Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarasota, FL and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Madison, WI: $2,972 a month against $3,092 in Sarasota, FL, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Sarasota, FL
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Sarasota, FL Living Index
144

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

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Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,092

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarasota, FL 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 Sarasota, FL and in Madison, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,092 per month in Sarasota, FL vs $2,972 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Sarasota, FL $3,092
Madison, WI $2,972

A couple spends around $4,623 per month in Sarasota, FL vs $4,286 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Sarasota, FL $4,623
Madison, WI $4,286

A family of three spends $6,155 per month in Sarasota, FL vs $5,600 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Sarasota, FL $6,155
Madison, WI $5,600

Sarasota, FL costs about 4% more than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sarasota, FL and Madison, WI sit above the global median – Sarasota, FL by 127%, Madison, WI by 118%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.41 $27.41

$19.66 $19.66

39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.4 $86.4

$68.0 $68.0

27.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.89 $12.89

-14.04%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.77 $5.77

-2.95%

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

$3.32 $3.32

$3.10 $3.10

7.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.52 $2.52

13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 $5.66

$7.14 $7.14

-20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$7.85 $7.85

-12.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.98 $0.98

36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.52 $3.52

15.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.27 $4.27

14.75%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.71 $3.71

8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 $15.79

$15.06 $15.06

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$13.03 $13.03

8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.10 $23.10

$20.45 $20.45

12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$4.77 $4.77

6.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.59 $1.59

-6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.14 $5.14

-48.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.96 $4.96

22.18%

Potato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.89 $2.89

84.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.12 $3.12

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.07 $2.07

7.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.46 $2.46

-7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.96 $10.96

-18.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 $11.83

$15.40 $15.40

-23.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.77 $2.77

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.43 $4.43

-2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.94 $1.94

-21.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 $50.1

$66.2 $66.2

-24.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.65 $43.65

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.05 $1.05

-1.90%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

23.57%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.3K $25.3K

4.50%

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

$135 $135

$269 $269

-49.86%

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

$45.51 $45.51

$52.8 $52.8

-13.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 $80.9

$81.5 $81.5

-0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 $48.35

$54.2 $54.2

-10.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 $14.12

$10.52 $10.52

34.22%

Cinema Ticket

$20.38 $20.38

$14.80 $14.80

37.70%

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

$872 $872

$1,621 $1,621

-46.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$23.5K $23.5K

-29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$65.0 $65.0

-0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.35 $49.35

$50.5 $50.5

-2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$106 $106

8.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$123 $123

28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$1,807 $1,807

22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$1,469 $1,469

13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,922 $5,922

$3,184 $3,184

86.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,880 $2,880

$2,432 $2,432

18.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 $4,773

$4,596 $4,596

3.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,800 $2,800

$2,418 $2,418

15.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,403 $4,403

$4,521 $4,521

-2.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.69

-5.08%

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

Last update for Sarasota, FL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarasota, FL

$1.7K 54.1%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4% 12.1% $203

Groceries & Markets

Sarasota, FL

$453 14.7%

Madison, WI

$433 14.6% 4.3% $20

Eating Out

Sarasota, FL

$386 12.5%

Madison, WI

$339 11.4% 12.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarasota, FL

$261 8.5%

Madison, WI

$404 13.6% 54.4% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Sarasota, FL

$175 5.6%

Madison, WI

$155 5.2% 11.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sarasota, FL

$89 2.9%

Madison, WI

$84 2.8% 5.9% $5.3

Getting Around

Sarasota, FL

$56 * 1.8%

Madison, WI

$88 3% 56.6% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,220 in Sarasota, FL versus $1,807 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 3% higher in Madison, WI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Sarasota, FL versus $68 in Madison, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $433 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

1 h behind Sarasota, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,942

248,951

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sarasota, FL Madison, WI 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarasota, FL
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

Sarasota, FL vs Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,092 in Sarasota, FL, $2,972 in Madison, WI – Madison, WI comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,638 per month in Sarasota, FL and $4,457 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 $1,807 there versus $2,220 in Sarasota, FL.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Sarasota, FL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $872 per month in Sarasota, FL and $1,621 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. Madison, WI has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,972 in Madison, WI to $3,092 in Sarasota, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.