Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Cesena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cesena: $1,646 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Cesena
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Cesena Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Cesena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Cesena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,646 in Cesena.

Milan $2,560
Cesena $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,537 in Cesena.

Milan $3,895
Cesena $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Milan versus $3,428 in Cesena.

Milan $5,230
Cesena $3,428

Living in Milan is roughly 56% more expensive than in Cesena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Cesena 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.03

$16.83 €14.97

33.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$89.5 €79.6

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$12.22 €10.87

7.69%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$2.21 €1.96

-3.62%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$2.72 €2.42

34.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.09 €0.97

66.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$6.04 €5.37

10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$5.10 €4.53

30.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.35 €1.20

25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.36 €1.21

132.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$1.97 €1.75

79.70%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$2.77 €2.47

76.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$17.63 €15.68

29.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$11.91 €10.60

23.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$17.03 €15.15

33.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.93 €1.72

61.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.47 €2.20

-3.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.39 €2.12

41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$3.99 €3.55

7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.60 €1.43

48.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.65 €1.47

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.87 €1.67

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.34 €0.30

67.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$6.52 €5.80

14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$6.79 €6.04

41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.22 €1.09

64.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.72 €1.53

43.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.17 €1.93

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

$38.55 €34.29

12.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$8.20 €7.30

-6.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.98 €1.76

14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$33.88 €30.13

92.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.03 €1.81

8.37%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$36.5K €32.5K

-0.09%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$34.9K €31.0K

1.58%

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

$247 €220

$189 €168

30.74%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$9.75 €8.67

4.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$30.74 €27.34

-5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$50.8 €45.16

62.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

$14.22 €12.65

140.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$9.99 €8.89

21.22%

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

$857 €762

$537 €478

59.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$9,900 €8,806

87.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$90.7 €80.7

11.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$36.93 €32.85

37.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$82.4 €73.3

41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$78.7 €70.0

112.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$660 €587

162.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$591 €525

97.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$1,174 €1,045

189.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$925 €823

120.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,376

$2,953 €2,627

256.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

$2,583 €2,298

102.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$1,750 €1,557

22.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.3

-3.64%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cesena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Cesena

$591 35.9% 49.5% $579

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Cesena

$306 18.6% 26.5% $110

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Cesena

$253 15.4% 19.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Cesena

$229 13.9% 19.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Cesena

$130 7.9% 33.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Cesena

$71 4.3% 33.6% $36

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Cesena

$65 4% 9% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,731 in Milan and $660 in Cesena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 23% 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 $89.0 in Cesena. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $306, with Cesena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Cesena

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

96,758

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Cesena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan and Cesena differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,560 vs $1,646 including rent). Cesena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,731 in Milan versus $660 in Cesena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesena – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $89.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,560 per month in Milan versus $1,646 in Cesena – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,646 in Cesena versus $2,560 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cesena but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Cesena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Milan and Cesena 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 Cesena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.