For one person, living is cheaper in Lodi: $1,583 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Lodi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $1,583 in Lodi, rent included.
Milan $2,560
Lodi $1,583
A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $2,601 in Lodi, rent included.
Milan $3,895
Lodi $2,601
A family of three spends $5,231 per month in Milan vs $3,619 in Lodi, rent included.
Milan $5,231
Lodi $3,619
😐
Milan costs about 62% more than Lodi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Milan and Lodi sit above the global median – Milan by 89%, Lodi by 17%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.11€19.66
$17.00€15.12
30.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.7€78.9
$73.7€65.6
20.28%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.22€11.76
$11.14€9.91
18.67%
Cappuccino
$2.08€1.85
$1.88€1.67
10.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82€3.40
$2.93€2.60
30.38%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83€1.63
$1.36€1.21
34.56%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.87€6.11
$5.68€5.05
20.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.93€6.17
$6.29€5.59
10.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.76€1.56
$1.42€1.26
23.94%
White Bread(500g)
$3.29€2.93
$2.18€1.94
50.92%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.57€3.18
$2.18€1.94
63.76%
Eggs
$5.08€4.52
$2.34€2.08
117.09%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$23.34€20.76
$15.33€13.64
52.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$14.68€13.05
$14.40€12.81
1.94%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$22.73€20.22
$25.19€22.41
-9.77%
Apples(1kg)
$3.07€2.73
$2.71€2.41
13.28%
Banana(1kg)
$2.42€2.15
$1.68€1.49
44.05%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.34€2.97
$3.02€2.68
10.60%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.18€3.72
$2.51€2.23
66.53%
Potato(1kg)
$2.41€2.14
$2.11€1.88
14.22%
Onion(1kg)
$1.95€1.74
$2.25€2.01
-13.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.81€1.61
$1.63€1.45
11.04%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57€0.50
$0.35€0.31
62.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.20€6.40
$5.89€5.24
22.24%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.60€8.54
$4.37€3.89
119.68%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96€1.74
$2.42€2.15
-19.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42€2.15
$3.21€2.85
-24.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Milan
Lodi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.52€2.24
$2.45€2.18
2.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.15€38.38
$39.98€35.57
7.93%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$7.92€7.04
$3.94€3.51
101.02%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.30€2.04
$1.17€1.04
96.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$64.8€57.6
$28.08€24.98
130.59%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.96
$2.05€1.82
7.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K€32.1K
$28.8K€25.6K
25.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K€32.9K
$28.4K€25.3K
30.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$250€223
$197€176
26.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.20€9.08
$10.55€9.39
-3.32%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.45€26.19
$27.27€24.26
7.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$84.6€75.3
$65.2€58.0
29.90%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.03€30.27
$27.95€24.86
21.75%
Cinema Ticket
$11.05€9.83
$11.03€9.81
0.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$846€753
$683€608
23.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.6K€16.5K
$7,284€6,479
155.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101€89.7
$87.3€77.6
15.55%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.1€45.43
$45.66€40.61
11.85%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$114€102
$91.3€81.2
25.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163€145
$89.1€79.3
83.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milan
Lodi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,689€1,502
$570€507
196.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,165€1,036
$465€413
150.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,436€3,056
$1,237€1,100
177.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,038€1,813
$1,041€926
95.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$10.5K€9,339
$3,247€2,888
223.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$5,149€4,580
$2,473€2,200
108.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milan
Lodi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,190€1,948
$2,222€1,976
-1.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.18
3.65
-12.88%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026
Last update for Lodi: October 19, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Milan
$1.2K 45.5%
Lodi
$465 29.4% ↓ 60.1%$700
🛒Groceries & Markets
Milan
$420 16.4%
Lodi
$345 21.8% ↓ 17.9%$75
🍽Eating Out
Milan
$312 12.2%
Lodi
$250 15.8% ↓ 19.9%$62
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
$290 11.3%
Lodi
$235 14.9% ↓ 18.9%$55
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Milan
$193 7.6%
Lodi
$141 8.9% ↓ 27.1%$52
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Milan
$107 4.2%
Lodi
$87 5.5% ↓ 18.3%$20
🚌Getting Around
Milan
$73 2.8%
Lodi
$60 3.8% ↓ 18%$13
🏠Accommodation & Living
Milan
$2K 39%
Lodi
$1K 28.8% ↓ 48.9%$997
🛒Groceries & Markets
Milan
$992 19%
Lodi
$821 22.7% ↓ 17.2%$171
🍽Eating Out
Milan
$1.1K 20.5%
Lodi
$872 24.1% ↓ 18.8%$202
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
$300 5.7%
Lodi
$246 6.8% ↓ 18.1%$54
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Milan
$430 8.2%
Lodi
$313 8.7% ↓ 27.1%$116
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Milan
$248 4.7%
Lodi
$202 5.6% ↓ 18.2%$45
🚌Getting Around
Milan
$150 2.9%
Lodi
$124 3.4% ↓ 17.5%$26
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $1,689 in Milan versus $570 in Lodi. 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 1% higher in Lodi, 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 $89.0 in Milan versus $74.0 in Lodi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $345 – making Lodi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Lodi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lodi cheaper than Milan?
Yes – Milan is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,840 per month in Milan and $2,374 in Lodi. 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 Lodi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $846 per month in Milan and $683 in Lodi. 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 Lodi?
Groceries cost about 22% more in Milan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Milan or in Lodi?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lodi, where all-in costs run around $1,583, than in Milan at $2,560. In Lodi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Milan or Lodi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lodi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Milan or Lodi?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lodi. 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.