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: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,909 in Bergamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,823 in Bergamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,736 in Bergamo.

Living in Milan is roughly 31% more expensive than Bergamo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Bergamo 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.86

$18.66 €16.07

23.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.3

$92.7 €79.8

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.96

$11.80 €10.16

7.88%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$2.01 €1.73

7.96%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.26 €2.81

-0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.53 €1.32

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$5.67 €4.88

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.62 €4.84

1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.87 €1.61

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.84 €1.59

52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.89 €3.35

-14.14%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.71

$4.87 €4.19

-11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €17.00

$16.68 €14.36

18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.21

$11.86 €10.21

9.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.26

$19.58 €16.86

26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.93 €2.53

-3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.10 €1.81

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.26 €2.80

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.71 €3.19

6.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.46 €2.12

5.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.87 €1.61

17.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$2.52 €2.17

-35.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.71 €0.61

-1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$7.10 €6.11

-3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$4.32 €3.72

110.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.88 €1.62

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.66 €2.29

12.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.93 €1.66

29.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.25

$51.6 €44.40

-11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €7.00

$9.19 €7.91

-11.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.08 €1.79

26.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.11

$40.36 €34.75

-1.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.00 €1.73

2.50%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$33.2K €28.6K

0.62%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$34.5K €29.7K

5.53%

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

$216 €186

$241 €207

-10.54%

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

$11.71 €10.08

$14.00 €12.06

-16.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.24

$31.55 €27.17

-3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.7

$40.51 €34.89

85.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.97

$23.51 €20.25

57.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.11

$12.63 €10.88

-7.05%

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

$875 €753

$710 €611

23.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$13.2K €11.4K

25.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.1

$82.0 €70.6

40.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.85

$41.54 €35.77

28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.0

$87.2 €75.1

31.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$117 €101

45.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,388

$870 €749

85.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$679 €585

67.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,702

$1,998 €1,721

57.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,795

$883 €760

136.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,515

$3,592 €3,093

207.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,792

$2,584 €2,225

115.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,955

$2,464 €2,122

-7.87%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bergamo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $870 in Bergamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergamo pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Milan vs $93.0 in Bergamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $352, 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,508 vs $1,909 including rent). Bergamo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bergamo earns 9% less. 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $870 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 $93.0 versus $92.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,508 per month in Milan versus $1,909 in Bergamo – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,909 in Bergamo versus $2,508 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 31% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.