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 | Milwaukee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $982/mo | 82.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $157,800 | 421.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $49,733 | 53.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 99.5 | 4.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 82.4 | 85.5 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 87.1 | 15.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 85.9 | 21.0% 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 $72,465 in Milwaukee to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Milwaukee, WI is about 27.5% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% lower in Milwaukee than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $57,972 in Milwaukee to keep the same standard of living.