Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Lulea: $1,820 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lulea
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,820
/mo nomad
Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,560
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,820 in Lulea versus $2,560 in Milan.

  • Lulea $1,820
  • Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,946 in Lulea versus $3,895 in Milan.

  • Lulea $2,946
  • Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,073 in Lulea versus $5,230 in Milan.

  • Lulea $4,073
  • Milan $5,230

Living in Lulea costs roughly 29% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 35% above, Milan 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.71 SEK 116
$22.52 €20.03
-48.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.1 SEK 952
$89.3 €79.4
7.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.04 SEK 109
$13.16 €11.71
-16.11%
Cappuccino
$4.38 SEK 43.41
$2.13 €1.90
105.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 SEK 24.24
$3.67 €3.26
-33.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 SEK 19.20
$1.82 €1.62
6.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.56 SEK 84.8
$6.65 €5.92
28.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.41 SEK 93.2
$6.64 €5.91
41.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 SEK 17.99
$1.70 €1.51
7.06%
White Bread (500g)
$3.42 SEK 33.84
$3.16 €2.81
8.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.75 SEK 47.11
$3.54 €3.15
34.18%
Eggs
$4.67 SEK 46.31
$4.88 €4.34
-4.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.48 SEK 124
$22.85 €20.33
-45.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.11 SEK 130
$14.72 €13.09
-10.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.07 SEK 258
$22.77 €20.25
14.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.44 SEK 24.16
$3.12 €2.77
-21.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 SEK 26.36
$2.39 €2.12
11.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 SEK 23.36
$3.39 €3.02
-30.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.16 SEK 41.21
$4.27 €3.80
-2.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 SEK 20.69
$2.38 €2.12
-12.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 SEK 14.82
$2.04 €1.82
-26.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.30 SEK 32.69
$1.75 €1.56
88.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 SEK 12.59
$0.57 €0.51
122.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.06 SEK 70.0
$7.46 €6.64
-5.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.04 SEK 119
$9.58 €8.52
25.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 SEK 17.63
$2.01 €1.79
-11.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 SEK 17.53
$2.46 €2.19
-28.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Lulea
Milan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.23 SEK 31.99
$2.38 €2.12
35.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.5 SEK 560
$43.27 €38.49
30.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.73 SEK 86.5
$7.67 €6.82
13.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 SEK 20.33
$2.26 €2.01
-9.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$70.8 SEK 702
$65.2 €58.0
8.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 SEK 17.24
$2.20 €1.96
-20.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.9K SEK 316.5K
$36.5K €32.4K
-12.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K SEK 329.9K
$35.4K €31.5K
-6.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 SEK 1,595
$247 €220
-34.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.36 SEK 311
$10.21 €9.08
207.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.51 SEK 263
$29.16 €25.94
-9.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.47 SEK 450
$82.4 €73.3
-44.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.02 SEK 347
$34.18 €30.41
2.46%
Cinema Ticket
$12.85 SEK 127
$12.11 €10.77
6.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$150 SEK 1,490
$857 €762
-82.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,570 SEK 55.2K
$18.6K €16.5K
-70.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 SEK 1,189
$101 €90.2
18.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.64 SEK 323
$50.8 €45.21
-35.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 SEK 1,188
$117 €104
2.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 SEK 1,593
$167 €149
-3.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lulea
Milan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$783 SEK 7,763
$1,731 €1,540
-54.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$584 SEK 5,786
$1,169 €1,040
-50.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,449 SEK 14.4K
$3,402 €3,026
-57.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,104 SEK 10.9K
$2,036 €1,811
-45.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,072 SEK 30.4K
$10.5K €9,376
-70.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,194 SEK 21.7K
$5,240 €4,661
-58.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lulea
Milan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,498 SEK 24.8K
$2,145 €1,908
16.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.18
21.07%

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

Last update for Lulea: 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
Lulea
$584
Milan
$1.2K 100% $585
Groceries & Markets
Lulea
$404
Milan
$417 3.2% $13
Eating Out
Lulea
$259
Milan
$314 21.3% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lulea
$219
Milan
$286 30.8% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Lulea
$195
Milan
$196 0.6% $1.3
Getting Around
Lulea
$88
Milan
$72 18.8% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Lulea
$71
Milan
$107 49.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Lulea and $1,731 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Lulea vs $89.0 in Milan. Groceries flip the comparison at $404 vs $417, with Lulea cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Lulea
🇮🇹 Milan
🕒 Local time
15:31 3:31 PM
15:31 3:31 PM
Same time as Lulea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
73,864
1,394,798
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lulea Milan 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lulea
  • 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
Lulea vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lulea or Milan?
Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Milan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lulea or in Milan?
Average pay runs 16% higher in Lulea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lulea compared to Milan?
Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Lulea versus $1,731 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Lulea or in Milan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Lulea and in Milan?
Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $89.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lulea or in Milan?
At $1,820 in Lulea versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lulea or Milan?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,820 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.
How safe is Lulea compared to Milan?
Safety-wise, Lulea 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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