Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Busto Arsizio Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Busto Arsizio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,452 in Milan versus $2,009 in Busto Arsizio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,788 in Milan versus $2,930 in Busto Arsizio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,123 in Milan versus $3,851 in Busto Arsizio.

Living in Milan is roughly 22% more expensive than Busto Arsizio, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 82% above, Busto Arsizio 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.83 €19.67

$19.41 €16.72

17.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 €78.3

$81.3 €70.0

11.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 €11.05

$11.44 €9.86

12.06%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.80

$2.00 €1.72

4.50%

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

$3.22 €2.77

$3.54 €3.05

-9.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.33 €1.15

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 €6.14

$5.96 €5.14

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.89

$5.49 €4.73

3.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.61 €1.39

16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.50 €2.16

12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$3.86 €3.32

-14.51%

Eggs

$4.46 €3.84

$4.10 €3.54

8.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 €16.46

$15.53 €13.38

22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 €11.11

$13.34 €11.49

-3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.66 €21.24

$25.63 €22.08

-3.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.54

$1.99 €1.71

47.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.30 €1.98

0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.49 €2.15

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 €3.53

$3.73 €3.21

9.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.05 €1.77

29.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$1.78 €1.53

22.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.46 €1.26

17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.61 €0.52

14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.83

$7.05 €6.07

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 €7.91

$4.68 €4.03

96.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.02 €1.74

22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.81 €2.43

5.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.76 €1.52

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.86 €39.51

$42.00 €36.19

9.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 €6.72

$4.08 €3.52

91.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.12 €1.82

23.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.26 €33.83

$45.98 €39.62

-14.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.00 €1.72

6.50%

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

$33.9K €29.2K

$33.0K €28.4K

2.88%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$37.5K €32.3K

-3.42%

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

$218 €188

$242 €209

-10.16%

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

$11.72 €10.10

$13.43 €11.57

-12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 €26.17

$29.70 €25.59

2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 €63.5

$34.27 €29.52

115.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.33 €31.30

$22.97 €19.79

58.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 €10.04

$12.13 €10.45

-3.96%

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

$896 €772

$528 €455

69.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.3K

$4,565 €3,933

263.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$91.1 €78.5

27.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 €46.93

$38.08 €32.81

43.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$111 €95.9

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €149

$141 €122

21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 €1,357

$1,315 €1,133

19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 €988

$757 €653

51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,220 €2,774

$1,994 €1,718

61.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 €1,740

$1,120 €965

80.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K €9,321

$2,606 €2,246

315.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,172 €4,456

$1,618 €1,394

219.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,193 €1,889

$2,269 €1,955

-3.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.68

-30.56%

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

Last update for Milan: June 9, 2026

Last update for Busto Arsizio: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,574 in Milan and $1,315 in Busto Arsizio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busto Arsizio pays 3% 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 $81.0 in Busto Arsizio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $363 per month, with Busto Arsizio cheaper across the board.

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 Busto Arsizio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan and Busto Arsizio differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,452 vs $2,009 including rent). Busto Arsizio is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Busto Arsizio earns 3% 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: $1,574 in Milan versus $1,315 in Busto Arsizio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Busto Arsizio – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $91.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,452 per month in Milan versus $2,009 in Busto Arsizio – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,009 in Busto Arsizio versus $2,452 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Busto Arsizio but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.