Cost of Living: La Crosse, WI vs Milwaukee, WI

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,207/mo in La Crosse, WI versus $4,207/mo in Milwaukee, WI. In the model, rent is about 14.23% of gross in La Crosse, WI versus 15.05% in Milwaukee, WI, so La Crosse, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in La Crosse, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Milwaukee, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in La Crosse, WI
14.23%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Milwaukee, WI
15.05%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between La Crosse, WI and Milwaukee, WI.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Milwaukee, WI
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): La Crosse, WI
  • Lower home prices: Milwaukee, WI
  • Higher median household income: La Crosse, WI

Cost of Living Index

La Crosse, WI: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100)

Milwaukee, WI has a lower cost-of-living index than La Crosse, WI, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

La Crosse, WI: $928/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo

Median rent in Milwaukee, WI is $54/mo higher than in La Crosse, WI.

Median Home Price

La Crosse, WI: $196,600 · Milwaukee, WI: $172,000

Median home price in La Crosse, WI is $24,600 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Household Income

La Crosse, WI: $53,803 · Milwaukee, WI: $51,888

La Crosse, WI has a higher median household income than Milwaukee, WI by $1,915.

La Crosse, WI overview · Milwaukee, WI overview · Popular comparisons