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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: New York, NY is 41.4% more expensive than Madison, WI without rent, and 55.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: New York, NY is 48.6% more expensive than Madison, WI without rent, and 80.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.68 $29.68
$14.94 $14.94
98.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$144 $144
$75 $75
92.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 $12.43
$10.87 $10.87
14.35%
Cappuccino
$5.84 $5.84
$5.3 $5.3
10.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.7 $2.7
20.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.28 $2.28
13.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.24 $8.24
$5.92 $5.92
39.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.86 $11.86
$6.86 $6.86
72.89%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 $1.56
$0.88 $0.88
77.27%
White Bread (500g)
$5.23 $5.23
$3.79 $3.79
37.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.11 $8.11
$5.32 $5.32
52.44%
Eggs
$7.25 $7.25
$4.07 $4.07
78.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.08 $17.08
$13.68 $13.68
24.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$13.08 $13.08
24.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.02 $20.02
$16.17 $16.17
23.81%
Apples (1kg)
$7.49 $7.49
$4.57 $4.57
63.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.54 $1.54
65.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.82 $5.82
$5.8 $5.8
0.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.52 $6.52
$4.81 $4.81
35.55%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.62 $2.62
41.98%
Onion (1kg)
$3.9 $3.9
$3.02 $3.02
29.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.95 $1.95
57.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.03 $2.03
26.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.21 $19.21
$9.89 $9.89
94.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.79 $17.79
$12.19 $12.19
45.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.38 $2.38
26.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$4.71 $4.71
-21.02%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.96 $1.96
48.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$134 $134
$62.4 $62.4
114.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.13 $5.13
$4.46 $4.46
15.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 $2.15
$2.14 $2.14
0.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.57 $41.57
$42.61 $42.61
-2.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.88 $0.88
7.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35K $35K
$24.8K $24.8K
41.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$25.5K $25.5K
8.62%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$217 $217
-17.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60 $60
$50.9 $50.9
17.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.8 $63.8
$73.7 $73.7
-13.39%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$141 $141
$63.6 $63.6
121.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$63.9 $63.9
$29.52 $29.52
116.46%
Cinema Ticket
$19.9 $19.9
$14.88 $14.88
33.74%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,206 $3,206
$1,655 $1,655
93.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$56.5K $56.5K
$24.1K $24.1K
133.85%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 $65.7
$67.1 $67.1
-2.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.75 $48.75
$49.04 $49.04
-0.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$101 $101
10.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$172 $172
$133 $133
28.99%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,165 $4,165
$1,687 $1,687
146.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,653 $2,653
$1,459 $1,459
81.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,412 $8,412
$3,027 $3,027
177.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,277 $5,277
$2,440 $2,440
116.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$15.6K $15.6K
$2,925 $2,925
434.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.2K $11.2K
$2,414 $2,414
362.19%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Madison, WI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,616 $5,616
$4,398 $4,398
27.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.44
6.55
-1.68%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 28, 2025

Last update for Madison, WI: October 27, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.