Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Victoria, Canada

Name: Victoria
Address: Victoria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $2,551 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madison, WI and in Victoria

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

A single person spends $2,931 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,551 in Victoria, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,931
Victoria $2,551

A couple spends around $4,224 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,858 in Victoria, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,224
Victoria $3,858

A family of three spends $5,517 per month in Madison, WI vs $5,165 in Victoria, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,517
Victoria $5,165

Madison, WI costs about 15% more than Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madison, WI and Victoria sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 117%, Victoria by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$17.92 CA$25.04

11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$72.7 CA$102

-10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$12.02 CA$16.80

9.57%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.32 CA$6.04

31.02%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.29 CA$3.20

31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.83 CA$2.56

33.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$5.87 CA$8.20

12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$6.74 CA$9.42

14.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.71 CA$3.79

-64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.16 CA$4.41

0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.05 CA$5.66

3.21%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$4.23 CA$5.91

-12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$28.22 CA$39.43

-48.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.08 CA$16.87

0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 $20.36

$14.46 CA$20.20

40.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.96 CA$5.54

15.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.42 CA$1.98

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.96 CA$5.53

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.21 CA$5.88

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.56 CA$4.97

-26.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.88 CA$4.02

-1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.28 CA$4.58

-36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.49 CA$3.48

-10.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$15.60 CA$21.80

-30.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$17.65 CA$24.66

-10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.98 CA$5.56

-32.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.28 CA$4.58

34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.21 CA$3.09

-12.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$61.1 CA$85.3

7.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.90 CA$4.05

34.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.62 CA$2.26

20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.61 $44.61

$36.09 CA$50.4

23.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.37 CA$1.91

-21.90%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$28.2K CA$39.4K

7.41%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

21.65%

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

$266 $266

$106 CA$148

150.90%

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

$45.57 $45.57

$44.07 CA$61.6

3.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$62.7 CA$87.6

28.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$42.49 CA$59.4

21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

$17.39 CA$24.29

-41.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$10.61 CA$14.83

38.55%

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

$1,594 $1,594

$880 CA$1,229

81.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$30.0K CA$41.9K

-27.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$54.3 CA$75.9

16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$42.04 CA$58.7

10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$92.8 CA$130

15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$107 CA$150

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 $1,723

$1,570 CA$2,193

9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,303 CA$1,820

12.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,146 $3,146

$2,819 CA$3,939

11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$2,301 CA$3,215

5.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,429 $4,429

$5,583 CA$7,800

-20.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$4,582 CA$6,402

-45.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,430 $4,430

$3,229 CA$4,512

37.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.26

59.86%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Last update for Victoria: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50%

Victoria

$1.3K 51.1% 11.1% $162

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$416 14.2%

Victoria

$467 18.3% 12.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$392 13.4%

Victoria

$213 8.3% 45.7% $179

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$337 11.5%

Victoria

$291 11.4% 13.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$152 5.2%

Victoria

$133 5.2% 12.5% $19

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$87 3%

Victoria

$81 3.2% 7.1% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$81 2.8%

Victoria

$64 2.5% 21.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,723 in Madison, WI versus $1,570 in Victoria. 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 37% higher in Madison, WI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Madison, WI versus $73 in Victoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $467 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇨🇦 Victoria

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

1 h behind Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

85,792

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.637 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.637 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Madison, WI Victoria 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,931 in Madison, WI, $2,551 in Victoria – Victoria comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,396 per month in Madison, WI and $3,826 in Victoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,723 in Madison, WI and $1,570 in Victoria. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Victoria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,594 per month in Madison, WI and $880 in Victoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Victoria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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