Naperville, IL vs Madison, WI: Cost of Living

Which city costs less?

Madison, WI has a modeled overall cost index 3.7% higher than Naperville, IL.

Naperville, IL · modeled 2BR rent: $2,385 / month
Madison, WI · modeled 2BR rent: $1,835 / month

These are saved estimates, not current rental listings. Some cities use adjusted regional data. Your household budget can differ from the overall index. Sources and assumptions

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Cost of Living Comparison 2026

Compare Naperville, IL and Madison, WI using saved regional data and explicit budgeting assumptions. Rent estimates are not live listings. Change the salary below, then check the source notes before applying a result to your household.

Saved regional estimates · Sources and assumptions

Current salary in Naperville, IL

Numbers update automatically as you type

Estimated extra cost: $247/month in Madison, WI

$150,000 in your current city has a modeled equivalent of $152,962 in Madison, WI

Regional cost estimates: Naperville, IL uses Chicago, IL. Madison, WI uses Madison, WI Metropolitan Area. Available city ZIP rent estimates are shown separately.

Overall Cost

↑ 3.7%

More expensive

Monthly Impact

$247

Extra cost

Annual Impact

$3.0K

Per year

Assumes 60% of current gross income goes to living costs. The headline uses the category budget below; taxes, moving costs and savings goals are excluded.

Naperville, IL

Population:150K

Cost Index:

101.3

100 = national average

Typical Home:$593K

Madison, WI

Population:270K

Cost Index:

105.0

100 = national average

Typical Home:$427K

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Naperville, IL

The Prairie State

150K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Illinois, this city has a population of 150K residents.

Madison, WI

The Badger State

270K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Wisconsin, this city has a population of 270K residents.

Cost Breakdown by Category

Estimated monthly spending: Naperville, IL vs Madison, WI

Assumes 60% of your current gross income is spent on these categories. The headline and totals use this same budget. Rent estimates below are separate reference data. Rounded amounts may differ by $1.

Category	Naperville, IL	Madison, WI	Difference	Change
Housing	$2,461/mo	$2,622/mo	↑ $161more	6.6%
Transportation	$1,498/mo	$1,339/mo	↓ $159less	10.6%
Other	$1,567/mo	$1,705/mo	↑ $138more	8.8%
Healthcare	$548/mo	$684/mo	↑ $136more	24.8%
Groceries	$948/mo	$913/mo	↓ $35.07less	3.7%
All Utilities	$478/mo	$484/mo	↑ $5.49more	1.1%

Housing

↑ 6.6%

Naperville, IL

$2,461

Madison, WI

$2,622

Difference

$161

Transportation

↓ 10.6%

Naperville, IL

$1,498

Madison, WI

$1,339

Difference

$159

less

Other

↑ 8.8%

Naperville, IL

$1,567

Madison, WI

$1,705

Difference

$138

Healthcare

↑ 24.8%

Naperville, IL

$548

Madison, WI

$684

Difference

$136

Groceries

↓ 3.7%

Naperville, IL

$948

Madison, WI

$913

Difference

$35.07

less

All Utilities

↑ 1.1%

Naperville, IL

$478

Madison, WI

$484

Difference

$5.49

🏠Rent Comparison

Studio

From$1,980

To$1,370

↓ $610

1 Bed

From$2,115

To$1,605

↓ $510

2 Bed

From$2,385

To$1,835

↓ $550

3 Bed

From$3,070

To$2,425

↓ $645

Naperville, ILZIP-level data

1BR range: $2,010–$2,370/mo

Madison, WIZIP-level data

1BR range: $1,360–$1,840/mo

💡 Note: HUD Fair Market Rents estimate 40th-percentile gross rents, including most tenant-paid utilities. City ZIP summaries are medians of those estimates, not market median rents. Actual prices vary by neighborhood, amenities, and condition. Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents FY2026.

