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: $2,451 in Milan versus $1,811 in Brescia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,825 in Milan versus $2,800 in Brescia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,199 in Milan versus $3,790 in Brescia.

Living in Milan is roughly 35% more expensive than Brescia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 84% above, Brescia 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.61 €20.33

$23.57 €20.30

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.4

$92.5 €79.7

0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 €11.23

$11.65 €10.03

12.02%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.82

$2.09 €1.80

0.96%

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

$3.27 €2.82

$3.39 €2.92

-3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.47 €1.27

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 €5.91

$5.82 €5.01

17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.00

$6.55 €5.64

-11.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.31 €1.13

35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.53 €2.18

14.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 €2.86

$2.60 €2.24

27.69%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.81

$4.25 €3.66

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.94 €13.73

20.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 €11.15

$12.88 €11.09

0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 €21.14

$21.69 €18.68

13.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.65 €2.28

11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.42 €2.09

-0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.73 €2.35

18.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 €3.40

$3.11 €2.68

27.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.16 €1.86

17.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.85

$1.91 €1.64

12.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.57 €1.36

8.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.46 €0.39

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.90

$6.76 €5.82

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 €7.81

$9.53 €8.21

-4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.95 €1.68

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.65

$2.48 €2.13

24.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.93 €1.66

30.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.03 €39.64

$45.03 €38.77

2.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 €6.69

$8.85 €7.62

-12.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 €2.19

$1.00 €0.86

155.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.62 €33.26

$11.60 €9.99

232.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.10 €1.81

-3.81%

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

$33.8K €29.1K

$32.0K €27.6K

5.57%

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

$36.3K €31.2K

$39.4K €34.0K

-8.09%

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

$221 €190

$242 €209

-8.72%

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

$11.52 €9.92

$14.72 €12.68

-21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.29 €26.95

$32.27 €27.79

-3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 €63.8

$44.80 €38.58

65.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.35 €32.16

$20.19 €17.38

84.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.45 €9.86

$11.93 €10.28

-4.02%

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

$896 €772

$760 €654

17.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$18.8K €16.2K

-10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.4

$79.9 €68.8

44.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 €46.11

$23.95 €20.63

123.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.6

$81.4 €70.1

40.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €145

$110 €94.4

53.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,351

$745 €641

110.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 €983

$628 €540

81.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,200 €2,756

$1,155 €994

177.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,746

$946 €815

114.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,558

$3,535 €3,044

214.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,303 €4,567

$2,299 €1,979

130.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,279 €1,962

$1,983 €1,707

14.94%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Brescia: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Milan and $745 in Brescia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 15% 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: $93.0 in Milan vs $93.0 in Brescia. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $353, 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 35% 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 15% 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: $1,569 in Milan versus $745 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 $93.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,451 per month in Milan versus $1,811 in Brescia – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,811 in Brescia versus $2,451 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 $1,811 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 35% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.