Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, OH and Milan Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, OH and Milan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,562 per month in Columbus, OH vs $2,508 in Milan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,849 per month in Columbus, OH vs $3,853 in Milan, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,135 per month in Columbus, OH vs $5,197 in Milan, rent included.

Columbus, OH costs about 2% more than Milan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Columbus, OH and Milan sit above the global median – Columbus, OH by 91%, Milan by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$23.06 €19.85

-11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 $80.5

$92.1 €79.3

-12.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$12.73 €10.96

-13.75%

Cappuccino

$4.88 $4.88

$2.17 €1.87

124.88%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$3.23 €2.78

-19.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.50 €1.29

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$7.11 €6.12

-17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.71 €4.92

20.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.84 €1.58

-50.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.81 €2.42

7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.34 €2.87

22.75%

Eggs

$3.18 $3.18

$4.31 €3.71

-26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$19.74 €17.00

-33.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 $13.81

$13.02 €11.21

6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$24.69 €21.26

-34.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$2.84 €2.45

110.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.31 €1.99

-43.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$3.37 €2.90

64.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$3.94 €3.39

31.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.59 €2.23

39.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.19 €1.88

39.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.63 €1.40

39.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.70 €0.60

204.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$6.88 €5.92

35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 $17.70

$9.11 €7.84

94.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.35 €2.02

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.00 €2.58

-14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.49 €2.14

-20.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 $61.2

$45.58 €39.24

34.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$8.13 €7.00

-62.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.63 €2.26

-51.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.23 $27.23

$39.61 €34.10

-31.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.05 €1.76

-60.49%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$33.4K €28.8K

-9.57%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$36.4K €31.3K

-28.00%

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

$270 $270

$216 €186

25.12%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$11.71 €10.08

409.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$30.47 €26.24

119.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 $45.42

$75.1 €64.7

-39.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.26 $39.26

$37.13 €31.97

5.74%

Cinema Ticket

$12.23 $12.23

$11.74 €10.11

4.17%

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

$1,225 $1,225

$875 €753

40.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$16.7K €14.4K

-9.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$115 €99.1

-51.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.48 $39.48

$53.2 €45.84

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$115 €98.9

-29.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$171 €147

-38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$1,612 €1,388

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 $1,183

$1,137 €979

4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,962 $2,962

$3,138 €2,701

-5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 $2,095

$2,084 €1,794

0.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 $3,455

$11.1K €9,513

-68.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,791 $1,791

$5,565 €4,791

-67.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,750 $3,750

$2,270 €1,955

65.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.25

100.31%

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

Last update for Columbus, OH: June 1, 2026

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,548 in Columbus, OH versus $1,612 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 65% higher in Columbus, OH, 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 $80.0 in Columbus, OH versus $92.0 in Milan. Groceries tell a different story – $413 in Columbus, OH vs $400 in Milan – so Milan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Columbus, OH vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, OH costs about 2% more than Milan, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,844 per month in Columbus, OH and $3,762 in Milan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,562 in Columbus, OH and $2,508 in Milan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Milan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,562 in Columbus, OH and $2,508 in Milan. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Milan costs $2,508 versus $2,562 in Columbus, OH. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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