Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $4,256 in Lulea.

Living in Milan is roughly 32% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.56

$12.56 SEK 121

87.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €79.9

$94.6 SEK 911

-3.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.12

$11.60 SEK 112

9.66%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$4.87 SEK 46.91

-56.88%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$2.55 SEK 24.56

31.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.97 SEK 19.01

-26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.13

$8.57 SEK 82.6

-18.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.93

$9.97 SEK 96.0

-43.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.93 SEK 18.64

-8.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.48

$3.42 SEK 32.98

-16.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$5.07 SEK 48.86

-35.31%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.72

$4.74 SEK 45.70

-10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.27

$12.76 SEK 123

54.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.32

$14.05 SEK 135

-7.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.20

$28.00 SEK 270

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.61 SEK 25.15

8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.76 SEK 26.58

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.91

$2.60 SEK 25.03

28.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.41

$4.36 SEK 42.04

-10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$2.23 SEK 21.48

13.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.66 SEK 15.95

33.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$3.48 SEK 33.52

-52.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.44 SEK 13.84

-51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$7.42 SEK 71.5

-3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.11

$12.34 SEK 119

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.88 SEK 18.15

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.74

$1.85 SEK 17.87

69.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$3.36 SEK 32.35

-24.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.17

$58.3 SEK 562

-23.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.54 SEK 91.9

-16.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$1.73 SEK 16.68

53.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.68

$74.5 SEK 718

-46.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.89 SEK 18.22

8.47%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

5.85%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$35.7K SEK 343.7K

1.32%

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

$215 €188

$176 SEK 1,692

22.46%

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

$11.65 €10.18

$31.87 SEK 307

-63.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.33

$28.56 SEK 275

9.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.4

$48.58 SEK 468

56.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.81

$36.54 SEK 352

2.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.94

$13.73 SEK 132

-17.12%

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

$878 €767

$163 SEK 1,566

440.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$5,827 SEK 56.2K

180.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.0

$124 SEK 1,190

-9.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.62

$33.60 SEK 324

58.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$130 SEK 1,252

-11.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$170 SEK 1,643

-0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,375

$806 SEK 7,765

95.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €982

$589 SEK 5,675

90.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,803

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

122.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,791

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

89.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,311

$3,107 SEK 29.9K

242.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,669

$2,323 SEK 22.4K

130.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,929

$2,654 SEK 25.6K

-16.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.2

-22.62%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Milan vs $95.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $426 per month, with Milan 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Milan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Lulea. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Milan versus $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $91.0 in Milan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,467 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,865 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Milan and Lulea 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 Lulea 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.