Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria, Canada and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $2,551 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index
140

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

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Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,551

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Victoria vs $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Victoria $2,551
Madison, WI $2,931

A couple spends around $3,858 per month in Victoria vs $4,224 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Victoria $3,858
Madison, WI $4,224

A family of three spends $5,165 per month in Victoria vs $5,517 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Victoria $5,165
Madison, WI $5,517

Victoria is about 13% cheaper than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Victoria and Madison, WI sit above the global median – Victoria by 89%, Madison, WI by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.92 CA$25.02

$19.92 $19.92

-10.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 CA$101

$65.0 $65.0

11.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 CA$16.78

$13.17 $13.17

-8.73%

Cappuccino

$4.32 CA$6.03

$5.66 $5.66

-23.67%

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

$2.29 CA$3.20

$3.02 $3.02

-24.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.55

$2.45 $2.45

-25.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.19

$6.62 $6.62

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 CA$9.41

$7.72 $7.72

-12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CA$3.79

$0.95 $0.95

185.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 CA$4.41

$3.17 $3.17

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.65

$4.18 $4.18

-3.11%

Eggs

$4.23 CA$5.91

$3.72 $3.72

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.22 CA$39.39

$14.49 $14.49

94.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.08 CA$16.86

$12.15 $12.15

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.46 CA$20.18

$20.36 $20.36

-28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.53

$4.59 $4.59

-13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.98

$1.62 $1.62

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.52

$4.95 $4.95

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.87

$4.67 $4.67

-9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$2.61 $2.61

36.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.01

$2.83 $2.83

1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.28 CA$4.57

$2.08 $2.08

57.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.47

$2.24 $2.24

11.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.60 CA$21.78

$10.89 $10.89

43.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 CA$24.63

$15.73 $15.73

12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 CA$5.55

$2.68 $2.68

48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 CA$4.58

$4.40 $4.40

-25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.94 $1.94

13.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 CA$85.2

$65.5 $65.5

-6.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.04

$3.91 $3.91

-25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$1.96 $1.96

-17.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.09 CA$50.4

$44.61 $44.61

-19.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.07 $1.07

28.04%

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

$28.2K CA$39.4K

$30.3K $30.3K

-6.90%

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

$21.0K CA$29.3K

$25.5K $25.5K

-17.80%

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

$106 CA$148

$266 $266

-60.14%

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

$44.07 CA$61.5

$45.57 $45.57

-3.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 CA$87.5

$80.5 $80.5

-22.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 CA$59.3

$51.6 $51.6

-17.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 CA$24.27

$10.12 $10.12

71.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 CA$14.81

$14.70 $14.70

-27.82%

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

$880 CA$1,228

$1,594 $1,594

-44.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K CA$41.9K

$21.6K $21.6K

38.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CA$75.9

$63.4 $63.4

-14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 CA$58.7

$46.65 $46.65

-9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 CA$130

$108 $108

-13.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$150

$121 $121

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 CA$2,191

$1,723 $1,723

-8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 CA$1,818

$1,465 $1,465

-11.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 CA$3,935

$3,146 $3,146

-10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 CA$3,212

$2,438 $2,438

-5.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,583 CA$7,793

$4,429 $4,429

26.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,582 CA$6,396

$2,478 $2,478

84.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,229 CA$4,508

$4,430 $4,430

-27.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.26

6.81

-37.44%

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

Last update for Victoria: November 2, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria

$1.3K 51.1%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50% 12.4% $162

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

$467 18.3%

Madison, WI

$416 14.2% 10.8% $50

Eating Out

Victoria

$291 11.4%

Madison, WI

$337 11.5% 16% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

$213 8.3%

Madison, WI

$392 13.4% 84.2% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

$133 5.2%

Madison, WI

$152 5.2% 14.3% $19

Getting Around

Victoria

$81 3.2%

Madison, WI

$87 3% 7.6% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

$64 2.5%

Madison, WI

$81 2.8% 27.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Victoria 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 37% higher in Madison, WI. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Victoria versus $65 in Madison, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $416 – making Madison, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Victoria

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

1 h ahead of Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,792

248,951

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Victoria Madison, WI 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Victoria
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,551 in Victoria, $2,931 in Madison, WI – Victoria comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Victoria and $4,396 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,570 in Victoria and $1,723 in Madison, WI. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Victoria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $880 per month in Victoria and $1,594 in Madison, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Victoria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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