Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cantù Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cantù

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,733 in Cantù.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,634 in Cantù.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,534 in Cantù.

Living in Milan is roughly 45% more expensive than Cantù, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Cantù 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.84

$17.59 €15.13

31.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$81.8 €70.3

12.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.95

$11.46 €9.86

11.08%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$1.92 €1.65

13.02%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$2.88 €2.47

12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.36 €1.17

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.11

$5.91 €5.09

20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.63 €4.84

1.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.66 €1.43

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.14 €0.98

146.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.56 €3.07

-6.18%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.70

$3.98 €3.43

8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €16.98

$15.88 €13.66

24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.20

$13.54 €11.65

-3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.24

$18.22 €15.67

35.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.75 €2.36

3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.73 €1.48

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.46 €2.11

36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.86 €2.46

37.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$1.70 €1.47

52.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.78 €1.53

23.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.36 €1.17

19.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.57 €0.49

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.91

$7.00 €6.02

-1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.83

$4.75 €4.08

91.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.09 €1.80

12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.67 €2.29

12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.69 €1.46

47.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

$42.95 €36.95

6.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €6.99

$3.42 €2.94

137.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.02 €1.74

30.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.08

$56.9 €48.90

-30.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.11 €1.82

-2.84%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$28.5K €24.5K

17.30%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$32.6K €28.1K

11.51%

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

$216 €185

$244 €210

-11.62%

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

$11.71 €10.07

$15.29 €13.15

-23.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.21

$30.29 €26.06

0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.6

$54.3 €46.69

38.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.94

$22.84 €19.65

62.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.10

$11.95 €10.28

-1.76%

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

$875 €753

$751 €646

16.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$4,103 €3,530

306.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.0

$93.3 €80.3

23.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$40.56 €34.89

31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$108 €93.1

6.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$139 €120

23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,387

$753 €648

114.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €978

$573 €492

98.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,699

$1,223 €1,052

156.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,793

$940 €809

121.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,505

$2,547 €2,191

333.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,787

$2,133 €1,835

160.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,953

$2,952 €2,539

-23.09%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cantù: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $753 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Milan vs $82.0 in Cantù for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $323 per month, with Cantù 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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan and Cantù differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,508 vs $1,733 including rent). Cantù is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cantù earns 30% 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $753 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $751 in Cantù. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,733 in Cantù versus $2,508 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cantù but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Cantù 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 Cantù 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 Cantù gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.