Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carrara and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Carrara: $1,729 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Carrara
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Carrara Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Carrara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,729

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carrara 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 Carrara and in Milan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,729 per month in Carrara vs $2,555 in Milan, rent included.

Carrara $1,729
Milan $2,555

A couple spends around $2,591 per month in Carrara vs $3,859 in Milan, rent included.

Carrara $2,591
Milan $3,859

A family of three spends $3,453 per month in Carrara vs $5,163 in Milan, rent included.

Carrara $3,453
Milan $5,163

Carrara is about 32% cheaper than Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Carrara and Milan sit above the global median – Carrara by 27%, Milan by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.62 €20.32

$22.10 €19.85

2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €70.1

$89.0 €80.0

-12.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 €8.98

$13.35 €11.99

-25.09%

Cappuccino

$1.72 €1.54

$2.14 €1.92

-19.63%

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

$2.66 €2.39

$3.68 €3.31

-27.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.95 €1.75

-44.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 €6.16

$6.96 €6.25

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 €5.57

$6.78 €6.09

-8.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.75 €1.57

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.93

$3.19 €2.86

-32.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.61

$3.69 €3.31

-21.14%

Eggs

$3.45 €3.10

$5.02 €4.51

-31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 €11.39

$23.30 €20.93

-45.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 €10.90

$14.73 €13.23

-17.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.81 €23.18

$22.89 €20.56

12.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.96 €2.66

-14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.31 €2.07

-0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 €2.91

$3.23 €2.90

0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.30 €3.87

-23.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.63

$2.26 €2.03

-19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.00 €1.79

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.78 €1.60

-20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 €0.29

$0.61 €0.55

-45.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.94

$7.25 €6.51

-8.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.07

$9.77 €8.77

-19.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.93 €1.74

1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.38 €2.14

-5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.74

$2.45 €2.20

-20.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 €34.56

$43.45 €39.03

-11.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 €3.22

$7.62 €6.85

-52.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.14

$2.29 €2.06

-44.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 €27.69

$65.1 €58.5

-52.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.83

$2.20 €1.98

-7.73%

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

$35.2K €31.6K

$36.3K €32.7K

-3.15%

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

$38.5K €34.6K

$37.4K €33.6K

2.87%

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

$240 €215

$248 €223

-3.21%

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

$11.47 €10.31

$10.29 €9.24

11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.46 €30.06

$29.70 €26.68

12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.74 €32.11

$82.9 €74.4

-56.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.18 €21.72

$33.55 €30.13

-27.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 €9.99

$11.38 €10.22

-2.28%

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

$765 €687

$939 €844

-18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,862 €8,859

$18.8K €16.8K

-47.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.26 €20.00

$101 €90.9

-78.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €35.05

$49.50 €44.47

-21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 €79.0

$116 €104

-24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €122

$164 €147

-16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 €479

$1,764 €1,585

-69.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 €507

$1,164 €1,046

-51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,031

$3,429 €3,080

-66.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 €725

$1,975 €1,774

-59.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,969 €2,667

$10.6K €9,499

-71.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 €1,838

$5,220 €4,689

-60.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,656 €1,488

$2,162 €1,942

-23.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.18

-0.63%

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

Last update for Carrara: October 27, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carrara

$565 32.7%

Milan

$1.2K 45.6% 106% $599

Groceries & Markets

Carrara

$344 19.9%

Milan

$419 16.4% 21.9% $75

Eating Out

Carrara

$293 17%

Milan

$313 12.3% 6.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carrara

$285 16.5%

Milan

$288 11.3% 1.1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Carrara

$128 7.4%

Milan

$194 7.6% 50.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Carrara

$58 3.4%

Milan

$106 4.1% 82.1% $48

Getting Around

Carrara

$56 3.3%

Milan

$72 2.8% 28.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Carrara versus $1,764 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 31% higher in Milan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Carrara versus $89 in Milan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $419 – making Carrara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Carrara

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Carrara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,133

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Carrara vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan costs about 48% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,593 per month in Carrara and $3,833 in Milan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carrara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $534 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Milan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Carrara and $89 in Milan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Carrara, where all-in costs run around $1,729, than in Milan at $2,555. In Carrara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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