Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cagliari

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagliari: $1,750 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Cagliari
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Cagliari Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Cagliari

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Cagliari

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $1,750 in Cagliari, rent included.

Milan $2,560
Cagliari $1,750

A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $2,736 in Cagliari, rent included.

Milan $3,895
Cagliari $2,736

A family of three spends $5,230 per month in Milan vs $3,723 in Cagliari, rent included.

Milan $5,230
Cagliari $3,723

Milan costs about 46% more than Cagliari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Cagliari sit above the global median – Milan by 90%, Cagliari by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.03

$22.30 €19.84

0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$84.1 €74.8

6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$11.01 €9.79

19.53%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$1.98 €1.76

7.58%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$3.28 €2.92

11.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.53 €1.36

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$5.44 €4.83

22.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$5.07 €4.51

30.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.57 €1.40

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.71 €2.41

16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$2.82 €2.51

25.53%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$3.80 €3.38

28.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$21.46 €19.09

6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$11.84 €10.53

24.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$22.30 €19.83

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.65 €2.36

17.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.78 €1.59

34.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.25 €2.00

50.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$3.51 €3.12

21.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.93 €1.72

23.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.33 €2.07

-12.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.55 €1.38

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.52 €0.46

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$7.37 €6.55

1.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$8.41 €7.48

13.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.63 €1.45

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.82 €1.62

35.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.43 €1.27

66.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

$38.13 €33.92

13.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$9.26 €8.23

-17.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.49 €1.32

51.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$31.52 €28.04

106.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.06 €1.83

6.80%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$35.7K €31.7K

2.22%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.1K €31.2K

0.88%

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

$247 €220

$157 €140

57.04%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$9.07 €8.07

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$29.65 €26.38

-1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$51.0 €45.38

61.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

$24.59 €21.87

39.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$11.31 €10.06

7.07%

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

$857 €762

$525 €467

63.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$8,007 €7,122

132.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$94.1 €83.7

7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$41.94 €37.31

21.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$90.6 €80.6

28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$115 €103

45.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$868 €772

99.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$613 €545

90.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$1,395 €1,241

143.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$1,006 €895

102.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,376

$3,278 €2,916

221.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

$2,315 €2,059

126.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$1,807 €1,607

18.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.27

-2.75%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cagliari: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Cagliari

$613 35% 47.6% $557

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Cagliari

$362 20.7% 13.2% $55

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Cagliari

$292 16.7% 7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Cagliari

$196 11.2% 31.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Cagliari

$154 8.8% 21.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Cagliari

$74 4.2% 30.9% $33

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Cagliari

$61 3.5% 15.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Milan versus $868 in Cagliari. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Milan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Milan versus $84.0 in Cagliari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $362 – making Cagliari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Cagliari

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

154,478

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Milan Cagliari 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cagliari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Milan and $2,625 in Cagliari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cagliari, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Cagliari. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $857 per month in Milan and $525 in Cagliari. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cagliari, where all-in costs run around $1,750, than in Milan at $2,560. In Cagliari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cagliari – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cagliari. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Milan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.