Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Gent: $2,229 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Gent
Learn more

Gent Living Index

Jump to prices

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Gent

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $2,229 in Gent, rent included.

Milan $2,555
Gent $2,229

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $3,454 in Gent, rent included.

Milan $3,859
Gent $3,454

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $4,679 in Gent, rent included.

Milan $5,163
Gent $4,679

Milan costs about 15% more than Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Gent sit above the global median – Milan by 88%, Gent by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.85

$22.69 €20.38

-2.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €80.0

$113 €102

-21.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.99

$15.92 €14.30

-16.14%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.92

$4.22 €3.79

-49.29%

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

$3.68 €3.31

$3.37 €3.03

9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.85 €2.56

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.25

$5.73 €5.15

21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.09

$5.74 €5.15

18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.21 €1.09

44.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.76 €2.48

15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.15 €1.93

71.63%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.51

$4.03 €3.62

24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.93

$18.70 €16.80

24.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.23

$12.60 €11.32

16.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.56

$19.54 €17.55

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.66

$2.68 €2.41

10.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.36 €2.12

-2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.90

$2.59 €2.33

24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.87

$2.94 €2.64

46.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.11 €1.89

7.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.93 €1.73

3.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.35 €1.21

31.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$1.08 €0.97

-43.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.51

$13.20 €11.86

-45.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.77

$9.02 €8.10

8.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.74

$1.99 €1.79

-3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.36 €2.12

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$3.37 €3.03

-27.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €39.03

$59.5 €53.4

-26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.85

$11.07 €9.95

-31.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.89 €2.60

-20.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.5

$51.4 €46.14

26.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.05 €1.84

7.32%

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

$36.3K €32.7K

$35.5K €31.9K

2.47%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$36.6K €32.9K

2.16%

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

$248 €223

$221 €198

12.23%

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

$10.29 €9.24

$20.94 €18.81

-50.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.68

$45.87 €41.21

-35.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.4

$32.76 €29.43

152.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.13

$13.19 €11.85

154.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.22

$15.84 €14.23

-28.16%

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

$939 €844

$564 €506

66.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$20.9K €18.8K

-10.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$106 €94.9

-4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.47

$46.81 €42.05

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$108 €97.2

7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$149 €134

9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,585

$1,191 €1,069

48.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,046

$893 €802

30.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,080

$1,809 €1,625

89.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,774

$1,517 €1,363

30.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,499

$4,994 €4,486

111.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,689

$3,015 €2,708

73.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,942

$3,688 €3,313

-41.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.2

-0.63%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Gent

$893 40.1% 23.3% $271

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Gent

$356 16% 14.9% $63

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Gent

$345 15.5% 10.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Gent

$288 12.9% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Gent

$184 8.3% 4.8% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Gent

$64 2.9% 39% $41

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Gent

$98 4.4% 36.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $1,191 in Gent. 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 71% higher in Gent, 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 $113 in Gent. Groceries tell a different story – $419 in Milan vs $356 in Gent – so Gent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Gent 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Gent

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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 15%, 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 $3,344 in Gent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gent, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,191 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,555 in Milan and $2,229 in Gent. That makes Gent about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Milan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Gent, where all-in costs run around $2,229, than in Milan at $2,555. In Gent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.