Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Florence

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence: $2,416 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Florence
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Florence Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Florence

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Florence

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $2,416 in Florence, rent included.

Milan $2,560
Florence $2,416

A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $3,684 in Florence, rent included.

Milan $3,895
Florence $3,684

A family of three spends $5,230 per month in Milan vs $4,952 in Florence, rent included.

Milan $5,230
Florence $4,952

Milan costs about 6% more than Florence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Milan and Florence sit above the global median – Milan by 90%, Florence by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.02

$27.03 €24.04

-16.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$78.7 €70.0

13.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$14.67 €13.05

-10.29%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$2.27 €2.02

-6.17%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$3.27 €2.91

12.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.49 €1.32

22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$6.65 €5.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$7.59 €6.75

-12.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.92 €1.71

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.58 €2.29

22.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$2.82 €2.50

25.53%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$4.67 €4.15

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$26.16 €23.27

-12.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$12.16 €10.81

21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$25.75 €22.90

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.01 €2.68

3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.62 €2.33

-8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.01

$3.26 €2.90

3.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.79

$3.24 €2.88

31.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.27 €2.02

4.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.82 €1.62

12.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.88 €1.67

-6.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.70 €0.62

-18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$7.23 €6.43

3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$7.87 €7.00

21.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.14 €2.79

-21.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.98 €1.76

20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.48

$42.68 €37.96

1.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$3.63 €3.23

111.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.19 €1.06

89.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$31.18 €27.73

109.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.19 €1.95

0.46%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$35.9K €32.0K

1.41%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$34.6K €30.8K

2.33%

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

$247 €220

-0.24%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$11.81 €10.50

-13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.93

$33.28 €29.60

-12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$63.5 €56.5

29.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.40

$21.46 €19.08

59.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$12.64 €11.24

-4.19%

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

$857 €762

$747 €664

14.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$16.4K €14.5K

13.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$96.1 €85.4

5.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$39.37 €35.01

29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$109 €96.7

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$145 €129

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,539

$1,588 €1,412

9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,034 €920

13.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$2,779 €2,472

22.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$1,842 €1,638

10.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,375

$6,269 €5,575

68.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,660

$3,905 €3,473

34.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$1,980 €1,761

8.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.16

0.63%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Florence: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Florence

$1K 42.8% 11.5% $135

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Florence

$410 17% 1.6% $6.9

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Florence

$355 14.7% 13.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Florence

$293 12.1% 2.2% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Florence

$175 7.2% 10.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Florence

$89 3.7% 16.7% $18

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Florence

$60 2.5% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Milan versus $1,588 in Florence. 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 8% higher in Milan, 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 $79.0 in Florence. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $410 – making Florence the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Florence

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

382,808

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Milan vs Florence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,560 in Milan, $2,416 in Florence – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Milan and $3,623 in Florence. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,560 in Milan and $2,416 in Florence. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Florence. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,560 in Milan and $2,416 in Florence. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Milan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,416 in Florence to $2,560 in Milan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Florence. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Milan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.