Question 1

Is Milwaukee or Minneapolis cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Milwaukee, WI is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $407/month less than in Minneapolis, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,338/mo in Milwaukee versus $1,709/mo in Minneapolis.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Milwaukee vs Minneapolis?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $65,000/year before tax in Milwaukee, WI and $75,000/year in Minneapolis, MN — a difference of about $10,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Milwaukee or Minneapolis cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Milwaukee, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $6,625/month in Milwaukee and $7,554/month in Minneapolis, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Milwaukee or Minneapolis?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Milwaukee costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Milwaukee65	Minneapolis53
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,592	$3,999
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$6,625	$7,554
Salary for comfort	$65,000/yr	$75,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,338	$1,709
Median home value	$172,000	$345,600
Median household income	$51,888	$80,269
Unemployment	4.1%	4.1%
Housing score	62	62
Jobs score	55	29
Safety score	41	11
Climate score	70	74
Amenities score	65	64
Population	569.8K	426.8K
Summer high / winter low	80° / 16°	86° / 8°

Milwaukee, WI vs Minneapolis, MN