Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and La Spezia

For one person, living is cheaper in La Spezia: $1,725 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milan, Italy
La Spezia, Italy
Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,555
/mo nomad
La Spezia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,725
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in La Spezia

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $1,725 in La Spezia, rent included.

  • Milan $2,555
  • La Spezia $1,725

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $2,620 in La Spezia, rent included.

  • Milan $3,859
  • La Spezia $2,620

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $3,516 in La Spezia, rent included.

  • Milan $5,163
  • La Spezia $3,516

Milan costs about 48% more than La Spezia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Milan and La Spezia sit above the global median – Milan by 88%, La Spezia by 27%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.10 €19.80
$16.62 €14.89
32.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.0 €79.8
$76.9 €68.9
15.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.35 €11.96
$10.04 €9.00
32.97%
Cappuccino
$2.14 €1.91
$1.77 €1.58
20.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 €3.30
$2.66 €2.38
38.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.22 €1.10
59.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.96 €6.24
$5.47 €4.90
27.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.78 €6.07
$4.43 €3.97
53.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.39 €1.24
25.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 €2.85
$1.94 €1.74
64.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.69 €3.31
$2.13 €1.91
73.24%
Eggs
$5.02 €4.50
$4.20 €3.77
19.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.30 €20.88
$20.73 €18.58
12.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.73 €13.20
$12.32 €11.04
19.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.89 €20.51
$18.92 €16.96
20.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.96 €2.65
$3.86 €3.46
-23.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.27 €2.04
1.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 €2.89
$2.75 €2.46
17.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.30 €3.86
$4.58 €4.10
-6.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$2.25 €2.02
0.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.77 €1.58
12.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 €1.60
$1.61 €1.44
10.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 €0.55
$0.60 €0.54
1.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.25 €6.50
$6.78 €6.07
6.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.77 €8.75
$6.54 €5.86
49.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.73
$1.75 €1.57
10.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.14
$1.83 €1.64
30.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.45 €2.20
$1.64 €1.47
49.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.45 €38.93
$36.82 €32.99
18.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.62 €6.83
$4.51 €4.04
68.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.29 €2.05
$1.68 €1.51
36.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$65.1 €58.3
$22.22 €19.91
192.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.91 €1.71
15.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K €32.6K
$34.7K €31.1K
4.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.5K
$38.2K €34.2K
-1.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 €222
$182 €163
35.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.29 €9.22
$6.50 €5.82
58.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.70 €26.61
$27.39 €24.55
8.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.9 €74.2
$37.29 €33.42
122.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.55 €30.06
$38.70 €34.68
-13.31%
Cinema Ticket
$11.38 €10.20
$10.38 €9.30
9.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$939 €842
$496 €445
89.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K €16.8K
$11.3K €10.1K
66.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.7
$78.4 €70.3
29.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.50 €44.36
$33.92 €30.40
45.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 €104
$109 €97.8
6.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 €147
$100 €89.9
62.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,764 €1,581
$748 €670
135.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 €1,043
$658 €590
76.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,429 €3,073
$1,220 €1,093
181.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,975 €1,769
$994 €891
98.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.6K €9,476
$2,924 €2,620
261.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,220 €4,677
$2,290 €2,052
127.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milan
La Spezia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,162 €1,937
$1,721 €1,543
25.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
3.73
-14.75%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for La Spezia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Milan
$1.2K
La Spezia
$658 43.5% $506
Groceries & Markets
Milan
$419
La Spezia
$355 15.1% $63
Eating Out
Milan
$313
La Spezia
$236 24.7% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
$288
La Spezia
$216 24.9% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Milan
$194
La Spezia
$145 25.2% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Milan
$106
La Spezia
$58 45% $48
Getting Around
Milan
$72
La Spezia
$56 22.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $748 in La Spezia. 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 26% 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 in Milan versus $77 in La Spezia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $355 – making La Spezia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Milan
🇮🇹 La Spezia
🕒 Local time
09:10 9:10 AM
09:10 9:10 AM
Same time as Milan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,394,798
91,391
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Milan La Spezia 160 km
From you
  • Milan
  • La Spezia

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 La Spezia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Spezia cheaper than Milan?
Yes – Milan is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Milan and $2,587 in La Spezia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in La Spezia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $748 there versus $1,764 in Milan.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $939 per month in Milan and $496 in La Spezia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Milan and in La Spezia?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Milan, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Milan or in La Spezia?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in La Spezia, where all-in costs run around $1,725, than in Milan at $2,555. In La Spezia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Milan or La Spezia more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward La Spezia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with La Spezia. If higher salaries 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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