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: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,744 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $2,733 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $3,722 in Cento.

Living in Milan is roughly 41% more expensive than in Cento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Cento 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.61

$20.52 €17.97

14.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$79.6 €69.7

14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.14

$11.08 €9.71

14.80%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$2.05 €1.80

2.44%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$2.74 €2.40

22.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.27

$1.43 €1.26

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.15

$5.63 €4.93

24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$5.89 €5.16

-4.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.56 €1.36

13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.61 €2.29

8.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$2.68 €2.35

22.39%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.73

$4.40 €3.86

-3.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.31

$21.39 €18.73

-7.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.35

$13.23 €11.58

-2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.25

$17.77 €15.56

36.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.45 €2.14

15.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.21 €1.93

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$1.95 €1.71

71.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.42

$2.85 €2.50

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.23

$1.57 €1.38

61.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.41 €1.24

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.77 €1.55

-7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.51 €0.44

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$7.14 €6.25

-0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.13

$8.07 €7.07

14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$1.67 €1.46

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$1.83 €1.61

71.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.69 €1.48

49.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.26

$43.63 €38.21

2.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.69 €4.98

40.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$1.47 €1.29

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.76

$28.48 €24.94

39.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.07 €1.82

-0.97%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$26.1K €22.9K

30.38%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$34.6K €30.3K

4.53%

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

$215 €188

$183 €161

17.28%

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

$11.65 €10.20

$11.30 €9.89

3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.40

$30.33 €26.57

3.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.6

$53.9 €47.23

40.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.89

$23.39 €20.49

60.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.96

$11.09 €9.71

2.61%

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

$878 €769

$678 €594

29.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$8,173 €7,158

100.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.2

$93.7 €82.1

19.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.73

$44.54 €39.01

19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$97.0 €85.0

18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$173 €152

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$740 €648

112.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$589 €516

90.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,810

$1,217 €1,066

163.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,795

$926 €811

121.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,333

$2,537 €2,222

320.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,680

$2,075 €1,817

157.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,934

$1,824 €1,597

21.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.17

-22.06%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cento: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $740 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: $91.0 in Milan vs $80.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $350 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 41% 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: $1,573 in Milan versus $740 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 $878 in Milan versus $678 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,744 in Cento versus $2,467 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 $1,744 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 41% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.