Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
112

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in New York, NY is roughly 114% more expensive than in Milwaukee, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.23 $20.23

41.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$75.5 $75.5

56.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.95 $9.95

51.16%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.95 $4.95

31.92%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.81 $2.81

40.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.97 $1.97

52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.11 $6.11

33.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.85 $6.85

43.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.84 $0.84

63.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.47 $3.47

43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.25 $5.25

48.76%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.64 $4.64

28.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.00 $10.00

89.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.93 $13.93

29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.82 $16.82

13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.06 $5.06

33.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.51 $1.51

50.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.50 $4.50

51.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.20 $5.20

36.35%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.61 $2.61

61.69%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.55 $2.55

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.34 $2.34

22.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.27 $2.27

14.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.75 $10.75

74.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.42 $15.42

30.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.95 $1.95

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.37 $3.37

19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.79 $2.79

4.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$72.8 $72.8

90.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.85 $2.85

8.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.56 $1.56

35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$20.83 $20.83

101.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.99 $0.99

18.18%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

0.68%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.97%

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

$219 $219

$202 $202

8.74%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$67.3 $67.3

10.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$70.7 $70.7

-0.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$37.90 $37.90

195.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$18.66 $18.66

301.18%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.33 $14.33

54.50%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,813 $1,813

96.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

161.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$55.0 $55.0

37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.82 $40.82

25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$92.5 $92.5

33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$117 $117

19.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,608 $1,608

179.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$946 $946

225.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,400 $3,400

177.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,464 $1,464

254.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,028 $3,028

497.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,625 $1,625

311.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,671 $3,671

42.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.65

3.16%

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

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41% 69.3% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7% 27.5% $155

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6% 28.6% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7% 6.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6% 21.6% $38

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1% 42.4% $70

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9% 57.4% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI. 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $76 in Milwaukee, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $408 per month, with Milwaukee, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

605,013

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

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

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

Average pay runs 42% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI – 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.