Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Alba

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba: $1,640 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Alba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Milan and in Alba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $1,640 in Alba, rent included.

Milan $2,555
Alba $1,640

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $2,569 in Alba, rent included.

Milan $3,859
Alba $2,569

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $3,498 in Alba, rent included.

Milan $5,163
Alba $3,498

Milan costs about 56% more than Alba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Milan and Alba sit above the global median – Milan by 88%, Alba by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.80

$22.40 €20.07

-1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.8

$90.7 €81.2

-1.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.96

$13.17 €11.80

1.37%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$2.08 €1.86

2.88%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$3.77 €3.38

-2.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.87 €1.68

4.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.24

$5.64 €5.05

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$6.87 €6.16

-1.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.69 €1.52

3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.85

$3.22 €2.88

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$3.68 €3.30

0.27%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.50

$4.88 €4.37

2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.88

$22.81 €20.44

2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.20

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.51

$22.87 €20.50

0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.94 €2.64

0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.34 €2.10

-1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$3.29 €2.95

-1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.86

$4.22 €3.78

1.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.35 €2.11

-3.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.99 €1.78

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.81 €1.62

-1.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.50

$6.56 €5.88

10.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.75

$9.46 €8.47

3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$2.02 €1.81

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.40 €2.15

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.93

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.83

$7.84 €7.02

-2.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.27 €2.04

0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.3

$65.3 €58.5

-0.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.09 €1.87

5.26%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$36.4K €32.6K

-0.15%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$38.0K €34.0K

-1.43%

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

$248 €222

$254 €228

-2.61%

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

$10.29 €9.22

$8.00 €7.17

28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.61

$29.01 €25.99

2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.20

$11.35 €10.17

0.26%

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

$939 €842

$927 €830

1.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$18.9K €16.9K

-0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.7

$102 €91.4

-0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.36

$50.6 €45.30

-2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$117 €105

-1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$168 €151

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,581

$548 €491

222.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,043

$385 €345

202.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,073

$719 €644

377.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,769

$615 €552

220.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,476

$3,013 €2,700

250.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,677

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,937

$2,622 €2,349

-17.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Alba

$385 23.5% 67% $779

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Alba

$416 25.4% 0.5% $2.2

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Alba

$308 18.8% 1.7% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Alba

$291 17.8% 1.3% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Alba

$197 12% 1.8% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Alba

$23 * 1.4% 78.5% $83

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Alba

$19 * 1.2% 73.4% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $548 in Alba. 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 21% higher in Alba, 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 $89 in Milan versus $91 in Alba. Groceries tell a different story – $419 in Milan vs $416 in Alba – so Alba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Alba

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

29,910

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Milan Alba 120 km

From you

Milan
Alba

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

Milan vs Alba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Milan and $2,460 in Alba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,555 in Milan and $1,640 in Alba. That makes Alba about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $939 per month in Milan and $927 in Alba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alba, where all-in costs run around $1,640, than in Milan at $2,555. In Alba 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 $1,640 in Alba 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.