Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Carrara

For one person, living is cheaper in Carrara: $1,729 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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 Carrara
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Carrara Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Carrara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Carrara

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $1,729 in Carrara, rent included.

Milan $2,555
Carrara $1,729

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $2,591 in Carrara, rent included.

Milan $3,859
Carrara $2,591

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $3,453 in Carrara, rent included.

Milan $5,163
Carrara $3,453

Milan costs about 48% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Carrara sit above the global median – Milan by 88%, Carrara by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.85

$22.62 €20.32

-2.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €80.0

$78.0 €70.1

14.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.99

$10.00 €8.98

33.50%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.92

$1.72 €1.54

24.42%

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

$3.68 €3.31

$2.66 €2.39

38.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.09 €0.98

78.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.25

$6.86 €6.16

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.09

$6.20 €5.57

9.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.59 €1.43

10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.15 €1.93

48.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.91 €2.61

26.80%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.51

$3.45 €3.10

45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.93

$12.68 €11.39

83.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.23

$12.14 €10.90

21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.56

$25.81 €23.18

-11.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.66

$2.53 €2.27

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.29 €2.06

0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.90

$3.24 €2.91

-0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.87

$3.31 €2.97

29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.81 €1.63

24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.85 €1.66

8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.42 €1.27

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.33 €0.29

84.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.51

$6.61 €5.94

9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.77

$7.87 €7.07

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.74

$1.95 €1.75

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.26 €2.03

5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.94 €1.74

26.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €39.03

$38.47 €34.56

12.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.85

$3.59 €3.22

112.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.06

$1.26 €1.14

81.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.5

$30.82 €27.69

111.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.03 €1.83

8.37%

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

$36.3K €32.7K

$35.2K €31.6K

3.25%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$38.5K €34.6K

-2.79%

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

$248 €223

$240 €215

3.32%

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

$10.29 €9.24

$11.47 €10.31

-10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.68

$33.46 €30.06

-11.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.4

$35.74 €32.11

131.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.13

$24.18 €21.72

38.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.22

$11.12 €9.99

2.34%

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

$939 €844

$765 €687

22.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$9,862 €8,859

90.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$22.26 €20.00

354.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.47

$39.02 €35.05

26.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$88.0 €79.0

31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$136 €122

20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,585

$534 €479

230.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,046

$565 €507

106.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,080

$1,148 €1,031

198.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,774

$807 €725

144.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,499

$2,969 €2,667

256.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,689

$2,046 €1,838

155.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,942

$1,656 €1,488

30.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.16

0.63%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Carrara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Carrara

$565 32.7% 51.5% $599

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Carrara

$344 19.9% 17.9% $75

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Carrara

$293 17% 6.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Carrara

$285 16.5% 1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Carrara

$128 7.4% 33.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Carrara

$58 3.4% 45.1% $48

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Carrara

$56 3.3% 22.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $534 in Carrara. 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 31% 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 in Milan versus $78 in Carrara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $344 – making Carrara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Carrara

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

63,133

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Carrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan costs about 48% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Milan and $2,593 in Carrara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carrara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $534 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Milan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Milan and $78 in Carrara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Carrara, where all-in costs run around $1,729, than in Milan at $2,555. In Carrara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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