Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Catania and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Catania: $1,524 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Catania
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Catania Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,524

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,524 in Catania versus $2,560 in Milan.

Catania $1,524
Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Catania versus $3,895 in Milan.

Catania $2,336
Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,148 in Catania versus $5,230 in Milan.

Catania $3,148
Milan $5,230

Living in Catania costs roughly 40% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Catania 13% above, Milan 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.78 €14.93

$22.52 €20.03

-25.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 €49.22

$89.3 €79.4

-38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 €9.74

$13.16 €11.71

-16.79%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €2.06

$2.13 €1.90

8.45%

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

$2.87 €2.55

$3.67 €3.26

-21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.82 €1.62

2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 €6.03

$6.65 €5.92

1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.70

$6.64 €5.91

-37.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.70 €1.51

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.44

$3.16 €2.81

-48.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$3.54 €3.15

-28.25%

Eggs

$3.44 €3.06

$4.88 €4.34

-29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 €10.11

$22.85 €20.33

-50.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 €10.71

$14.72 €13.09

-18.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 €14.02

$22.77 €20.25

-30.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$3.12 €2.77

-32.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.39 €2.12

-26.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.39 €3.02

-54.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.59

$4.27 €3.80

-31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.38 €2.12

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.10

$2.04 €1.82

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.75 €1.56

-29.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.42

$0.57 €0.51

-17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.98

$7.46 €6.64

-9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.06

$9.58 €8.52

-17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.01 €1.79

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.46 €2.19

-37.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.38 €2.12

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.71 €32.65

$43.27 €38.49

-15.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.87

$2.20 €1.96

-4.09%

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

$36.3K €32.3K

$36.5K €32.4K

-0.46%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$35.4K €31.5K

-2.04%

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

$308 €274

$247 €220

24.56%

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

$10.48 €9.32

$10.21 €9.08

2.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.67 €30.84

$29.16 €25.94

18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 €53.5

$82.4 €73.3

-27.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.19 €12.62

$34.18 €30.41

-58.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 €8.59

$12.11 €10.77

-20.23%

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

$450 €400

$857 €762

-47.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,746 €6,001

$18.6K €16.5K

-63.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 €75.8

$101 €90.2

-15.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 €29.75

$50.8 €45.21

-34.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €75.3

$117 €104

-27.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$167 €149

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 €534

$1,731 €1,540

-65.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 €322

$1,169 €1,040

-69.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 €954

$3,402 €3,026

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$2,036 €1,811

-63.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 €2,020

$10.5K €9,376

-78.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,491 €1,327

$5,240 €4,661

-71.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,783 €1,586

$2,145 €1,908

-16.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

3.18

11.64%

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

Last update for Catania: October 11, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Catania

$362 23.7%

Milan

$1.2K 45.7% 223% $807

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Catania

$353 23.1%

Milan

$286 11.2% 18.8% $66

Groceries & Markets

Catania

$282 18.5%

Milan

$417 16.3% 47.7% $135

Eating Out

Catania

$256 16.8%

Milan

$314 12.3% 22.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Catania

$149 9.8%

Milan

$196 7.7% 31.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Catania

$79 5.2%

Milan

$107 4.2% 34.2% $27

Getting Around

Catania

$43 * 2.8%

Milan

$72 2.8% 67.6% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Catania and $1,731 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Catania vs $89.0 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $417 per month, with Catania cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Catania

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

Same time as Catania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,037

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Catania Milan 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Catania
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

Catania vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catania is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Milan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Catania versus $1,731 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,524 per month in Catania versus $2,560 in Milan – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 18% less than in Milan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,524 in Catania versus $2,560 in Milan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Catania but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Catania the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Catania is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Catania and Milan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.