Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Gallarate Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Gallarate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,645 in Milan versus $1,994 in Gallarate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Milan versus $3,076 in Gallarate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,444 in Milan versus $4,158 in Gallarate.

Living in Milan is roughly 33% more expensive than in Gallarate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 92% above, Gallarate 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.76 €21.36

$23.15 €19.98

6.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.3 €84.0

$94.2 €81.3

3.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.00

$11.60 €10.01

19.91%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.84

$2.09 €1.80

1.91%

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

$4.02 €3.47

$3.85 €3.32

4.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.71 €1.47

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.94

$6.50 €5.61

6.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €6.00

$6.53 €5.63

6.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.42 €1.23

26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.26 €1.95

47.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$3.57 €3.08

5.88%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.37

$3.22 €2.78

57.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.70 €20.45

$15.98 €13.79

48.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 €12.97

$14.94 €12.89

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.74 €20.48

$28.98 €25.01

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.97 €2.56

8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.24 €1.93

13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.02

$2.51 €2.16

39.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 €3.96

$2.40 €2.07

91.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.55 €1.33

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.70 €1.47

26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.76 €1.52

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.69 €0.59

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 €6.49

$7.25 €6.26

3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 €8.07

$7.15 €6.17

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.37 €1.18

49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.61 €1.39

46.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.73 €1.49

43.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.87 €39.58

$46.14 €39.82

-0.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 €6.96

$5.85 €5.05

37.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.76 €1.51

34.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 €56.1

$35.15 €30.33

85.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.06 €1.78

4.37%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$37.4K €32.3K

2.21%

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

$37.7K €32.5K

$37.3K €32.2K

1.11%

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

$267 €230

$247 €213

8.00%

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

$10.89 €9.40

$13.80 €11.91

-21.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €26.49

$30.42 €26.25

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 €76.3

$63.2 €54.6

39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.05 €29.38

$23.65 €20.41

43.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 €11.11

$13.58 €11.71

-5.23%

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

$862 €744

$581 €501

48.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K €17.3K

$8,701 €7,508

130.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.8

$98.1 €84.7

8.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 €45.37

$43.27 €37.34

21.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$138 €119

-15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €147

$168 €145

1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 €1,502

$817 €705

113.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,055

$672 €580

82.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,638 €3,139

$1,451 €1,252

150.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 €1,802

$1,105 €954

89.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,585

$2,732 €2,357

306.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,102 €4,403

$2,194 €1,893

132.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 €1,963

$2,174 €1,876

4.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

3.85

-17.66%

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

Last update for Milan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gallarate: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,740 in Milan and $817 in Gallarate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 5% 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: $97.0 in Milan vs $94.0 in Gallarate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $372 per month, with Gallarate 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 Gallarate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gallarate wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Milan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gallarate the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,740 in Milan versus $817 in Gallarate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gallarate – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $97.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,645 per month in Milan versus $1,994 in Gallarate – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,994 in Gallarate versus $2,645 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gallarate but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Gallarate the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gallarate delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,994 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gallarate hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Milan and Gallarate 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 Gallarate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.