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 | Madison | Melbourne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,291/mo | $1,303/mo | 0.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $326,600 | $247,300 | 32.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $74,895 | $60,917 | 22.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 97.0 | 2.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.4 | 90.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 98.7 | 99.4 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.3 | 97.6 | 1.7% 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 Madison, you'd need $104,111 in Melbourne to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Madison, WI is about 3.9% cheaper overall than Melbourne, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Madison than in Melbourne. If you earn $80,000 in Madison, you'd need about $83,289 in Melbourne to keep the same standard of living.