City Comparison
Minneapolis vs Milwaukee
Take-home pay, tax burden, and cost of living side-by-side. 2026 tax brackets.
Minnesota
Minneapolis
- Net on $110,000
- $78,688
- Effective rate
- 28.5%
- COL index
- 109
- Buying power
- $72,191
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
- Net on $110,000
- $80,328
- Effective rate
- 27.0%
- COL index
- 91
- Buying power
- $88,272
On a $110,000 salary, the raw take-home gap is $1,639, but once you adjust for cost of living the effective buying-power gap is $16,081. To match Minneapolis's lifestyle at $110,000, you'd need to earn roughly $89,961 in Milwaukee.
Comparison at different salary levels
Single filer, biweekly pay, standard deduction. Local tax applied where relevant.
| Gross salary | Minneapolis net | Milwaukee net | Equivalent in Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $46,628 | $47,455 | $49,219 |
| $85,000 | $62,863 | $64,065 | $69,632 |
| $110,000 | $78,688 | $80,328 | $89,961 |
| $150,000 | $103,055 | $105,715 | $122,079 |
"Equivalent in Milwaukee" = the gross salary you'd need to earn in Milwaukee to match the after-tax, after-COL buying power of the left-column salary in Minneapolis.
See individual city breakdowns
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minneapolis or Milwaukee? ▾
Milwaukee is noticeably cheaper — COL index of 91 vs 109 (US average = 100). That gap comes mostly from housing; groceries and utilities usually differ by less than the headline COL number suggests.
If I earn $110,000 in Minneapolis, what do I need in Milwaukee to match? ▾
To match the same after-tax buying power you'd get from $110,000 in Minneapolis, you'd need to earn about $89,961 gross in Milwaukee. That accounts for both the tax difference and the cost-of-living gap.
Which city has lower taxes on a $110,000 salary? ▾
At $110,000, Minneapolis has an effective total tax rate of 28.5% vs 27.0% in Milwaukee. That works out to a tax difference of about $1,639 per year.
Does the 'cheaper' city actually leave you better off? ▾
Not always. Raw net pay matters, but so does what that money buys. When we adjust for cost of living, Milwaukee leaves you with about $88,272 of equivalent buying power at $110,000 — compared to $72,191 in the other.