$7,500

Monthly in Naperville, IL

$7,747

Monthly in Madison, WI

$247

Difference

Home Values

Naperville

Madison

$593K

Median Value

$427K

↑ +4.6%

YoY Change

↑ +2.3%

↑ +43.2%

5-Year Change

↑ +37.4%

$443K - $665K

Price Range

$359K - $534K

Homes in Madison are 28% less expensive than Naperville

Calculate payment - Naperville Calculate payment - Madison

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), January 2026

Tax Comparison

Annual tax burden comparison at $150.0K salary

Tax Savings

↓ $1.4K

More taxes

Monthly Difference

$119

Less take-home

Effective Rate Diff

0.9%

Rate difference

Naperville, IL

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Illinois State Tax

Effective: 5.0%

$7.4K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 29.6%

$44.4K

Take-Home Pay

$8,797/month

$105.6K

Madison, WI

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Wisconsin State Tax

Effective: 5.9%

$8.8K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 30.6%

$45.9K

Take-Home Pay

$8,678/month

$104.1K

Additional Tax Information

Naperville, IL Tax Rates

Sales Tax:8.8%

Property Tax:2.2%

Madison, WI Tax Rates

Sales Tax:5.6%

Property Tax:1.8%

💡 Note: Tax calculations are estimates based on 2024/2025 tax brackets for single filers with standard deduction. Actual taxes may vary based on filing status, deductions, credits, and local variations.

🚶 Walkability

Modeled road attributes, not a safety assessment. Methodology and limitations

Naperville, IL: No data yet

Madison, WI

36/100

2.2% sidewalk tags · 4.9% cycling tags

Environment

Naperville

Madison

54 Moderate

Air Quality

42 Good

35.8%

Good Air Days

72.1%

100 Very High

Climate Risk

94 Moderate

🌊🌡🫨

Top Hazards

🌊🌪💨

▲+3.2°F

2050 Outlook

▲+3.4°F

18 days

Heat Days >95°F

10 days

▲+3.2°F

2050 Outlook

▲+3.4°F

18 days

Heat Days >95°F

10 days

Before moving from Naperville, IL to Madison, WI

Use this comparison to shortlist a move, then check the costs that depend on your household.

Compare actual homes. Get current quotes in Madison, WI for the same bedroom count and included utilities as your home in Naperville, IL. Add parking, deposits, insurance and any overlapping leases. The rent estimates above are a starting point, not available listings.
Confirm your income. Check your expected pay with your employer, including any location adjustment. Use “Different salary at destination?” above to compare two incomes. The budget model excludes taxes and one-time moving costs; it is not a take-home-pay calculation.
Price your daily routine. Check the commute from a specific address to work, school or childcare. Add household expenses missing from this model, such as childcare, debt payments and medical needs. Verify local services before signing a lease.
Plan the transition. Get moving quotes and budget for travel, setup costs and time off. Open your Naperville to Madison moving checklist to organize the tasks and timing.

Still choosing a destination? Explore cities similar to Madison, WI by cost, housing, population and region.

Frequently Asked Questions: Naperville, IL vs Madison, WI

How do the cost estimates for Naperville, IL and Madison, WI compare?

Madison, WI has a modeled overall cost index 3.7% higher than Naperville, IL. This is a broad model comparison, not a survey of today's prices or a forecast of your household spending. Some cities use adjusted regional fallback data.

What does the equivalent salary mean?

At a $150,000 salary in Naperville, IL, the model estimates $152,962 in Madison, WI. It allocates 60% of gross income to the origin city’s category budget and applies each destination category’s relative cost. The equivalent salary adds the total category difference to your income. The monthly difference is the same category difference divided by 12; it is not take-home pay or guaranteed savings. Household size, childcare and your actual lease are not inputs to this calculation.

What rent estimates are available for Naperville, IL and Madison, WI?

The modeled two-bedroom rents are $2,385/month in Naperville, IL and $1,835/month in Madison, WI. Where available, the source is a city median of HUD FY2026 ZIP-level estimates; otherwise a saved metro table is used. City adjustments may also apply. These are not asking rents or available listings. Compare actual properties with the same bedroom count and included utilities.

How should I use this comparison before moving?

Use it to shortlist locations, then replace modeled costs with a current housing quote, employer-confirmed income, commute costs, insurance and your household's other expenses. Add one-time moving costs separately. Source years differ and the saved datasets are not a live price feed. Read the methodology for the formulas and fallback rules.

💰 See how taxes change too — compare take-home pay between Illinois and Wisconsin on TaxTakeHome.com