Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Madison, WI: $2,931 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madison, WI and in New York, NY

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

A single person spends $2,931 per month in Madison, WI vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,931
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $4,224 per month in Madison, WI vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,224
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,517 per month in Madison, WI vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,517
New York, NY $9,641

Madison, WI is about 40% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Madison, WI and New York, NY sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 117%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$26.93 $26.93

-26.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$117 $117

-44.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$14.60 $14.60

-9.79%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.54 $6.54

-13.46%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.86 $3.86

-21.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.95 $2.95

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$8.08 $8.08

-18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$9.85 $9.85

-21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.31 $1.31

-27.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.97 $4.97

-36.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$7.70 $7.70

-45.71%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$6.09 $6.09

-38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$19.55 $19.55

-25.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$17.59 $17.59

-30.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 $20.36

$20.26 $20.26

0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$6.99 $6.99

-34.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.21 $2.21

-26.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$6.72 $6.72

-26.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$7.12 $7.12

-34.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$4.61 $4.61

-43.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$4.78 $4.78

-40.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.87 $2.87

-27.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.69 $2.69

-16.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$19.14 $19.14

-43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$19.63 $19.63

-19.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.32 $3.32

-19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.19 $4.19

5.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.02 $3.02

-35.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$139 $139

-52.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.04 $3.04

28.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.20 $2.20

-10.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.61 $44.61

$41.33 $41.33

7.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.13 $1.13

-5.31%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-12.03%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.32%

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

$266 $266

$232 $232

14.42%

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

$45.57 $45.57

$71.0 $71.0

-35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$67.7 $67.7

19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$115 $115

-55.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

$76.8 $76.8

-86.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$22.41 $22.41

-34.40%

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

$1,594 $1,594

$3,606 $3,606

-55.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$68.7K $68.7K

-68.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$79.3 $79.3

-20.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$51.4 $51.4

-9.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$121 $121

-11.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$140 $140

-13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 $1,723

$4,555 $4,555

-62.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$3,040 $3,040

-51.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,146 $3,146

$9,742 $9,742

-67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$5,331 $5,331

-54.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,429 $4,429

$18.2K $18.2K

-75.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$6,685 $6,685

-62.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,430 $4,430

$5,096 $5,096

-13.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.89

-1.16%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 108% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$416 14.2%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 36.3% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$392 13.4%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 5.3% $21

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$337 11.5%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 26.1% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$152 5.2%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 15.8% $24

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$87 3%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 90.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$81 2.8%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 97.8% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,723 in Madison, WI versus $4,555 in New York, 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 15% higher in New York, NY, 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 in Madison, WI versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $567 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

1 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Madison, WI New York, NY 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
New York, 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

Madison, WI vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,931 in Madison, WI, $4,906 in New York, NY – Madison, WI comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,396 per month in Madison, WI and $7,358 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madison, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,723 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,594 per month in Madison, WI and $3,606 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,931 in Madison, WI to $4,906 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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