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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Wisconsin's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Milwaukee at index 92, where median rent of $1,398/month saves renters $5,964/year versus the national median (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities…
#1 Ranked: Milwaukee — cost index 92, rent $1,398/mo, income $51,888
Milwaukee rent up 3% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Wisconsin's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Milwaukee at index 92, where median rent of $1,398/month saves renters $5,964/year versus the national median (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
The transportation sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 94 (the top-10 average here) means transportation costs are about 6% below the national median. Milwaukee leads at 88, followed by Madison (100) and Madison (100). Note: a low transportation index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Dive into Milwaukee's numbers: cost index 92 — for better or worse — (20 points below national average), rent $1,398/month, income $51,888, and a home price of $216,278. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 81, while Healthcare runs 95. As a major city with 561,385 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
The obvious answer isn't always the right one. Exhibit A: Milwaukee rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Milwaukee has increased from $1,360 to $1,398/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. There's real money on the table here (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Rankings quantify the landscape. But the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages.
561,385 residents · Wisconsin
Dive into Milwaukee's numbers: cost index 92 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (20 points below national average), rent $1,398/month, income $51,888, and a home price of $216,278. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 81, while Healthcare runs 95. As a major city with 561,385 residents, amenities and job markets are robust. Worth a deeper look.
280,305 residents · Wisconsin
Dive into Madison's numbers: cost index 105 (7 points below national average), rent $1,649/month, income $76,983, and a home price of $415,530. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 97, while Housing runs 113. With 280,305 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by their transportation cost sub-index within Wisconsin. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Milwaukee ranks #1 in Wisconsin for this analysis with a cost index of 92 and median income of $51,888.
Milwaukee, WI has the lowest transportation index at 88, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Milwaukee (ranked #1) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,398/mo, while Madison (ranked #2) has a cost index of 105 and rent of $1,649/mo — a 13-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Milwaukee is $1,398/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $497 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Milwaukee is $216,278, which is 4.2× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Wisconsin has a 7.65% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.44%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.51%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.