Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Crema

For one person, living is cheaper in Crema: $1,567 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Crema
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Crema Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Crema

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Crema

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $1,567 in Crema, rent included.

Milan $2,555
Crema $1,567

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $2,100 in Crema, rent included.

Milan $3,859
Crema $2,100

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $2,633 in Crema, rent included.

Milan $5,163
Crema $2,633

Milan costs about 63% more than Crema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Crema sit above the global median – Milan by 88%, Crema by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.85

$17.06 €15.32

29.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €80.0

$56.6 €50.8

57.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.99

$10.18 €9.14

31.14%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.92

$1.67 €1.50

28.14%

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

$3.68 €3.31

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.53 €1.38

27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.25

$5.71 €5.13

21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.09

$5.65 €5.07

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.13 €1.01

54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.86

$1.69 €1.52

88.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.78 €2.50

32.73%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.51

$3.40 €3.06

47.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.93

$12.51 €11.24

86.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.23

$8.86 €7.96

66.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.56

$15.62 €14.03

46.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.66

$2.29 €2.06

29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.36 €1.22

69.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.90

$1.41 €1.26

129.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.87

$2.33 €2.09

84.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.36 €1.23

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.52 €1.37

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.30 €1.17

36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.40 €0.36

52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.51

$7.01 €6.30

3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.77

$5.67 €5.10

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.74

$1.36 €1.22

41.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$1.02 €0.92

133.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €39.03

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.85

$4.52 €4.06

68.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.06

$1.20 €1.08

90.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.5

$34.31 €30.82

89.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.95 €1.76

12.82%

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

$36.3K €32.7K

$36.7K €33.0K

-1.00%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$35.2K €31.6K

6.43%

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

$248 €223

$271 €243

-8.50%

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

$10.29 €9.24

$10.17 €9.14

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.68

$28.16 €25.29

5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.13

$27.81 €24.98

20.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.22

$12.96 €11.64

-12.19%

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

$939 €844

$556 €499

68.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$10.2K €9,173

83.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$54.6 €49.06

85.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.47

$44.35 €39.84

11.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$89.2 €80.2

29.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$90.4 €81.2

80.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,585

$734 €659

140.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,046

$592 €532

96.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,080

$1,241 €1,114

176.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,774

$548 €492

260.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,499

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,689

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,942

$2,315 €2,080

-6.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.62

-12.15%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Crema: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Crema

$592 37.8% 49.1% $572

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Crema

$256 16.3% 38.9% $163

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Crema

$248 15.8% 20.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Crema

$309 19.7% 7.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Crema

$125 8% 35.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Crema

$26 * 1.7% 75.5% $80

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Crema

$11 * 0.7% 85.4% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $734 in Crema. 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 7% higher in Crema, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Milan versus $57 in Crema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $256 – making Crema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Crema

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

32,981

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Crema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Milan and $2,350 in Crema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Crema, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $734 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Milan and $57 in Crema. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Milan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,555 in Milan and $1,567 in Crema. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Crema – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.