Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Milwaukee, WI: $2,307 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milwaukee, WI and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $2,307 per month in Milwaukee, WI vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Milwaukee, WI $2,307
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,389 per month in Milwaukee, WI vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Milwaukee, WI $3,389
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,471 per month in Milwaukee, WI vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Milwaukee, WI $4,471
Chicago, IL $5,999

Milwaukee, WI is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Milwaukee, WI by 69%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$20.71 $20.71

-2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$89.2 $89.2

-15.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$13.19 $13.19

-24.56%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$5.66 $5.66

-12.54%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.64 $2.64

6.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.28 $2.28

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$6.87 $6.87

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.84 $8.84

-22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.25 $1.25

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.72 $3.72

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.39 $5.39

-2.60%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$4.74 $4.74

-2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$13.84 $13.84

-27.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 $13.93

$14.40 $14.40

-3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$18.38 $18.38

-8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$5.22 $5.22

-3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.98 $1.98

-23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$4.06 $4.06

10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$4.97 $4.97

4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.67 $2.67

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.66 $2.66

-4.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.24 $2.24

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.13 $3.13

-27.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 $10.75

$13.82 $13.82

-22.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$14.88 $14.88

3.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.54 $2.54

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.51 $3.51

-3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.43 $2.43

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 $72.8

$73.5 $73.5

-0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.18 $3.18

-10.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.39 $1.39

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 $20.83

$25.03 $25.03

-16.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 $1.20

-17.50%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.26%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.01%

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

$202 $202

$194 $194

3.79%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$69.5 $69.5

-3.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$61.6 $61.6

14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$47.90 $47.90

-20.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 $18.66

$27.34 $27.34

-31.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$17.81 $17.81

-19.54%

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

$1,813 $1,813

$1,794 $1,794

1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$67.0 $67.0

-17.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$52.1 $52.1

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 $92.5

$102 $102

-8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$144 $144

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$2,526 $2,526

-36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$1,578 $1,578

-40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,400 $3,400

$4,738 $4,738

-28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 $1,464

$2,693 $2,693

-45.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$4,190 $4,190

-27.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,625 $1,625

$2,768 $2,768

-41.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,671 $3,671

$4,931 $4,931

-25.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.81

-2.35%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 66.9% $632

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 9.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 4.2% $14

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 9.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.3% $27

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 1.4% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 25.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 34% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Milwaukee, WI versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $408 vs $447 – making Milwaukee, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Milwaukee, WI Chicago, IL 130 km

From you

Milwaukee, WI
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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

Milwaukee, WI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Milwaukee, WI comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,460 per month in Milwaukee, WI and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Milwaukee, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Milwaukee, WI and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Milwaukee, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,307, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Milwaukee, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Milwaukee, WI costs $2,307 versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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