Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Brescia Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Brescia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,536 in Milan versus $1,818 in Brescia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in Milan versus $2,781 in Brescia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,165 in Milan versus $3,744 in Brescia.

Living in Milan is roughly 40% more expensive than Brescia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 89% above, Brescia 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.57 €20.17

$22.81 €19.53

3.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €78.3

$93.4 €79.9

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 €10.95

$11.46 €9.81

11.69%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.85

$1.99 €1.70

9.05%

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

$3.23 €2.76

$3.24 €2.77

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.43 €1.22

2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.85 €5.01

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.22 €5.32

-7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.35 €1.15

32.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.39 €2.05

21.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.74

$2.71 €2.32

18.08%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.81

$4.39 €3.76

1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.58 €16.76

$15.59 €13.34

25.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.90 €11.04

$12.73 €10.90

1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.13 €20.65

$21.81 €18.67

10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.42

$2.72 €2.33

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.97

$2.46 €2.10

-6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.88

$2.69 €2.30

24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.35

$3.00 €2.56

30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.23 €1.91

19.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.89 €1.62

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.57 €1.34

7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.63

$0.46 €0.39

58.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.87

$6.79 €5.82

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 €8.10

$9.16 €7.84

3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.11

$1.95 €1.67

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.64

$2.58 €2.21

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 €2.24

$2.03 €1.73

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.82 €38.37

$46.00 €39.37

-2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 €6.91

$8.52 €7.30

-5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 €2.20

$1.00 €0.85

157.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.65 €33.08

$11.54 €9.88

234.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.04 €1.74

0.49%

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

$33.3K €28.5K

$31.9K €27.3K

4.64%

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

$35.6K €30.5K

$39.4K €33.7K

-9.73%

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

$221 €190

$245 €210

-9.58%

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

$11.71 €10.02

$14.85 €12.71

-21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.89 €26.44

$32.62 €27.92

-5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 €63.4

$45.89 €39.28

61.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.50 €31.24

$20.01 €17.13

82.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €9.73

$12.02 €10.29

-5.41%

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

$900 €770

$748 €640

20.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$18.8K €16.1K

-12.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.0

$79.6 €68.2

40.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 €46.28

$23.86 €20.42

126.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €96.6

$81.5 €69.7

38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €145

$109 €93.0

56.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 €1,363

$771 €660

106.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 €965

$619 €530

82.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,142 €2,690

$1,130 €967

178.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 €1,787

$932 €798

123.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.0K €9,429

$3,556 €3,044

209.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,295 €4,532

$2,271 €1,944

133.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,306 €1,974

$2,060 €1,764

11.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.3

-24.42%

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

Last update for Milan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Brescia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Milan and $771 in Brescia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 12% 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: $92.0 in Milan vs $93.0 in Brescia. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $351, with Brescia 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 Brescia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brescia wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Milan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brescia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Milan pays 12% more on average, 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: $1,592 in Milan versus $771 in Brescia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brescia – 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 $2,536 per month in Milan versus $1,818 in Brescia – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,818 in Brescia versus $2,536 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brescia but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Brescia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brescia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,818 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brescia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Milan and Brescia 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 Brescia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.