Milwaukee County, WI vs Hidalgo County, TX: Cost of Living Difference

Is it cheaper?

Hidalgo County, TX is cheaper than Milwaukee County, WI.

Moving to Hidalgo County, TX is estimated to save $3,237 per year.

Cheaper cost of living

Cheaper County

Hidalgo County, TXSave about $3,237 per year.

Salary needed

$50,000 in Milwaukee County, WI is about $46,330 in Hidalgo County, TX.

Biggest drivers

Transport increases by $2,810 per year. Taxes saves $2,130 per year.

Housing: $1,390 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Taxes: $2,130 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Childcare: about the same in both counties

Healthcare: $827 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Food: $970 lower in Hidalgo County, TX

Transport: $2,810 higher in Hidalgo County, TX

Milwaukee County, WIHidalgo County, TX
Equivalent salary in Hidalgo County, TX
$46,330
-7.34% lower
Current salary: $50,000
Household: 1 adult · 0 children
Median Income in Milwaukee County, WI: $82,096
Median Income in Hidalgo County, TX: $57,989
Living Index in Milwaukee County, WI 53.69%
Living Index in Hidalgo County, TX 70.42%

This estimate matches your purchasing power (equivalent salary) when moving from Milwaukee County, WI to Hidalgo County, TX.

* Living index is estimated as (estimated total cost / area median income) * 100. A living index above 100% means modeled costs exceed median income.

Cost of Living Breakdown by Category

Summary

Moving from Milwaukee County, WI to Hidalgo County, TX is estimated to save $3,237 per year. A $50,000 salary in Milwaukee County, WI would have similar purchasing power to about $46,330 in Hidalgo County, TX. The largest savings come from taxes and housing.

This is a 7.34% decrease in modeled annual costs. Taxes is $2,130 per year lower (25.76%); Housing is $1,390 per year lower (12.75%).

Below we break down the annual categories behind the difference using Economic Policy Institute 2026 Family Budget data.

What changed the most?

The following cards show the annual category differences that most affect the move to Hidalgo County, TX.

Biggest Cost
Largest annual cost increase when moving to Hidalgo County, TX
Annual Increase:

$2,810 per year

TRANSPORT has the largest annual increase when moving to Hidalgo County, TX.

Biggest Savings
Largest annual savings when moving to Hidalgo County, TX
Annual Savings:

$2,130 per year

TAXES has the largest annual savings when moving to Hidalgo County, TX.

Breakdown of price percentages per category.

Numbers are average costs per section.

CategoryDifference
Housing-12.75% lower
Food-22.36% lower
Transport27.32% higher
Healthcare-14.91% lower
Other Costs-15.47% lower
Childcare0.00% higher
Taxes-25.76% lower

In Hidalgo County, TX, modeled annual costs are $40,837 compared with $44,074 in Milwaukee County, WI.

Overall, annual costs are lower in Hidalgo County, TX. The category breakdown above shows where the move creates the most room in the budget.

In this case Hidalgo County, TX and Milwaukee County, WI are both metropolitan locations.

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How WatchPennies calculates salary needed
Milwaukee, WI vs Hidalgo, TX Cost Difference