Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Milwaukee, WI: $2,307 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 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
239

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

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milwaukee, 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 Milwaukee, WI and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Milwaukee, WI $2,307
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Milwaukee, WI versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Milwaukee, WI $3,389
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in Milwaukee, WI versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Milwaukee, WI $4,471
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Milwaukee, WI costs roughly 53% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 69% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$28.55 $28.55

-29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$118 $118

-36.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$15.04 $15.04

-33.84%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$6.53 $6.53

-24.20%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.96 $3.96

-29.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.01 $3.01

-34.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$8.16 $8.16

-25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$9.84 $9.84

-30.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.37 $1.37

-38.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$4.97 $4.97

-30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$7.81 $7.81

-32.78%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$5.97 $5.97

-22.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$18.91 $18.91

-47.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 $13.93

$18.04 $18.04

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$19.05 $19.05

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.76 $6.76

-25.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.27 $2.27

-33.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$6.83 $6.83

-34.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$7.09 $7.09

-26.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$4.22 $4.22

-38.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.65 $4.65

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.87 $2.87

-18.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.60 $2.60

-12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 $10.75

$18.77 $18.77

-42.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$20.13 $20.13

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.45 $3.45

-43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.02 $4.02

-16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.91 $2.91

-4.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 $72.8

$139 $139

-47.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.08 $3.08

-7.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.12 $2.12

-26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 $20.83

$41.96 $41.96

-50.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.17 $1.17

-15.38%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-0.67%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.96%

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

$202 $202

$219 $219

-8.04%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$74.2 $74.2

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$70.2 $70.2

0.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$112 $112

-66.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 $18.66

$74.9 $74.9

-75.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$22.14 $22.14

-35.28%

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

$1,813 $1,813

$3,558 $3,558

-49.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$62.2K $62.2K

-61.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$75.6 $75.6

-27.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$51.2 $51.2

-20.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 $92.5

$123 $123

-24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$140 $140

-16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$4,499 $4,499

-64.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$3,078 $3,078

-69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,400 $3,400

$9,447 $9,447

-64.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 $1,464

$5,190 $5,190

-71.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$18.1K $18.1K

-83.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,625 $1,625

$6,693 $6,693

-75.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,671 $3,671

$5,220 $5,220

-29.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.86

-3.06%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 27, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 226% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 38% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 7.1% $24

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 40% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 27.6% $38

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 73.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 135% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76 in Milwaukee, WI vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $563 per month, with Milwaukee, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

16:39 4:39 PM

1 h ahead of Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Milwaukee, WI New York, NY 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, WI
New York, NY

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI and $4,941 in New York, NY, so Milwaukee, WI is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Milwaukee, WI. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,307 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,941 in New York, NY – Milwaukee, WI is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Milwaukee, WI runs roughly 48% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Milwaukee, WI but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Milwaukee, WI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Milwaukee, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.