Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Darmstadt and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Darmstadt: $2,255 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Darmstadt
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Darmstadt Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Darmstadt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,255

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Darmstadt vs $2,555 in Milan, rent included.

Darmstadt $2,255
Milan $2,555

A couple spends around $3,478 per month in Darmstadt vs $3,859 in Milan, rent included.

Darmstadt $3,478
Milan $3,859

A family of three spends $4,701 per month in Darmstadt vs $5,163 in Milan, rent included.

Darmstadt $4,701
Milan $5,163

Darmstadt is about 12% cheaper than Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Darmstadt and Milan sit above the global median – Darmstadt by 66%, Milan by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 €20.16

$22.10 €19.80

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €59.0

$89.0 €79.8

-26.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 €11.81

$13.35 €11.96

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$4.00 €3.59

$2.14 €1.91

86.92%

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

$2.34 €2.09

$3.68 €3.30

-36.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.95 €1.74

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.08

$6.96 €6.24

-18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.90

$6.78 €6.07

-19.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.75 €1.56

-15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.02

$3.19 €2.85

-29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 €3.45

$3.69 €3.31

4.34%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.80

$5.02 €4.50

-15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 €14.45

$23.30 €20.88

-30.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 €9.62

$14.73 €13.20

-27.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 €23.68

$22.89 €20.51

15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €3.04

$2.96 €2.65

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.23 €2.89

-33.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 €3.48

$4.30 €3.86

-9.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$2.26 €2.03

-46.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.98

$2.00 €1.79

-45.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.78 €1.60

-17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.61 €0.55

113.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.44 €8.46

$7.25 €6.50

30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 €4.93

$9.77 €8.75

-43.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.93 €1.73

-37.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.38 €2.14

-34.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 €2.98

$2.45 €2.20

35.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.7 €64.2

$43.45 €38.93

64.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €5.10

$7.62 €6.83

-25.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.29 €2.05

-3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.70 €34.68

$65.1 €58.3

-40.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.93

$2.20 €1.97

-1.82%

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

$32.8K €29.4K

$36.3K €32.6K

-9.89%

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

$37.9K €34.0K

$37.4K €33.5K

1.32%

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

$341 €306

$248 €222

37.67%

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

$32.19 €28.84

$10.29 €9.22

212.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €46.73

$29.70 €26.61

75.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.28 €36.10

$82.9 €74.2

-51.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.9 €45.57

$33.55 €30.06

51.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 €9.62

$11.38 €10.20

-5.71%

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

$1,070 €959

$939 €842

13.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K €39.0K

$18.8K €16.8K

132.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 €84.6

$101 €90.7

-6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 €63.2

$49.50 €44.36

42.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €112

$116 €104

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €134

$164 €147

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 €900

$1,764 €1,581

-43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 €705

$1,164 €1,043

-32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,931

$3,429 €3,073

-37.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,414

$1,975 €1,769

-20.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,085 €5,453

$10.6K €9,476

-42.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,334 €3,884

$5,220 €4,677

-16.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,509 €3,144

$2,162 €1,937

62.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.03

3.18

26.73%

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

Last update for Darmstadt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Darmstadt

$787 34.9%

Milan

$1.2K 45.6% 48% $377

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Darmstadt

$425 18.9%

Milan

$288 11.3% 32.4% $138

Groceries & Markets

Darmstadt

$357 15.8%

Milan

$419 16.4% 17.2% $61

Eating Out

Darmstadt

$325 14.4%

Milan

$313 12.3% 3.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Darmstadt

$198 8.8%

Milan

$194 7.6% 2% $4

Getting Around

Darmstadt

$102 4.5%

Milan

$72 2.8% 28.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Darmstadt

$62 2.7%

Milan

$106 4.1% 71% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,005 in Darmstadt 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 62% higher in Darmstadt, 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 $66 in Darmstadt versus $89 in Milan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $419 – making Darmstadt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Darmstadt

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

Same time as Darmstadt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,255

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 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

Darmstadt vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,383 per month in Darmstadt 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 Darmstadt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,005 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,255 in Darmstadt and $2,555 in Milan. That makes Darmstadt about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Milan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Darmstadt, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Milan at $2,555. In Darmstadt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Milan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,255 in Darmstadt to $2,555 in Milan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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