Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Milwaukee, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Milwaukee, WI: $2,307 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
112

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Milwaukee, WI $2,307

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,389 in Milwaukee, WI.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Milwaukee, WI $3,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,471 in Milwaukee, WI.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Milwaukee, WI $4,471

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 64% more expensive than in Milwaukee, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Milwaukee, WI 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.23 $20.23

25.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$75.5 $75.5

33.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.95 $9.95

48.34%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.95 $4.95

31.31%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.81 $2.81

14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.97 $1.97

59.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.11 $6.11

30.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.85 $6.85

18.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.84 $0.84

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.47 $3.47

52.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.25 $5.25

21.90%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.64 $4.64

9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.00 $10.00

87.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.93 $13.93

34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.82 $16.82

36.03%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.06 $5.06

19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.51 $1.51

29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.50 $4.50

22.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.20 $5.20

25.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.61 $2.61

33.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.55 $2.55

29.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.34 $2.34

19.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.27 $2.27

13.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.75 $10.75

16.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.42 $15.42

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.95 $1.95

114.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.37 $3.37

72.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.79 $2.79

9.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$72.8 $72.8

45.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.85 $2.85

-9.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.56 $1.56

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$20.83 $20.83

44.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

7.45%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.85%

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

$308 $308

$202 $202

52.45%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$67.3 $67.3

2.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$70.7 $70.7

21.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$37.90 $37.90

101.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$18.66 $18.66

90.25%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.33 $14.33

25.75%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,813 $1,813

51.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.8K $23.8K

28.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.0 $55.0

43.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.82 $40.82

33.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.5 $92.5

37.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$117 $117

35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,608 $1,608

56.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$946 $946

104.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,400 $3,400

50.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,464 $1,464

142.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,028 $3,028

143.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,625 $1,625

207.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,671 $3,671

76.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.65

3.61%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: 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

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41% 51.2% $993

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7% 25.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7% 26.6% $123

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6% 22.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6% 27.1% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1% 26.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9% 40.8% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 76% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Milwaukee, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $408 per month, with Milwaukee, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

605,013

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Milwaukee, WI 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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

Seattle, WA vs Milwaukee, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI, so Milwaukee, WI is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA 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 $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee, WI is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Milwaukee, WI runs roughly 31% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Milwaukee, WI but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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 39% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.