Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Carrara Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Carrara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,536 per month in Milan vs $1,651 in Carrara, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,851 per month in Milan vs $2,571 in Carrara, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,165 per month in Milan vs $3,492 in Carrara, rent included.

Milan costs about 54% more than Carrara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Milan and Carrara sit above the global median – Milan by 89%, Carrara by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.57 €20.13

$20.49 €17.50

15.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €78.2

$82.5 €70.5

10.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 €10.93

$10.26 €8.76

24.76%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.85

$1.76 €1.50

23.30%

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

$3.23 €2.76

$2.77 €2.36

16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.19 €1.02

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 €5.78

$5.85 €4.99

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$5.68 €4.85

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.57 €1.34

14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.14 €1.83

35.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.74

$2.81 €2.40

13.88%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.80

$3.77 €3.22

18.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.58 €16.72

$13.55 €11.57

44.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.90 €11.01

$13.25 €11.31

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.13 €20.61

$17.91 €15.30

34.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.42

$2.38 €2.03

18.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.97

$2.20 €1.88

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.87

$1.93 €1.65

74.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.91 €2.48

34.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.27

$1.56 €1.33

70.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.34 €1.14

56.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.51 €1.29

11.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.63

$0.32 €0.27

128.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.86

$7.14 €6.10

-3.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 €8.08

$8.65 €7.39

9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.11

$1.68 €1.43

47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.63

$1.85 €1.58

66.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 €2.23

$1.92 €1.64

35.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.82 €38.28

$39.97 €34.14

12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 €6.90

$5.64 €4.82

43.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 €2.20

$1.41 €1.20

82.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.65 €33.00

$29.49 €25.18

31.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.08 €1.78

-1.44%

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

$33.3K €28.5K

$26.5K €22.6K

25.90%

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

$35.6K €30.4K

$34.2K €29.2K

3.97%

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

$221 €189

$181 €155

22.28%

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

$11.71 €10.00

$14.09 €12.03

-16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.89 €26.38

$29.70 €25.36

4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 €63.3

$44.18 €37.73

67.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.50 €31.17

$19.74 €16.86

84.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €9.71

$9.08 €7.76

25.22%

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

$900 €768

$668 €571

34.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.1K

$4,675 €3,993

253.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €95.8

$23.23 €19.84

383.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 €46.17

$44.40 €37.92

21.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €96.4

$93.6 €79.9

20.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €145

$141 €120

20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 €1,360

$558 €477

185.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 €963

$582 €497

93.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,142 €2,684

$795 €679

295.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 €1,783

$923 €788

126.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.0K €9,407

$3,079 €2,629

257.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,295 €4,522

$2,099 €1,793

152.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,306 €1,969

$1,739 €1,485

32.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.83

-32.71%

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

Last update for Milan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Carrara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Milan versus $558 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 33% 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 $92.0 in Milan versus $83.0 in Carrara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $318 – making Carrara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 54% more than Carrara, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,804 per month in Milan and $2,476 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Milan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Milan and $83.0 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 $1,651, than in Milan at $2,536. In Carrara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Carrara costs $1,651 versus $2,536 in Milan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Carrara. 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.