Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Arona

For one person, living is cheaper in Arona: $1,583 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Arona
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Arona Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Arona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,583

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Arona

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 Arona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,583 in Arona.

Milan $2,555
Arona $1,583

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $2,500 in Arona.

Milan $3,859
Arona $2,500

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $3,418 in Arona.

Milan $5,163
Arona $3,418

Living in Milan is roughly 61% more expensive than in Arona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Arona 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.77

$16.68 €14.92

32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.7

$78.4 €70.1

13.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.94

$8.85 €7.92

50.85%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$1.67 €1.49

28.14%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$2.88 €2.57

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.14 €1.02

71.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.23

$3.89 €3.48

78.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.06

$5.57 €4.99

21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.37 €1.23

27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.18 €1.95

46.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.30

$4.02 €3.60

-8.21%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.49

$2.96 €2.65

69.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.85

$15.11 €13.52

54.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.18

$14.04 €12.56

4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.48

$15.07 €13.49

51.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.81 €2.51

5.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.68 €1.50

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$3.13 €2.80

3.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.85

$2.23 €1.99

92.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.87 €1.68

20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.84 €1.65

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.66 €1.49

7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.66 €0.59

-7.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.49

$6.79 €6.07

6.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.74

$4.51 €4.04

116.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$0.93 €0.83

107.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.63 €1.46

46.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.87 €1.67

31.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.87

$37.52 €33.57

15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.82

$5.54 €4.96

37.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.87 €1.67

22.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.2

$32.01 €28.64

103.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.11 €1.89

4.27%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$36.1K €32.3K

0.74%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$34.7K €31.1K

7.77%

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

$248 €222

$194 €173

27.94%

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

$10.29 €9.21

$11.93 €10.68

-13.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.57

$27.27 €24.40

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.1

$58.3 €52.1

42.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.01

$20.22 €18.09

65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.18

$13.28 €11.88

-14.31%

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

$939 €840

$895 €801

4.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$19.5K €17.4K

-3.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.6

$89.4 €80.0

13.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.29

$37.29 €33.36

32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$106 €95.0

9.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$130 €116

25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,579

$680 €609

159.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,042

$502 €450

131.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,068

$1,310 €1,172

161.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,767

$903 €808

118.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,461

$2,697 €2,413

292.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,670

$1,817 €1,625

187.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,934

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.65

-12.88%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Arona: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Arona

$502 31.8% 56.8% $662

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Arona

$313 19.8% 25.3% $106

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Arona

$227 14.3% 27.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Arona

$233 14.7% 19.1% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Arona

$163 10.3% 15.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Arona

$85 5.4% 19.7% $21

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Arona

$60 3.8% 17.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $680 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $78 in Arona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $313 per month, with Arona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Arona

🕒 Local time

23:33 11:33 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

14,310

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Milan Arona 59 km

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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

Milan vs Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arona is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,833 in Milan and $2,374 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: $1,764 in Milan versus $680 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Milan versus $895 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Arona is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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 38% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.