Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Bergamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Bergamo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,846 in Bergamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $2,746 in Bergamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $3,645 in Bergamo.

Living in Milan is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bergamo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Bergamo 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.56

$18.81 €16.43

25.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €79.9

$94.2 €82.3

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.12

$11.53 €10.07

10.32%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$1.99 €1.74

5.53%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$3.29 €2.87

1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.52 €1.33

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.13

$5.68 €4.96

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.93

$5.85 €5.11

-3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.95 €1.70

-9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.48

$1.85 €1.61

53.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$4.04 €3.53

-18.81%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.72

$4.87 €4.25

-12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.27

$16.98 €14.84

16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.32

$12.07 €10.55

7.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.20

$19.29 €16.85

25.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.90 €2.54

-2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.19 €1.92

8.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.91

$3.37 €2.94

-0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.41

$3.72 €3.25

4.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$2.36 €2.06

7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.90 €1.66

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.50 €2.19

-34.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.65 €0.57

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$6.85 €5.99

4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.11

$4.50 €3.93

106.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.85 €1.62

32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.74

$2.69 €2.35

16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$2.01 €1.75

25.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.17

$51.4 €44.93

-12.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.14 €7.98

-12.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$2.11 €1.84

26.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.68

$41.05 €35.86

-3.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.11 €1.84

-2.84%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$33.0K €28.8K

3.25%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$34.4K €30.1K

4.98%

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

$215 €188

$247 €216

-12.92%

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

$11.65 €10.18

$13.92 €12.16

-16.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.33

$31.94 €27.90

-2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.4

$40.22 €35.14

88.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.81

$23.57 €20.59

59.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.94

$12.48 €10.91

-8.81%

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

$878 €767

$702 €613

25.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$13.3K €11.6K

23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.0

$83.5 €72.9

34.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.62

$42.49 €37.12

25.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$85.0 €74.3

35.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$118 €103

43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,375

$859 €751

83.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €982

$665 €581

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,803

$2,030 €1,774

58.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,791

$913 €798

124.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,311

$3,437 €3,003

210.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,669

$2,505 €2,189

113.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,929

$2,374 €2,074

-6.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.27

-23.89%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bergamo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $859 in Bergamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergamo pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Milan vs $94.0 in Bergamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $355, with Bergamo 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 Bergamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan and Bergamo differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,467 vs $1,846 including rent). Bergamo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Bergamo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Milan versus $859 in Bergamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bergamo – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $91.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,467 per month in Milan versus $1,846 in Bergamo – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,846 in Bergamo versus $2,467 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bergamo but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Bergamo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bergamo 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 Bergamo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.