Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Lipari

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipari: $1,717 a month against $2,537 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Lipari
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Lipari Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,537

/mo nomad

Lipari

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Lipari

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,537 in Milan versus $1,717 in Lipari.

Milan $2,537
Lipari $1,717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,849 in Milan versus $2,668 in Lipari.

Milan $3,849
Lipari $2,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,161 in Milan versus $3,618 in Lipari.

Milan $5,161
Lipari $3,618

Living in Milan is roughly 48% more expensive than in Lipari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Lipari 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.97 €19.56

$18.07 €16.09

21.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €78.6

$73.7 €65.6

19.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.83

$9.89 €8.81

34.28%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.89

$2.55 €2.27

-16.47%

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

$3.66 €3.26

$3.11 €2.77

17.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.41 €1.26

27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 €6.55

$5.55 €4.94

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 €5.80

$4.88 €4.35

33.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.58 €1.41

9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 €2.88

$2.18 €1.94

48.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$2.92 €2.60

19.52%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.29

$4.32 €3.85

11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.81 €19.42

$16.68 €14.86

30.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.56

$11.71 €10.43

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.52 €20.05

$22.27 €19.83

1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.72

$2.57 €2.29

19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.12 €1.88

14.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 €3.10

$2.66 €2.37

30.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$3.03 €2.70

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.10 €1.87

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.78 €1.59

15.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.36 €1.21

30.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.55

$0.58 €0.52

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.44 €6.62

$7.25 €6.46

2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 €8.16

$7.07 €6.29

29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.72 €1.53

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.51 €2.23

-1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.01 €1.79

20.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.50 €38.73

$38.39 €34.18

13.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 €6.86

$4.65 €4.14

65.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.62 €1.44

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.0 €48.93

$31.31 €27.88

75.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.78 €2.48

-21.94%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$37.2K €33.1K

-2.14%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$34.2K €30.4K

12.02%

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

$247 €220

$206 €183

19.98%

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

$9.88 €8.80

$10.34 €9.21

-4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 €26.59

$27.32 €24.33

9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 €72.1

$55.5 €49.44

45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.71 €30.02

$25.18 €22.42

33.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.06

$9.88 €8.79

14.37%

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

$927 €825

$508 €453

82.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K €22.7K

$11.5K €10.2K

121.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €86.9

$102 €90.8

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €44.97

$34.07 €30.33

48.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €103

$84.9 €75.6

35.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$139 €124

17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,558

$731 €651

139.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 €1,034

$574 €511

102.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 €3,019

$1,179 €1,049

187.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 €1,790

$994 €885

102.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K €9,648

$3,358 €2,990

222.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,201 €4,631

$2,156 €1,920

141.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,305 €2,053

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

3.31

-4.23%

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

Last update for Milan: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lipari: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.8%

Lipari

$574 33.4% 50.6% $587

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$409 16.1%

Lipari

$343 20% 16.1% $66

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Lipari

$260 15.2% 16.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$287 11.3%

Lipari

$243 14.2% 15.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$192 7.6%

Lipari

$162 9.4% 15.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$104 4.1%

Lipari

$75 4.4% 27.3% $28

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Lipari

$59 3.5% 17.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,750 in Milan and $731 in Lipari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Milan vs $74 in Lipari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $343 per month, with Lipari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Lipari

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

12,675

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Lipari 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Lipari

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 Lipari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,537 in Milan and $1,717 in Lipari, so Lipari is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,806 in Milan and $2,576 in Lipari to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,750 in Milan versus $731 in Lipari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,537 per month in Milan versus $1,717 in Lipari – Lipari is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lipari runs roughly 12% less than in Milan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lipari gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Milan and Lipari are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lipari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.