Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Arona Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Arona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,704 in Arona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $2,684 in Arona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $3,664 in Arona.

Living in Milan is roughly 45% more expensive than in Arona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Arona 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.61

$19.38 €16.98

21.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$94.2 €82.5

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.14

$9.34 €8.18

36.19%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$1.94 €1.70

8.25%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$3.08 €2.70

8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.27

$1.14 €0.99

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.15

$4.28 €3.74

64.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$5.55 €4.86

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.90 €1.66

-6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.44 €2.14

16.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$3.44 €3.01

-4.65%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.73

$3.16 €2.77

34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.31

$15.93 €13.95

24.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.35

$13.38 €11.72

-3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.25

$13.83 €12.11

75.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.74 €2.40

3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.68 €1.47

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$3.26 €2.85

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.42

$2.87 €2.51

35.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.23

$1.78 €1.56

42.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.70 €1.49

30.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.36 €1.19

20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.57 €0.50

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.90 €6.04

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.13

$4.66 €4.08

99.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$2.14 €1.88

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$2.67 €2.33

17.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.77 €1.55

42.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.26

$44.20 €38.71

1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.64 €4.94

41.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$2.06 €1.80

29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.76

$59.0 €51.7

-32.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.01 €1.76

1.99%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$27.3K €23.9K

24.64%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$32.3K €28.3K

11.73%

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

$215 €188

$210 €184

2.50%

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

$11.65 €10.20

$15.35 €13.45

-24.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.40

$30.54 €26.74

2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.6

$54.2 €47.43

40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.89

$23.42 €20.51

60.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.96

$11.35 €9.94

0.26%

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

$878 €769

$549 €481

60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$9,418 €8,248

73.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.2

$89.4 €78.3

25.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.73

$37.32 €32.69

42.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$109 €95.2

6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$139 €122

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$755 €661

108.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$585 €512

92.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,810

$1,207 €1,057

165.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,795

$923 €808

122.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,333

$3,044 €2,666

250.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,680

$2,316 €2,028

130.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,934

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.68

-30.56%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $755 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Milan vs $94.0 in Arona. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $323, with Arona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arona is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,701 in Milan and $2,556 in Arona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Milan versus $755 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Milan versus $549 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,704 in Arona versus $2,467 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arona but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Arona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arona is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milan and Arona 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 Arona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.