Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Biella

For one person, living is cheaper in Biella: $1,455 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Biella
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Biella Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Biella

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Biella

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,455 in Biella.

Milan $2,555
Biella $1,455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $2,244 in Biella.

Milan $3,859
Biella $2,244

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $3,034 in Biella.

Milan $5,163
Biella $3,034

Living in Milan is roughly 76% more expensive than in Biella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Biella 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.85

$16.68 €14.99

32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €80.0

$67.1 €60.3

32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.99

$10.59 €9.52

26.06%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.92

$1.76 €1.58

21.59%

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

$3.68 €3.31

$2.96 €2.66

24.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.35 €1.21

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.25

$5.17 €4.65

34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.09

$4.41 €3.96

53.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.26 €1.13

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.28 €2.05

39.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.95 €2.65

25.08%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.51

$3.71 €3.33

35.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.93

$14.40 €12.93

61.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.23

$8.90 €8.00

65.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.56

$21.24 €19.08

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.66

$3.05 €2.74

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.17 €1.95

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.90

$1.94 €1.74

66.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.87

$4.83 €4.34

-10.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.85 €1.66

22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.81 €1.63

10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.47 €1.32

21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.35 €0.32

74.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.51

$6.74 €6.05

7.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.77

$6.62 €5.95

47.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.74

$2.01 €1.80

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.53 €2.28

-5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.90 €1.71

28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €39.03

$38.48 €34.56

12.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.85

$14.64 €13.15

-47.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.06

$1.66 €1.49

37.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.5

$29.62 €26.61

119.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.99 €1.78

10.55%

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

$36.3K €32.7K

$36.5K €32.8K

-0.53%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$35.9K €32.3K

4.26%

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

$248 €223

$190 €171

30.30%

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

$10.29 €9.24

$7.66 €6.88

34.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.68

$27.66 €24.85

7.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.4

$66.3 €59.5

25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.13

$24.85 €22.32

35.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.22

$9.10 €8.17

25.05%

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

$939 €844

$687 €617

36.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$10.2K €9,207

82.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$87.2 €78.3

16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.47

$44.14 €39.65

12.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$82.4 €74.0

40.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$112 €100

46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,585

$414 €372

326.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,046

$370 €332

214.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,080

$678 €609

405.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,774

$562 €504

251.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,499

$1,598 €1,436

561.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,689

$850 €764

514.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,942

$1,819 €1,634

18.82%

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 Biella: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Biella

$370 25.4% 68.2% $794

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Biella

$321 22.1% 23.3% $97

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Biella

$238 16.4% 24% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Biella

$225 15.5% 21.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Biella

$146 10.1% 24.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Biella

$84 5.8% 20% $21

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Biella

$69 4.8% 4.5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $414 in Biella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $67 in Biella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $321 per month, with Biella cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Biella

🕒 Local time

18:58 6:58 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

45,740

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Biella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan and Biella differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,555 vs $1,455 including rent). Biella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Milan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,764 in Milan versus $414 in Biella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Milan versus $687 in Biella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,455 in Biella versus $2,555 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Biella but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Biella 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.

Expats usually find Biella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.