Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Milwaukee's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Milwaukee?
Your $100,000 in Milwaukee has the same purchasing power as $129,132 in the average US city. You'd need $29,132 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a cost-of-living index of 77, which is 23% below the national average. The typical renter pays $982 per month. The median household earns $49,733 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $54,208 per year in Milwaukee. Single renters typically want at least three times the $11,784 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Milwaukee is cheaper than most US cities. Overall prices are 23% below the national average.