Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alba and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba: $1,630 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,630

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alba and in Milan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alba and in Milan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,630 per month in Alba vs $2,560 in Milan, rent included.

Alba $1,630
Milan $2,560

A couple spends around $2,551 per month in Alba vs $3,895 in Milan, rent included.

Alba $2,551
Milan $3,895

A family of three spends $3,473 per month in Alba vs $5,230 in Milan, rent included.

Alba $3,473
Milan $5,230

Alba is about 36% cheaper than Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Alba and Milan sit above the global median – Alba by 21%, Milan by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.91 €19.49

$22.52 €20.03

-2.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 €78.3

$89.3 €79.4

-1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.89

$13.16 €11.71

1.52%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.27

$3.67 €3.26

0.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$6.65 €5.92

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 €6.08

$6.64 €5.91

2.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.70 €1.51

-1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.16 €2.81

5.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$3.54 €3.15

-1.41%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.51

$4.88 €4.34

4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.19 €20.63

$22.85 €20.33

1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.05

$14.72 €13.09

-0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.94 €20.40

$22.77 €20.25

0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$3.12 €2.77

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.39 €2.12

-2.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.39 €3.02

0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.70

$4.27 €3.80

-2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.38 €2.12

-2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$2.04 €1.82

-0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.75 €1.56

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.57 €0.51

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.13

$7.46 €6.64

-7.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 €8.48

$9.58 €8.52

-0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.01 €1.79

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.46 €2.19

-1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 €7.11

$7.67 €6.82

4.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.26 €2.01

-2.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 €56.8

$65.2 €58.0

-2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.20 €1.96

-2.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.7K €32.6K

$36.5K €32.4K

0.62%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.7K €32.6K

$35.4K €31.5K

3.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$249 €221

$247 €220

0.79%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.00 €7.12

$10.21 €9.08

-21.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 €26.09

$29.16 €25.94

0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 €11.00

$12.11 €10.77

2.15%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$855 €761

$857 €762

-0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K €17.0K

$18.6K €16.5K

2.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 €88.7

$101 €90.2

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.95 €44.43

$50.8 €45.21

-1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €102

$117 €104

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$167 €149

-2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 €476

$1,731 €1,540

-69.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 €342

$1,169 €1,040

-67.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 €651

$3,402 €3,026

-78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €548

$2,036 €1,811

-69.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,916 €2,594

$10.5K €9,376

-72.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,652 €2,359

$2,145 €1,908

23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Alba

$419 25.7%

Milan

$417 16.3% 0.5% $2

Accommodation & Living

Alba

$384 23.6%

Milan

$1.2K 45.7% 205% $785

Eating Out

Alba

$304 18.7%

Milan

$314 12.3% 3.1% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alba

$286 17.6%

Milan

$286 11.2% 0% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Alba

$193 11.8%

Milan

$196 7.7% 1.8% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Alba

$25 * 1.5%

Milan

$107 4.2% 331% $82

Getting Around

Alba

$19 * 1.2%

Milan

$72 2.8% 278% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $535 in Alba versus $1,731 in Milan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Alba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Alba versus $89.0 in Milan. Groceries tell a different story – $419 in Alba vs $417 in Milan – so Milan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Alba

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

Same time as Alba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,910

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alba Milan 120 km

From you

Alba
Milan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alba vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,445 per month in Alba and $3,841 in Milan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Alba and $89.0 in Milan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Milan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alba, where all-in costs run around $1,630, than in Milan at $2,560. In Alba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Milan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.