City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Los Angeles | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $1,291/mo | 38.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $326,600 | 151.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $74,895 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 82.4 | 90.5 | 9.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 94.9 | 5.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 96.3 | 8.0% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need $84,639 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Madison, WI is about 15.4% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Madison than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $67,711 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.