Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Toronto

For one person, living costs are similar in Milwaukee, WI and in Toronto: $2,502 and $2,530 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,502

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milwaukee, WI and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Milwaukee, WI $2,502
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,628 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Milwaukee, WI $3,628
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,754 in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Milwaukee, WI $4,754
Toronto $4,761

Living in Milwaukee, WI costs roughly 1% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 87% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$17.67 CA$25.19

15.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$77.4 CA$110

-4.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$10.47 CA$14.93

-5.92%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.08 CA$5.81

25.98%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.12 CA$3.02

34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.76 CA$2.51

15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.17 CA$8.80

-0.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$6.89 CA$9.82

10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.43 CA$3.46

-67.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.75 CA$3.92

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.23 CA$3.18

134.53%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$3.45 CA$4.91

29.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.93 CA$12.73

12.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$11.44 CA$16.31

19.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$14.61 CA$20.83

12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.75 CA$5.34

41.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.15 CA$1.64

31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.55 CA$5.06

27.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$4.28 CA$6.10

20.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.85 CA$2.63

39.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.67 CA$2.38

55.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.22 CA$3.16

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.21 CA$1.72

98.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$13.88 CA$19.78

-21.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$14.25 CA$20.31

11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.20 CA$3.13

-10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.42 CA$3.45

41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.42 CA$3.44

-10.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$111 CA$158

-35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.90 CA$4.13

-2.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.26 CA$1.80

24.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 $20.67

$22.03 CA$31.40

-6.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.22 CA$1.74

-18.85%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

29.48%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

29.26%

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

$198 $198

$122 CA$174

62.55%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$32.03 CA$45.66

114.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$47.92 CA$68.3

49.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 $43.29

$38.90 CA$55.5

11.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.72 $18.72

$23.24 CA$33.12

-19.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$12.61 CA$17.97

12.53%

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

$1,803 $1,803

$834 CA$1,189

116.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

4.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$52.6 CA$75.0

4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 $40.46

$40.26 CA$57.4

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$96.2 CA$137

-4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$123 CA$175

-4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 $1,757

$1,598 CA$2,278

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$1,435 CA$2,045

-17.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 $2,804

$2,657 CA$3,787

5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 $1,837

$2,096 CA$2,988

-12.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-65.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 $1,683

$6,557 CA$9,347

-74.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$3,743 CA$5,335

0.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

4.47

48.77%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 3, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$1.2K 46.5%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 20.7% $246

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$409 16%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 16.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$338 13.2%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 40.3% $136

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$319 12.5%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 11.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 5.4%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 2.6% $3.5

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$90 3.5%

Toronto

$130 5% 43.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$72 2.8%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 10.5% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Milwaukee, WI vs $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries flip the comparison at $409 vs $340, with Toronto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

03:20 3:20 AM

1 h ahead of Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

2,731,571

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Milwaukee, WI Toronto 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milwaukee, WI and Toronto differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,502 vs $2,530 including rent). Milwaukee, WI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Milwaukee, WI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,502 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,530 in Toronto – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Milwaukee, WI runs roughly 56% less than in Toronto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Milwaukee, WI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 1% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.