Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cantù

For one person, living is cheaper in Cantù: $1,667 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Cantù
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Cantù Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Cantù

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Cantù

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,667 in Cantù.

Milan $2,555
Cantù $1,667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $2,668 in Cantù.

Milan $3,859
Cantù $2,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $3,670 in Cantù.

Milan $5,163
Cantù $3,670

Living in Milan is roughly 53% more expensive than in Cantù, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Cantù 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.79

$22.30 €19.97

-0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.8

$90.8 €81.3

-1.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.96

$11.09 €9.93

20.38%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$1.80 €1.61

18.89%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$2.91 €2.61

26.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.71 €1.53

14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.24

$5.62 €5.03

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$6.17 €5.53

9.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.39 €1.25

25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.25 €2.02

41.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.30

$3.58 €3.20

3.07%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.50

$3.98 €3.57

26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.87

$15.19 €13.61

53.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.19

$12.84 €11.50

14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.50

$18.22 €16.32

25.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.84 €2.54

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.62 €1.45

42.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$3.07 €2.75

5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.85

$2.35 €2.10

82.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.89 €1.69

19.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.82 €1.63

9.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.66 €1.48

7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.60 €0.54

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.49

$6.62 €5.93

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.75

$5.53 €4.95

76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$0.87 €0.78

121.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.66 €1.48

43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.77 €1.59

38.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.91

$46.47 €41.62

-6.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.83

$5.75 €5.15

32.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.3

$38.40 €34.39

69.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.01 €1.80

9.45%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$35.8K €32.0K

1.65%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$35.0K €31.4K

6.86%

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

$248 €222

$194 €174

27.55%

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

$10.29 €9.22

$12.72 €11.39

-19.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.60

$27.58 €24.70

7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.2

$54.8 €49.11

51.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.04

$24.80 €22.21

35.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.19

$11.66 €10.44

-2.40%

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

$939 €841

$719 €644

30.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$7,047 €6,311

166.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.7

$88.5 €79.2

14.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.34

$43.93 €39.35

12.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$109 €97.6

6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$129 €116

26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,580

$657 €589

168.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,043

$504 €451

131.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,071

$1,080 €967

217.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,768

$910 €815

116.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,470

$3,348 €2,998

215.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,675

$2,237 €2,003

133.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,936

$2,753 €2,466

-21.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.65

-12.88%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cantù: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Cantù

$504 30.2% 56.7% $661

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Cantù

$321 19.3% 23.3% $98

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Cantù

$292 17.5% 6.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Cantù

$235 14.1% 18.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Cantù

$167 10% 13.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Cantù

$78 4.7% 26% $27

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Cantù

$71 4.2% 2.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $657 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $91 in Cantù. Groceries flip the comparison at $419 vs $321, with Cantù cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Cantù

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

35,153

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

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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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,555 in Milan and $1,667 in Cantù, so Cantù is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Milan. 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: $1,764 in Milan versus $657 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,555 per month in Milan versus $1,667 in Cantù – Cantù is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cantù gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Cantù are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.