Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cagliari Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cagliari

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,467 per month in Milan vs $1,769 in Cagliari, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Milan vs $2,759 in Cagliari, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,223 per month in Milan vs $3,749 in Cagliari, rent included.

Milan costs about 40% more than Cagliari, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Milan and Cagliari sit above the global median – Milan by 85%, Cagliari by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.61

$22.89 €20.05

2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$91.8 €80.4

-0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.14

$11.02 €9.65

15.43%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$1.77 €1.55

18.64%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$2.93 €2.57

14.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.27

$1.41 €1.24

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.15

$5.80 €5.08

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$4.71 €4.13

19.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.58 €1.38

12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.33 €2.04

21.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$3.45 €3.02

-4.93%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.73

$3.35 €2.94

27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.31

$16.95 €14.84

16.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.35

$12.86 €11.26

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.25

$19.39 €16.98

25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.47 €2.16

14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.67 €1.46

42.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$2.19 €1.92

52.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.42

$3.71 €3.25

5.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.23

$1.89 €1.66

34.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.06 €1.80

7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.41 €1.23

16.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.56 €0.49

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.91 €6.06

3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.13

$7.84 €6.86

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$1.63 €1.42

50.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$1.36 €1.20

130.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.48 €1.29

70.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.26

$40.39 €35.38

10.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.84 €3.36

107.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$1.16 €1.02

129.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.76

$29.02 €25.42

36.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.10 €1.84

-2.38%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$34.0K €29.7K

0.30%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$35.8K €31.3K

0.99%

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

$215 €188

$180 €158

19.30%

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

$11.65 €10.20

$13.14 €11.51

-11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.40

$31.16 €27.29

0.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.6

$51.6 €45.18

47.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.89

$44.77 €39.21

-16.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.96

$10.66 €9.33

6.75%

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

$878 €769

$551 €482

59.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$8,000 €7,007

104.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.2

$89.8 €78.6

24.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.73

$63.3 €55.5

-15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$84.8 €74.2

36.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$120 €105

40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$923 €808

70.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$655 €574

71.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,810

$1,477 €1,294

117.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,795

$1,004 €879

104.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,333

$3,348 €2,932

218.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,680

$2,372 €2,077

125.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,934

$1,848 €1,618

19.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.87

-33.26%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cagliari: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,573 in Milan versus $923 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 20% 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 $91.0 in Milan versus $92.0 in Cagliari. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in Milan vs $338 in Cagliari – so Cagliari wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 40%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,701 per month in Milan and $2,653 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 11% less in Cagliari. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $878 per month in Milan and $551 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 $1,769, than in Milan at $2,467. 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.