Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Sarasota, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Madison, WI: $2,972 a month against $3,092 in Sarasota, FL, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Sarasota, FL
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Sarasota, FL Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madison, WI and in Sarasota, FL

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 Sarasota, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,972 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,092 in Sarasota, FL, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,972
Sarasota, FL $3,092

A couple spends around $4,286 per month in Madison, WI vs $4,623 in Sarasota, FL, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,286
Sarasota, FL $4,623

A family of three spends $5,600 per month in Madison, WI vs $6,155 in Sarasota, FL, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,600
Sarasota, FL $6,155

Madison, WI is about 4% cheaper than Sarasota, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madison, WI and Sarasota, FL sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 118%, Sarasota, FL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$27.41 $27.41

-28.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$86.4 $86.4

-21.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$11.08 $11.08

16.34%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.60 $5.60

3.04%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.32 $3.32

-6.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.85 $2.85

-11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$5.66 $5.66

26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.83 $6.83

14.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.34 $1.34

-26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.07 $4.07

-13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.90 $4.90

-12.86%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.04 $4.04

-8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 $15.06

$15.79 $15.79

-4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$14.09 $14.09

-7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 $20.45

$23.10 $23.10

-11.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.08 $5.08

-6.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.48 $1.48

7.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.63 $2.63

95.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.06 $6.06

-18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$5.32 $5.32

-45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.86 $2.86

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.23 $2.23

-7.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.28 $2.28

7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$8.88 $8.88

23.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 $15.40

$11.83 $11.83

30.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.13 $2.13

30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.34 $4.34

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.52 $1.52

27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 $66.2

$50.1 $50.1

32.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.65 $43.65

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.03 $1.03

1.94%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-19.08%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.4K $26.4K

-4.30%

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

$269 $269

$135 $135

99.44%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$45.51 $45.51

16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$80.9 $80.9

0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 $54.2

$48.35 $48.35

12.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 $10.52

$14.12 $14.12

-25.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$20.38 $20.38

-27.38%

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

$1,621 $1,621

$872 $872

85.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$16.5K $16.5K

42.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$64.9 $64.9

0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$49.35 $49.35

2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$116 $116

-8.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$158 $158

-22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 $1,807

$2,220 $2,220

-18.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 $1,469

$1,672 $1,672

-12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,184 $3,184

$5,922 $5,922

-46.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$2,880 $2,880

-15.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,596 $4,596

$4,773 $4,773

-3.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$2,800 $2,800

-13.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,521 $4,521

$4,403 $4,403

2.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.35

5.35%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sarasota, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4%

Sarasota, FL

$1.7K 54.1% 13.8% $203

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$433 14.6%

Sarasota, FL

$453 14.7% 4.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$404 13.6%

Sarasota, FL

$261 8.5% 35.2% $142

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$339 11.4%

Sarasota, FL

$386 12.5% 14% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$155 5.2%

Sarasota, FL

$175 5.6% 12.5% $19

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 3%

Sarasota, FL

$56 * 1.8% 36.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$84 2.8%

Sarasota, FL

$89 2.9% 6.3% $5.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,807 in Madison, WI versus $2,220 in Sarasota, FL. 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 3% higher in Madison, WI, 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 $68 in Madison, WI versus $86 in Sarasota, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $453 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇺🇸 Sarasota, FL

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

19:10 7:10 PM

1 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

52,942

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Madison, WI Sarasota, FL 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
Sarasota, FL

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 Sarasota, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,972 in Madison, WI, $3,092 in Sarasota, FL – Madison, WI comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,457 per month in Madison, WI and $4,638 in Sarasota, FL. 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 $1,807 there versus $2,220 in Sarasota, FL.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Sarasota, FL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,621 per month in Madison, WI and $872 in Sarasota, FL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Madison, WI has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,972 in Madison, WI to $3,092 in Sarasota, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.