Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Milwaukee, WI: $2,307 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milwaukee, WI and in Seattle, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Milwaukee, WI $2,307
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Milwaukee, WI versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Milwaukee, WI $3,389
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in Milwaukee, WI versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Milwaukee, WI $4,471
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Milwaukee, WI costs roughly 39% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 69% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$25.30 $25.30

-20.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$101 $101

-25.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$14.76 $14.76

-32.59%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$6.50 $6.50

-23.85%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.21 $3.21

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.14 $3.14

-37.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$7.97 $7.97

-23.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.13 $8.13

-15.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.17 $1.17

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$5.30 $5.30

-34.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.40 $6.40

-17.97%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$5.06 $5.06

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$18.71 $18.71

-46.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 $13.93

$18.72 $18.72

-25.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$22.88 $22.88

-26.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$6.06 $6.06

-16.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.95 $1.95

-22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$5.51 $5.51

-18.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$6.52 $6.52

-20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.49 $3.49

-25.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.29 $3.29

-22.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.80 $2.80

-16.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.58 $2.58

-12.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 $10.75

$12.49 $12.49

-13.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$14.87 $14.87

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.19 $4.19

-53.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.80 $5.80

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.05 $3.05

-8.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 $72.8

$106 $106

-31.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.58 $2.58

10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.64 $1.64

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 $20.83

$30.12 $30.12

-30.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.41 $1.41

-29.79%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

-6.94%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.70%

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

$202 $202

$308 $308

-34.40%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$69.2 $69.2

-2.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$86.1 $86.1

-17.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$76.5 $76.5

-50.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 $18.66

$35.50 $35.50

-47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$18.02 $18.02

-20.48%

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

$1,813 $1,813

$2,746 $2,746

-33.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$30.6K $30.6K

-22.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$79.2 $79.2

-30.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$54.3 $54.3

-24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 $92.5

$127 $127

-27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$159 $159

-26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$2,508 $2,508

-35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$1,938 $1,938

-51.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,400 $3,400

$5,117 $5,117

-33.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 $1,464

$3,542 $3,542

-58.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$7,374 $7,374

-58.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,625 $1,625

$5,002 $5,002

-67.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,671 $3,671

$6,470 $6,470

-43.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.89

-3.48%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 105% $993

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 34.1% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 36.2% $123

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 29.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 37.3% $51

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 36.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 69% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 76% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Milwaukee, WI vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $547 per month, with Milwaukee, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

22:04 10:04 PM

2 h behind Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

737,015

💱 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 Seattle, WA 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, WI
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so Milwaukee, WI is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% 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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA. 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 $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Milwaukee, WI is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Milwaukee, WI runs roughly 31% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Milwaukee, WI but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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 39% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.