Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cento Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cento

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Milan versus $1,704 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,008 in Milan versus $2,741 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Milan versus $3,777 in Cento.

Living in Milan is roughly 54% more expensive than in Cento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Cento 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.92 €20.62

$20.66 €17.81

15.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 €83.3

$91.3 €78.7

5.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.26

$12.41 €10.70

14.67%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.90

$2.39 €2.06

-7.95%

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

$3.93 €3.39

$3.44 €2.96

14.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.64 €1.42

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.92

$6.25 €5.39

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.17

$5.84 €5.03

22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.48 €1.28

21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.91 €2.51

12.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$2.79 €2.40

35.48%

Eggs

$5.09 €4.38

$4.04 €3.49

25.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.17 €19.98

$19.07 €16.44

21.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 €13.12

$13.04 €11.24

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.76 €20.48

$17.86 €15.40

33.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.76

$2.25 €1.94

42.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.71 €1.47

52.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.02

$1.95 €1.68

79.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €3.92

$2.68 €2.31

69.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.57 €1.35

52.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.42 €1.23

43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.75 €1.51

4.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.55

$0.58 €0.50

10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 €6.65

$6.92 €5.97

11.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.17

$8.10 €6.98

17.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.67 €1.44

20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.91 €1.65

24.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.70 €1.47

54.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.60 €39.30

$44.12 €38.03

3.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 €7.03

$4.75 €4.09

71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.49 €1.29

51.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 €54.4

$29.02 €25.02

117.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.14 €1.84

0.47%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$37.1K €32.0K

0.27%

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

$37.9K €32.6K

$36.3K €31.3K

4.33%

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

$261 €225

$227 €196

15.22%

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

$10.96 €9.44

$11.83 €10.20

-7.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.08 €26.79

$29.08 €25.06

6.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 €76.4

$57.3 €49.36

54.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.85 €29.18

$25.75 €22.20

31.46%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 €10.90

$10.57 €9.11

19.58%

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

$890 €767

$576 €497

54.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K €17.2K

$4,555 €3,926

337.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$94.4 €81.4

15.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.25

$43.86 €37.80

19.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.8

$105 €90.1

10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €145

$151 €130

10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 €1,510

$558 €481

213.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 €1,022

$469 €405

152.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,575 €3,082

$1,112 €958

221.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,837

$958 €826

122.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,608

$3,015 €2,599

269.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 €4,423

$2,094 €1,805

145.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,231 €1,923

$1,846 €1,591

20.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

3.22

-1.55%

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

Last update for Milan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cento: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Milan and $558 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 21% 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: $97.0 in Milan vs $91.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $340 per month, with Cento 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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Milan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,751 in Milan versus $558 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cento runs roughly 3% less than in Milan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $890 in Milan versus $576 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,704 in Cento versus $2,626 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Cento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cento delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cento hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Milan and Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.