Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Imperia Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Imperia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,703 in Imperia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,548 in Imperia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,393 in Imperia.

Living in Milan is roughly 47% more expensive than Imperia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Imperia 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.85

$17.09 €14.72

34.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.3

$54.5 €46.94

68.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.96

$11.52 €9.92

10.50%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$1.81 €1.55

19.89%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.21 €2.76

0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.38 €1.19

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$5.77 €4.97

23.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.58 €4.81

2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.00 €0.86

84.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.10 €1.81

33.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.26 €2.81

2.45%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.71

$4.06 €3.49

6.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €17.00

$10.38 €8.93

90.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.21

$12.98 €11.18

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.26

$24.17 €20.81

2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.69 €2.31

5.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.40 €2.06

-3.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.04 €3.48

-2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.42 €2.08

7.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.79 €1.54

22.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.29 €1.11

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.74 €0.64

-5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$7.12 €6.13

-3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$4.92 €4.24

85.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.18 €1.01

99.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.93 €2.52

2.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.88 €1.62

32.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.24

$42.65 €36.72

6.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €7.00

$4.72 €4.07

72.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.05 €0.90

150.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.10

$29.56 €25.45

34.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.12 €1.83

-3.30%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$33.9K €29.2K

-1.42%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$36.5K €31.4K

-0.32%

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

$216 €186

$160 €137

35.00%

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

$11.71 €10.08

$10.84 €9.33

8.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.24

$30.87 €26.57

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.7

$73.5 €63.3

2.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.97

$23.48 €20.22

58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.11

$9.46 €8.15

24.10%

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

$875 €753

$883 €760

-0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

-0.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.1

$91.2 €78.5

26.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.84

$40.79 €35.12

30.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$99.6 €85.8

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$132 €114

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,388

$757 €651

113.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$588 €507

93.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,701

$1,236 €1,064

153.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,794

$915 €787

127.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,513

$2,858 €2,460

286.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,791

$2,079 €1,790

167.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,955

$1,867 €1,607

21.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Imperia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $757 in Imperia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 22% 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: $92.0 in Milan vs $55.0 in Imperia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $337 per month, with Imperia 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 Imperia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Milan pays 22% more on average, 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $757 in Imperia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperia – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $92.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,703 in Imperia versus $2,508 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Imperia but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Imperia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milan and Imperia 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 Imperia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.