Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Bari

For one person, living is cheaper in Bari: $1,736 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Bari
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Bari Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Bari

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Bari

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $1,736 in Bari, rent included.

Milan $2,560
Bari $1,736

A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $2,663 in Bari, rent included.

Milan $3,895
Bari $2,663

A family of three spends $5,231 per month in Milan vs $3,591 in Bari, rent included.

Milan $5,231
Bari $3,591

Milan costs about 47% more than Bari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Bari sit above the global median – Milan by 89%, Bari by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 €19.66

$16.66 €14.82

32.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 €78.9

$67.2 €59.8

31.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$11.34 €10.09

16.58%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.85

$1.93 €1.72

7.77%

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

$3.82 €3.40

$2.50 €2.23

52.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.19 €1.06

53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €6.11

$3.98 €3.54

72.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.17

$3.26 €2.90

112.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.52 €1.35

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 €2.93

$1.75 €1.55

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.18

$2.94 €2.61

21.43%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.52

$3.86 €3.43

31.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.34 €20.76

$15.61 €13.88

49.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.05

$11.39 €10.13

28.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.73 €20.22

$16.84 €14.98

34.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.44 €2.17

25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.03 €1.80

19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$2.15 €1.91

55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.72

$3.58 €3.18

16.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$1.71 €1.52

40.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.56 €1.39

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.15 €1.03

57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.39 €0.34

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 €6.40

$6.88 €6.12

4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.54

$7.46 €6.63

28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.88 €1.68

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.46 €2.18

-1.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.33 €1.18

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 €38.38

$38.53 €34.27

11.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 €7.04

$5.53 €4.92

43.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.19 €1.94

5.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 €57.6

$23.92 €21.27

170.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.09 €1.86

5.26%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$36.9K €32.8K

-2.15%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

-0.05%

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

$250 €223

$214 €190

17.06%

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

$10.20 €9.08

$11.36 €10.11

-10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 €26.19

$30.98 €27.56

-4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 €75.3

$48.16 €42.84

75.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.03 €30.27

$25.03 €22.26

35.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.83

$8.55 €7.60

29.24%

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

$846 €753

$758 €675

11.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$5,649 €5,025

228.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.7

$85.7 €76.3

17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.43

$47.24 €42.02

8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$107 €95.5

6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$145 €129

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,502

$897 €798

88.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,036

$637 €567

82.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 €3,056

$1,583 €1,408

117.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 €1,813

$1,118 €994

82.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,339

$3,800 €3,380

176.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,580

$2,144 €1,907

140.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,190 €1,948

$1,926 €1,713

13.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.92

-18.88%

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

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bari: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.5%

Bari

$637 36.7% 45.3% $528

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$420 16.4%

Bari

$312 18% 25.7% $108

Eating Out

Milan

$312 12.2%

Bari

$232 13.4% 25.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$290 11.3%

Bari

$256 14.8% 11.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$193 7.6%

Bari

$173 10% 10.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Bari

$65 3.8% 38.9% $42

Getting Around

Milan

$73 2.8%

Bari

$60 3.5% 17% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,689 in Milan versus $897 in Bari. 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 14% 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 $89.0 in Milan versus $67.0 in Bari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $312 – making Bari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Bari

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

326,344

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Bari 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Bari

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 Bari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan costs about 47% more than Bari, 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 $3,840 per month in Milan and $2,603 in Bari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $846 per month in Milan and $758 in Bari. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bari, where all-in costs run around $1,736, than in Milan at $2,560. In Bari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bari costs $1,736 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 Bari. 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.