This study examines difference in expenditure patterns between working-wife families and nonworking-wife families. The data used in the study is 4,506 husband-wife families take National Survey of family Income and Expenditure in 1996. Of the sample, 42.3% are working-wife families. Consumption expenditure patterns are analyzed in two ways. One is the budget share of each given expenditure and the other is elasticity of those expenditure. The main results of this study are as follows: First, there are the differences between working-wife families and nonworking-wife families in the budget share of each given expenditure. In the budget shares of each given expenditure, nonworking-wife families share more than working wife families for food and medicine. And working-wife families allocated more on public transportation than their counterparts. Second, there are also differences between working-wife families and nonworking-wife families in income elasticities.