๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ WI, United States · 2026

Cost of Living in Madison

Close to the United States average

Ranked #61 of 577 cities · More expensive than 89.4% of cities worldwide

+1.6%
Cost of Living
+1.7%
Rent
-1.9%
Groceries
-0.6%
Purchasing Power

Compared to United States average · See United States ranking โ†’

Rent Prices in Madison

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom USD 1,789/mo USD 1,545/mo 14%
3-Bedroom USD 3,231/mo USD 2,579/mo 20%
Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

โ˜…โ˜… Medium Confidence

Madison has a cost of living index of 58.6 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 2 of 3 data sources. Expatistan is left out because it sits more than 15% away from the others.

58.6
Index
3
Sources
1.0
Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
58.1
Expatistan
48.0
left out
LivingCost
59.1
ShouldIMove price index
No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+1.6% Average
Rent
+1.7% Average
Groceries
-1.9% Average
Restaurants
-7.1% Average
Purchasing Power
-0.6% Average

Living in Madison: What to Expect

Madison is expensive by global standards (ranked #61 of 577 cities). It is 1.6% more expensive than the United States average, based on 82 cities.

Groceries are average and dining out is average. The best value is restaurants and the priciest is rent.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

How Does Madison Compare?

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