 €13.01

-6.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$18.29 €15.57

-3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$3.12 €2.66

102.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.81 €1.54

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.29 €1.95

-2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$4.79 €4.07

-33.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.51 €1.28

47.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.50 €1.28

154.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.02 €1.72

16.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.99 €0.84

98.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 $11.97

$9.44 €8.04

26.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 $15.41

$6.02 €5.12

155.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.05 €0.90

73.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.68 €1.43

15.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.40 €2.89

-56.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.67 $35.67

$57.5 €48.95

-37.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 $4.62

$7.54 €6.41

-38.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.99 €1.70

-18.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$51.7 €44.02

-53.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.93 €1.64

-60.10%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$31.4K €26.7K

-3.08%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$36.4K €30.9K

-34.15%

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

$163 $163

$315 €268

-48.23%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$36.69 €31.23

38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.5 €45.54

23.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 $39.33

$57.9 €49.23

-32.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.09 $4.09

$22.93 €19.51

-82.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 $11.85

$14.90 €12.68

-20.47%

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

$1,613 $1,613

$693 €590

132.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K $26.1K

$10.5K €8,947

147.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 $63.9

$68.9 €58.7

-7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 $43.61

$35.26 €30.01

23.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$115 €97.8

-24.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$148 €126

-21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$543 €462

40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 $999

$464 €395

115.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,204 $2,204

$1,140 €970

93.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 $1,979

$1,236 €1,052

60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,908 $1,908

$5,286 €4,499

-63.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,891 $1,891

$4,012 €3,414

-52.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,496 $4,496

$4,576 €3,894

-1.75%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Wolfsburg: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in La Crosse, WI versus $543 in Wolfsburg. 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 2% higher in Wolfsburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in La Crosse, WI versus $58 in Wolfsburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $345 – making Wolfsburg 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 Wolfsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in La Crosse, WI, $1,781 in Wolfsburg – roughly 24% apart. La Crosse, WI costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in La Crosse, WI and $2,671 in Wolfsburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $84.0 in La Crosse, WI and $58.0 in Wolfsburg. 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 Wolfsburg, where all-in costs run around $1,781, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,210. In Wolfsburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wolfsburg – 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 Wolfsburg. 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.