Chicago vs Milwaukee - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Milwaukee
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2851
$2088
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6527
$5072
🏠 One person rent
$1714
$1201
🏘️ Family rent
$2737
$1937
🍽️ Food expenses
$704
$594
🚐 Transport expenses
$212
$119
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5090
$3838
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
100
81
😀 Quality of life
95
89
🏙️ Population
2.75M
577K

The cost of living in Chicago is 37% more expensive than in Milwaukee. Cities ranked 358th and 1786th ($2851 vs $2088) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 300th and 1421st in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.8 months in Milwaukee. Ranked 3rd vs 57th best cities to live in the United States, and 18th vs 224th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chicago vs Milwaukee

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Milwaukee are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Milwaukee
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.6
$16.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.3
$61.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.7
$10.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.35
$5.61
☕ Cappuccino
$6.06
$5.05
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$2.93
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2011
$1419
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$918
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3203
$2352
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2316
$1521
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$117
$120
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$180
$186
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.3
$63.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.32%
6.16%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3899
$2602
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2568
$1709
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.51
$1.99
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$82.6
$74.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.5
$16
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$0.9
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$0.89
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.67
$2.91
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$4.21
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.11
$4.55
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$10.6
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.5
$13.2
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.1
$16.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$4.38
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.86
$1.48
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$4.64
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$4.3
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$2.19
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$2.56
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.57
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.71
$2.33
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.02
$2.82
🚬 Cigarette pack
$17.4
$10.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$9.28
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$4.36
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.22
$3.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.31
$1.84
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$74.6
$38.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17
$13.3
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$177
$165
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.8
$16.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.9
$49.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$86.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1582
$1817
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27880
$24100

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453

Cities near Milwaukee

Distance City Cost of living
5.6 km or 3.5 mi West Allis
$1923
6.3 km or 3.9 mi Wauwatosa
$1949
10 km or 6.4 mi Greenfield
$1927
13 km or 8.3 mi Brookfield
$1993
15 km or 9.4 mi New Berlin
$1934
17 km or 11 mi South Milwaukee
$2000
17 km or 11 mi Menomonee Falls
$1979
17 km or 11 mi Franklin
$1963
19 km or 12 mi Oak Creek
$1993
19 km or 12 mi Mequon
$1990
22 km or 14 mi Muskego
$1930
23 km or 14 mi Waukesha
$1746
27 km or 17 mi Caledonia
$1996
37 km or 23 mi Mount Pleasant
$2058
38 km or 24 mi Racine
$2065
46 km or 28 mi West Bend
$1946
53 km or 33 mi Kenosha
$2039
57 km or 36 mi Pleasant Prairie
$2097
64 km or 40 mi Watertown
$1950
67 km or 42 mi Zion
$2344
74 km or 46 mi Fort Atkinson
$1771
76 km or 47 mi Round Lake Beach
$2382
76 km or 47 mi Gurnee
$2389
77 km or 48 mi Waukegan
$2443
78 km or 49 mi Grayslake
$2364
80 km or 50 mi Sheboygan
$1825
81 km or 51 mi North Chicago
$2407
84 km or 52 mi McHenry
$2434
85 km or 53 mi Libertyville
$2418
87 km or 54 mi Mundelein
$2162
90 km or 56 mi Fond du Lac
$1813
91 km or 57 mi Woodstock
$2249
91 km or 57 mi Vernon Hills
$2428
96 km or 60 mi Janesville
$1796
97 km or 60 mi Crystal Lake
$2555
97 km or 60 mi Highland Park
$2418
98 km or 61 mi Buffalo Grove
$2410
101 km or 63 mi Lake in the Hills
$2559
102 km or 63 mi Wheeling
$2453
103 km or 64 mi Northbrook
$2400