Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Lucca

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucca: $2,017 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,560
/mo nomad
Lucca
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,017
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Lucca

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Milan vs $2,017 in Lucca, rent included.

  • Milan $2,560
  • Lucca $2,017

A couple spends around $3,895 per month in Milan vs $3,004 in Lucca, rent included.

  • Milan $3,895
  • Lucca $3,004

A family of three spends $5,230 per month in Milan vs $3,990 in Lucca, rent included.

  • Milan $5,230
  • Lucca $3,990

Milan costs about 27% more than Lucca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Lucca sit above the global median – Milan by 90%, Lucca by 49%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.52 €20.03
$19.78 €17.59
13.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.3 €79.4
$80.6 €71.7
10.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.16 €11.71
$11.84 €10.53
11.15%
Cappuccino
$2.13 €1.90
$2.02 €1.79
5.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 €3.26
$3.30 €2.93
11.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.43 €1.27
27.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.65 €5.92
$6.73 €5.99
-1.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.64 €5.91
$5.08 €4.52
30.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.64 €1.46
3.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 €2.81
$2.42 €2.15
30.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.54 €3.15
$2.99 €2.66
18.39%
Eggs
$4.88 €4.34
$4.01 €3.56
21.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.85 €20.33
$20.76 €18.46
10.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.72 €13.09
$14.43 €12.83
2.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.77 €20.25
$21.07 €18.74
8.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 €2.77
$2.38 €2.12
31.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 €2.12
$2.14 €1.91
11.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 €3.02
$2.52 €2.24
34.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 €3.80
$3.20 €2.84
33.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.90 €1.69
25.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.14 €1.91
-4.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.82 €1.62
-3.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.57 €0.50
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.46 €6.64
$7.05 €6.28
5.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.58 €8.52
$7.83 €6.96
22.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.93 €1.72
4.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.19
$2.81 €2.50
-12.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Milan
Lucca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.95 €1.74
22.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.27 €38.49
$34.12 €30.35
26.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.67 €6.82
$4.53 €4.03
69.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.62 €1.44
39.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$65.2 €58.0
$27.76 €24.69
134.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.11 €1.88
4.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K €32.4K
$36.5K €32.4K
-0.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K €31.5K
$34.7K €30.9K
2.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$247 €220
$336 €299
-26.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.21 €9.08
$11.93 €10.62
-14.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.16 €25.94
$32.27 €28.70
-9.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.4 €73.3
$65.8 €58.6
25.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.18 €30.41
$50.0 €44.47
-31.64%
Cinema Ticket
$12.11 €10.77
$9.86 €8.77
22.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$857 €762
$645 €574
32.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.6K €16.5K
$11.3K €10.0K
65.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.2
$101 €89.6
0.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.8 €45.21
$47.80 €42.52
6.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 €104
$90.5 €80.5
28.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$167 €149
$165 €146
1.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milan
Lucca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 €1,540
$796 €708
117.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$663 €589
76.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,402 €3,026
$1,431 €1,273
137.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 €1,811
$1,012 €900
101.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.5K €9,376
$3,989 €3,549
164.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,240 €4,661
$2,088 €1,857
150.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milan
Lucca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,145 €1,908
$1,765 €1,570
21.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
3.7
-14.05%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lucca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Milan
$1.2K
Lucca
$663 43.3% $507
Groceries & Markets
Milan
$417
Lucca
$372 10.7% $45
Eating Out
Milan
$314
Lucca
$281 10.5% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
$286
Lucca
$380 32.8% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Milan
$196
Lucca
$182 7.5% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Milan
$107
Lucca
$86 19.7% $21
Getting Around
Milan
$72
Lucca
$55 24% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,731 in Milan versus $796 in Lucca. 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 22% 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 $89.0 in Milan versus $81.0 in Lucca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $372 – making Lucca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Milan
🇮🇹 Lucca
🕒 Local time
21:24 9:24 PM
21:24 9:24 PM
Same time as Milan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,394,798
89,046
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Milan Lucca 210 km
From you
  • Milan
  • Lucca

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 Lucca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lucca cheaper than Milan?
Yes – Milan is pricier by about 27%, 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 $3,841 per month in Milan and $3,026 in Lucca. 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 Lucca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Milan and in Lucca?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,560 in Milan and $2,017 in Lucca. That's a gap of about 27%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Lucca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Milan or in Lucca?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lucca, where all-in costs run around $2,017, than in Milan at $2,560. In Lucca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Milan or Lucca more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lucca – 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 Lucca?
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 Lucca. 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.

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