Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Madison, WI: $2,931 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Madison, WI

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Madison, WI $2,931

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $4,224 in Madison, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Madison, WI $4,224

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $5,517 in Madison, WI, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Madison, WI $5,517

New York, NY costs about 67% more than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Madison, WI sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Madison, WI by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.92 $19.92

35.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$65.0 $65.0

79.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$13.17 $13.17

10.86%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.66 $5.66

15.55%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.02 $3.02

27.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.45 $2.45

20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.62 $6.62

22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.72 $7.72

27.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.95 $0.95

37.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.17 $3.17

56.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.18 $4.18

84.21%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.72 $3.72

63.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$14.49 $14.49

34.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$12.15 $12.15

44.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$20.36 $20.36

-0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.59 $4.59

52.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.62 $1.62

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.95 $4.95

35.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.67 $4.67

52.46%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.61 $2.61

76.63%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.83 $2.83

68.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.08 $2.08

37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.24 $2.24

20.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.89 $10.89

75.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.73 $15.73

24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.68 $2.68

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.40 $4.40

-4.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.94 $1.94

55.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$65.5 $65.5

112.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.91 $3.91

-22.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.96 $1.96

12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$44.61 $44.61

-7.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.07 $1.07

5.61%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$30.3K $30.3K

13.68%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

1.34%

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

$232 $232

$266 $266

-12.60%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$45.57 $45.57

55.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$80.5 $80.5

-15.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$51.6 $51.6

123.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$10.12 $10.12

658.99%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.70 $14.70

52.45%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$1,594 $1,594

126.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$21.6K $21.6K

217.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$63.4 $63.4

25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$46.65 $46.65

10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$108 $108

12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,723 $1,723

164.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,465 $1,465

107.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$3,146 $3,146

209.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,438 $2,438

118.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$4,429 $4,429

311.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,478 $2,478

169.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$4,430 $4,430

15.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.81

1.17%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50% 51.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Madison, WI

$416 14.2% 26.6% $151

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Madison, WI

$337 11.5% 20.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Madison, WI

$392 13.4% 5.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Madison, WI

$152 5.2% 13.6% $24

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Madison, WI

$87 3% 47.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Madison, WI

$81 2.8% 49.4% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,723 in Madison, WI. 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 15% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $65 in Madison, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $416 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

248,951

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Madison, WI 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Madison, WI

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY, $2,931 in Madison, WI – Madison, WI comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $4,396 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madison, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,723 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $1,594 in Madison, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,931 in Madison, WI to $4,906 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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