Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Messina and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Messina: $1,359 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
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Messina Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,359

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,359 per month in Messina vs $2,560 in Milan, rent included.

Messina $1,359
Milan $2,560

A couple spends around $2,355 per month in Messina vs $3,895 in Milan, rent included.

Messina $2,355
Milan $3,895

A family of three spends $3,350 per month in Messina vs $5,230 in Milan, rent included.

Messina $3,350
Milan $5,230

Messina is about 47% cheaper than Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Messina and Milan sit above the global median – Messina by 1%, Milan by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 €13.33

$22.52 €20.03

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 €59.0

$89.3 €79.4

-25.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.05

$13.16 €11.71

-5.55%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.77

$2.13 €1.90

-6.57%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$3.67 €3.26

-35.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.82 €1.62

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 €4.06

$6.65 €5.92

-31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.97

$6.64 €5.91

-49.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.70 €1.51

-25.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.56

$3.16 €2.81

-44.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$3.54 €3.15

-19.77%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.65

$4.88 €4.34

-38.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 €12.69

$22.85 €20.33

-37.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 €9.47

$14.72 €13.09

-27.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 €15.26

$22.77 €20.25

-24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.59

$3.12 €2.77

-6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.39 €2.12

-31.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$3.39 €3.02

-66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €3.07

$4.27 €3.80

-19.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.38 €2.12

-73.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$2.04 €1.82

-25.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.75 €1.56

-19.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.38

$0.57 €0.51

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.99

$7.46 €6.64

-9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 €4.94

$9.58 €8.52

-42.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.01 €1.79

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.46 €2.19

-6.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.38 €2.12

-28.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.41 €37.72

$43.27 €38.49

-1.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.83

$7.67 €6.82

-29.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

$2.26 €2.01

-51.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.71 €33.54

$65.2 €58.0

-42.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.78

$2.20 €1.96

-9.09%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$36.5K €32.4K

-4.50%

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

$31.4K €27.9K

$35.4K €31.5K

-11.43%

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

$171 €152

$247 €220

-30.76%

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

$10.20 €9.08

$10.21 €9.08

-0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 €23.23

$29.16 €25.94

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 €41.63

$82.4 €73.3

-43.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 €14.78

$34.18 €30.41

-51.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 €7.74

$12.11 €10.77

-28.16%

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

$338 €301

$857 €762

-60.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,643 €5,020

$18.6K €16.5K

-69.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 €63.6

$101 €90.2

-29.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 €27.10

$50.8 €45.21

-40.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 €77.3

$117 €104

-25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$167 €149

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 €466

$1,731 €1,540

-69.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 €333

$1,169 €1,040

-67.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,069

$3,402 €3,026

-64.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 €968

$2,036 €1,811

-46.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,033 €1,808

$10.5K €9,376

-80.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 €1,433

$5,240 €4,661

-69.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,640 €1,459

$2,145 €1,908

-23.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.18

6.60%

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

Last update for Messina: 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

Messina

$374 27.5%

Milan

$1.2K 45.7% 212% $795

Groceries & Markets

Messina

$287 21.1%

Milan

$417 16.3% 45.4% $130

Eating Out

Messina

$225 16.5%

Milan

$314 12.3% 39.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Messina

$207 15.3%

Milan

$286 11.2% 38.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Messina

$142 10.5%

Milan

$196 7.7% 38.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Messina

$64 4.7%

Milan

$107 4.2% 66% $42

Getting Around

Messina

$60 4.4%

Milan

$72 2.8% 19.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $524 in Messina versus $1,731 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 31% higher in Milan, 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 $66.0 in Messina versus $89.0 in Milan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $417 – making Messina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Messina

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

Same time as Messina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,734

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

Messina Milan 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Messina
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

Messina vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan costs about 88% more than Messina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,039 per month in Messina and $3,841 in Milan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Messina and $857 in Milan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Milan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Messina, where all-in costs run around $1,359, than in Milan at $2,560. In Messina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Messina costs $1,359 versus $2,560 in Milan. 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 Messina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Milan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.