Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Catania

For one person, living is cheaper in Catania: $1,561 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Catania
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Catania Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Catania

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,561 in Catania.

Milan $2,560
Catania $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,390 in Catania.

Milan $3,895
Catania $2,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,231 in Milan versus $3,219 in Catania.

Milan $5,231
Catania $3,219

Living in Milan is roughly 64% more expensive than in Catania, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 89% above, Catania 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 €19.66

$17.12 €15.23

29.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 €78.9

$55.8 €49.62

58.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$11.11 €9.88

18.99%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.85

$2.10 €1.86

-0.95%

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

$3.82 €3.40

$2.90 €2.58

31.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.07 €1.84

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €6.11

$6.70 €5.96

2.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.17

$4.09 €3.64

69.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.31 €1.17

34.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 €2.93

$1.59 €1.41

106.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.18

$2.68 €2.39

33.21%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.52

$3.41 €3.03

48.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.34 €20.76

$11.37 €10.12

105.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.05

$12.04 €10.71

21.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.73 €20.22

$15.66 €13.93

45.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$1.99 €1.77

54.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.68 €1.50

44.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$1.38 €1.23

142.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.72

$2.66 €2.37

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$1.76 €1.56

36.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.31 €1.16

48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.23 €1.09

47.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.47 €0.42

21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 €6.40

$6.57 €5.84

9.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.54

$7.89 €7.02

21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.75 €1.56

12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.53 €1.36

58.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.60 €1.43

57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 €38.38

$36.97 €32.89

16.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 €7.04

$4.44 €3.95

78.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.10 €0.98

109.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 €57.6

$22.19 €19.74

191.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.13 €1.90

3.29%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$36.7K €32.6K

-1.56%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

0.09%

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

$250 €223

$315 €280

-20.57%

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

$10.20 €9.08

$10.58 €9.41

-3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 €26.19

$34.75 €30.91

-15.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 €75.3

$60.0 €53.4

41.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.03 €30.27

$14.53 €12.92

134.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.83

$9.16 €8.15

20.63%

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

$846 €753

$447 €397

89.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$6,707 €5,966

177.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.7

$85.8 €76.3

17.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.43

$33.89 €30.15

50.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$88.2 €78.4

29.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$128 €114

27.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,502

$607 €539

178.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,036

$381 €339

205.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 €3,056

$1,153 €1,026

197.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 €1,813

$783 €696

160.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,339

$2,254 €2,005

365.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,580

$1,522 €1,354

238.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,190 €1,948

$1,763 €1,568

24.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.55

-10.42%

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

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Catania: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.5%

Catania

$381 24.4% 67.3% $783

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$420 16.4%

Catania

$280 17.9% 33.4% $140

Eating Out

Milan

$312 12.2%

Catania

$257 16.5% 17.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$290 11.3%

Catania

$361 23.1% 24.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$193 7.6%

Catania

$151 9.7% 21.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Catania

$78 5% 26.6% $28

Getting Around

Milan

$73 2.8%

Catania

$53 3.4% 26.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Milan and $607 in Catania. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Milan vs $56.0 in Catania for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $280 per month, with Catania cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Catania

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

298,037

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Milan Catania 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Catania

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 Catania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catania is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Milan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,689 in Milan versus $607 in Catania. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,560 per month in Milan versus $1,561 in Catania – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 17% less than in Milan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,561 in Catania versus $2,560 in Milan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Catania but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Catania the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Catania is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milan and Catania 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 Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.