Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ferrara and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ferrara: $1,582 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Ferrara
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Ferrara Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Ferrara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,582

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,582 in Ferrara versus $2,560 in Milan.

Ferrara $1,582
Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,476 in Ferrara versus $3,895 in Milan.

Ferrara $2,476
Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,370 in Ferrara versus $5,230 in Milan.

Ferrara $3,370
Milan $5,230

Living in Ferrara costs roughly 38% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ferrara 17% above, Milan 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.96 €15.98

$22.52 €20.03

-20.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 €60.4

$89.3 €79.4

-23.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 €9.85

$13.16 €11.71

-15.88%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.70

$2.13 €1.90

-9.86%

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

$2.63 €2.34

$3.67 €3.26

-28.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.82 €1.62

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.93

$6.65 €5.92

-16.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

$6.64 €5.91

-17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.70 €1.51

-4.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 €2.42

$3.16 €2.81

-13.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 €2.78

$3.54 €3.15

-11.58%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.13

$4.88 €4.34

-4.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.61 €15.67

$22.85 €20.33

-22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 €10.06

$14.72 €13.09

-23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.40 €21.70

$22.77 €20.25

7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.63

$3.12 €2.77

-5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 €1.31

$2.39 €2.12

-38.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 €3.34

$3.39 €3.02

10.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 €3.85

$4.27 €3.80

1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.38 €2.12

1.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.04 €1.82

17.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.75 €1.56

6.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.30

$0.57 €0.51

-40.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.90

$7.46 €6.64

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 €3.85

$9.58 €8.52

-54.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.25

$2.01 €1.79

-30.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.46 €2.19

-13.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.38 €2.12

-13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.25 €26.91

$43.27 €38.49

-30.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 €7.37

$7.67 €6.82

7.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.26 €2.01

-15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.91 €30.16

$65.2 €58.0

-47.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.20 €1.96

-4.55%

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

$35.6K €31.6K

$36.5K €32.4K

-2.45%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$35.4K €31.5K

1.63%

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

$139 €124

$247 €220

-43.60%

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

$9.52 €8.47

$10.21 €9.08

-6.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.59 €24.54

$29.16 €25.94

-5.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 €33.09

$82.4 €73.3

-54.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.97 €14.20

$34.18 €30.41

-53.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 €7.83

$12.11 €10.77

-27.33%

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

$337 €300

$857 €762

-60.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,930

$18.6K €16.5K

-45.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €83.5

$101 €90.2

-7.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.56 €29.85

$50.8 €45.21

-33.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$117 €104

-10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €91.8

$167 €149

-38.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 €552

$1,731 €1,540

-64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 €470

$1,169 €1,040

-54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,122

$3,402 €3,026

-62.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 €788

$2,036 €1,811

-56.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,314 €2,058

$10.5K €9,376

-78.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 €1,568

$5,240 €4,661

-66.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,618 €1,439

$2,145 €1,908

-24.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.18

5.97%

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

Last update for Ferrara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ferrara

$529 33.4%

Milan

$1.2K 45.7% 121% $640

Groceries & Markets

Ferrara

$361 22.8%

Milan

$417 16.3% 15.5% $56

Eating Out

Ferrara

$254 16%

Milan

$314 12.3% 23.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ferrara

$176 11.2%

Milan

$286 11.2% 62.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Ferrara

$151 9.5%

Milan

$196 7.7% 30.3% $46

Getting Around

Ferrara

$56 3.6%

Milan

$72 2.8% 27.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ferrara

$55 3.5%

Milan

$107 4.2% 94.5% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Ferrara and $1,731 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 33% 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: $68.0 in Ferrara vs $89.0 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $417 per month, with Ferrara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Ferrara

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Ferrara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,155

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

Ferrara vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ferrara wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Milan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ferrara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $621 in Ferrara versus $1,731 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ferrara – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $89.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,582 per month in Ferrara versus $2,560 in Milan – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,582 in Ferrara versus $2,560 in Milan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ferrara but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Ferrara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ferrara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,582 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ferrara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ferrara 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 Ferrara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.