Cost of living comparison
compared to
United States vs. Milwaukee Cost of Living Summary
United States is 2.3% more expensive than Milwaukee.
- Restaurants
- pay 2.4% less in United States
- Groceries
- pay 16.7% more in United States
- Transportation
- pay 2.2% more in United States
- Housing
- pay 8.4% more in United States
- Childcare
- pay 13.9% less in United States
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 1.6% less in United States
- Clothing
- pay 6.7% more in United States
United States vs. Milwaukee Cost Breakdown
If you lived in United States instead of Milwaukee, you would:
pay 2.4% less for restaurants
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $18.50 | $19.45 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $10.00 | $11.12 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $3.12 | $2.56 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.17 | $2.00 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of restaurants
pay 16.7% more for groceries
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.84 | $3.56 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $4.79 | $6.50 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.04 | $3.97 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.41 | $4.27 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.99 | $5.41 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.20 | $2.37 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.52 | $0.78 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.08 | $2.04 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.20 | $2.21 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $0.98 | $1.34 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $0.97 | $1.38 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of groceries
pay 2.2% more for transportation
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.01 | $3.41 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $72.00 | $65.85 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $35,524.95 | $32,336.38 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $15.60 | $17.61 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of transportation
pay 8.4% more for housing
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $69.43 | $68.97 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,578.17 | $1,664.59 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,210.60 | $1,416.15 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $134.38 | $150.19 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of housing
pay 13.9% less for childcare
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,821.67 | $1,387.27 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $24,200.00 | $23,196.46 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of childcare
pay 1.6% less for entertainment and sports
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $5.00 | $5.84 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.09 | $5.15 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $10.50 | $9.90 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $59.00 | $51.45 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $14.72 | $13.64 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 6.7% more for clothing
Milwaukee | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $43.00 | $51.08 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $45.50 | $41.81 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $80.00 | $87.56 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $105.00 | $112.04 | |
Milwaukee vs. United States - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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