Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Milan: $2,560 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Charleston, SC

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Milan $2,560
Charleston, SC $3,314

A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $4,834 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Milan $3,895
Charleston, SC $4,834

A family of three spends $5,230 per month in Milan vs $6,355 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Milan $5,230
Charleston, SC $6,355

Milan is about 23% cheaper than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Milan and Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Milan by 90%, Charleston, SC by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.03

$19.88 $19.88

13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$131 $131

-31.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$11.91 $11.91

10.50%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$5.90 $5.90

-63.90%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$2.91 $2.91

26.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.37 $2.37

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$6.68 $6.68

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$7.88 $7.88

-15.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.15 $1.15

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$4.13 $4.13

-23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$4.57 $4.57

-22.54%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$5.25 $5.25

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$22.51 $22.51

1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$14.38 $14.38

2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$20.97 $20.97

8.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$7.97 $7.97

-60.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.86 $1.86

28.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.98 $4.98

-31.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$7.09 $7.09

-39.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$5.08 $5.08

-53.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$3.65 $3.65

-44.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.85 $2.85

-38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$3.30 $3.30

-82.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$9.84 $9.84

-24.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$20.33 $20.33

-52.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.74 $2.74

-26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.04 $3.04

-19.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.99 $1.99

19.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

$57.8 $57.8

-25.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$3.06 $3.06

150.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.23 $1.23

83.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$31.67 $31.67

105.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.96 $0.96

129.17%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

2.04%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

37.29%

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

$247 €220

$233 $233

5.91%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$78.3 $78.3

-86.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$85.8 $85.8

-66.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$45.77 $45.77

79.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

$19.74 $19.74

73.15%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$14.14 $14.14

-14.36%

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

$857 €762

$1,274 $1,274

-32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

-31.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$78.9 $78.9

28.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$45.52 $45.52

11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$114 $114

2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$136 $136

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$2,353 $2,353

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,728 $1,728

-32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$3,610 $3,610

-5.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$2,630 $2,630

-22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,376

$5,673 $5,673

85.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

$3,048 $3,048

71.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$4,858 $4,858

-55.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

6.51

-51.15%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2% 47.8% $559

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1% 28.3% $118

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1% 7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Charleston, SC

$397 12% 38.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1% 14.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2% 30.5% $33

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3% 4.4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Milan versus $2,353 in Charleston, SC. 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 126% higher in Charleston, SC, 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 $89.0 in Milan versus $131 in Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $535 – making Milan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

08:39 8:39 AM

6 h behind Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

150,227

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Charleston, SC 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Charleston, SC

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 Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 29% more than Milan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Milan and $4,970 in Charleston, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Milan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $857 per month in Milan and $1,274 in Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,560 in Milan and $3,314 in Charleston, SC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Milan costs $2,560 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. 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 Milan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.