Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Genoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Genoa: $1,790 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,560
/mo nomad
Genoa
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,790
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Genoa

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $1,790 in Genoa, rent included.

  • Milan $2,560
  • Genoa $1,790

A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $2,702 in Genoa, rent included.

  • Milan $3,895
  • Genoa $2,702

A family of three spends $5,230 per month in Milan vs $3,613 in Genoa, rent included.

  • Milan $5,230
  • Genoa $3,613

Milan costs about 43% more than Genoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Genoa sit above the global median – Milan by 90%, Genoa by 33%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.52 €20.03
$16.62 €14.78
35.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.3 €79.4
$83.4 €74.2
7.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.16 €11.71
$13.65 €12.14
-3.59%
Cappuccino
$2.13 €1.90
$1.90 €1.69
12.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 €3.26
$2.94 €2.62
24.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.54 €1.37
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.65 €5.92
$6.72 €5.97
-1.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.64 €5.91
$5.73 €5.10
15.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.88 €1.68
-9.57%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 €2.81
$2.37 €2.11
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.54 €3.15
$3.35 €2.98
5.67%
Eggs
$4.88 €4.34
$4.59 €4.08
6.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.85 €20.33
$17.61 €15.66
29.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.72 €13.09
$12.61 €11.21
16.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.77 €20.25
$20.56 €18.29
10.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 €2.77
$2.73 €2.43
14.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 €2.12
$2.06 €1.84
16.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 €3.02
$2.89 €2.57
17.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 €3.80
$3.42 €3.04
24.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 €2.12
$2.16 €1.92
10.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$1.81 €1.61
12.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.64 €1.46
6.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.52 €0.47
9.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.46 €6.64
$6.83 €6.07
9.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.58 €8.52
$7.79 €6.93
22.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$2.33 €2.07
-13.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.19
$2.98 €2.65
-17.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Milan
Genoa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.38 €2.12
$2.24 €2.00
6.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.27 €38.49
$53.5 €47.54
-19.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.67 €6.82
$6.61 €5.88
16.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.37 €1.21
64.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$65.2 €58.0
$33.92 €30.17
92.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.17 €1.93
1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K €32.4K
$36.8K €32.8K
-1.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K €31.5K
$35.5K €31.5K
-0.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$247 €220
$239 €213
3.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.21 €9.08
$10.06 €8.95
1.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.16 €25.94
$31.97 €28.43
-8.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.4 €73.3
$47.95 €42.65
71.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.18 €30.41
$15.32 €13.63
123.11%
Cinema Ticket
$12.11 €10.77
$8.87 €7.89
36.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$857 €762
$361 €321
137.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.6K €16.5K
$12.3K €11.0K
50.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.2
$72.6 €64.6
39.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.8 €45.21
$38.11 €33.90
33.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 €104
$90.4 €80.4
28.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$167 €149
$122 €109
36.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milan
Genoa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 €1,540
$861 €766
100.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$599 €533
95.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,402 €3,026
$1,390 €1,236
144.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 €1,811
$907 €807
124.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.5K €9,376
$3,651 €3,248
188.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,240 €4,661
$1,149 €1,022
355.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milan
Genoa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,145 €1,908
$2,029 €1,805
5.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
3.38
-5.92%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Genoa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Milan
$1.2K
Genoa
$599 48.7% $570
Groceries & Markets
Milan
$417
Genoa
$363 13% $54
Eating Out
Milan
$314
Genoa
$260 17.2% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
$286
Genoa
$281 1.7% $4.8
Clothing & Footwear
Milan
$196
Genoa
$146 25.9% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Milan
$107
Genoa
$66 38.4% $41
Getting Around
Milan
$72
Genoa
$76 5.7% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Milan versus $861 in Genoa. 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 6% 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 $83.0 in Genoa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $363 – making Genoa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Milan
🇮🇹 Genoa
🕒 Local time
07:06 7:06 AM
07:06 7:06 AM
Same time as Milan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,394,798
586,655
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
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  • Milan Genoa 120 km
From you
  • Milan
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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 Genoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Milan or Genoa?
Milan costs about 43% more than Genoa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Milan and in Genoa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Milan and $2,685 in Genoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Milan or Genoa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Genoa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Milan compared to Genoa?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Genoa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Milan and in Genoa?
Kindergarten costs $857 per month in Milan and $361 in Genoa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Milan or in Genoa?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Genoa, where all-in costs run around $1,790, than in Milan at $2,560. In Genoa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Milan or Genoa?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Genoa costs $1,790 versus $2,560 in Milan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Milan compared to Genoa?
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.
Should I move to Milan or to Genoa?
If budget matters most, go with Genoa. 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.

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