Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Matera Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Matera

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,467 per month in Milan vs $1,506 in Matera, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Milan vs $2,274 in Matera, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,223 per month in Milan vs $3,041 in Matera, rent included.

Milan costs about 64% more than Matera, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Milan and Matera sit above the global median – Milan by 85%, Matera by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.61

$13.94 €12.20

68.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$70.1 €61.4

30.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.14

$11.48 €10.06

10.80%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$2.05 €1.79

2.44%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$2.15 €1.88

55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.27

$1.11 €0.97

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.15

$4.68 €4.10

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$4.75 €4.16

18.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.25 €1.09

41.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.49

$1.76 €1.54

61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$2.91 €2.55

12.71%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.73

$3.81 €3.34

11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.31

$14.89 €13.04

32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.35

$10.22 €8.95

26.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.25

$16.41 €14.37

47.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.90 €2.54

-2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.21 €1.93

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$1.19 €1.04

180.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.42

$3.65 €3.20

6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.23

$2.00 €1.75

27.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.69 €1.48

31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.49 €1.31

10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.49 €0.43

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.78 €5.94

5.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.13

$7.57 €6.63

22.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$2.71 €2.37

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$3.32 €2.91

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.70 €1.49

48.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.26

$43.73 €38.30

2.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.76 €5.04

38.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$2.16 €1.89

23.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.76

$35.36 €30.97

12.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.02 €1.77

1.49%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$35.9K €31.4K

-5.03%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$35.2K €30.8K

2.78%

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

$215 €188

$174 €152

23.59%

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

$11.65 €10.20

$13.04 €11.42

-10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.40

$33.92 €29.70

-7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.6

$55.1 €48.23

38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.89

$22.96 €20.11

63.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.96

$11.53 €10.10

-1.30%

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

$878 €769

$390 €342

124.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$6,182 €5,414

164.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.2

$91.7 €80.3

22.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.73

$43.28 €37.90

23.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$103 €89.9

12.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$148 €129

14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$632 €553

148.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$429 €375

162.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,810

$939 €822

241.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,795

$667 €584

207.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,333

$2,745 €2,404

288.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,680

$3,221 €2,821

65.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,934

$1,778 €1,557

24.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.04

-19.55%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Matera: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,573 in Milan versus $632 in Matera. 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 24% 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 $91.0 in Milan versus $70.0 in Matera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $309 – making Matera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Matera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan costs about 64% more than Matera, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,701 per month in Milan and $2,259 in Matera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matera, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Matera. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $878 per month in Milan and $390 in Matera. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matera, where all-in costs run around $1,506, than in Milan at $2,467. In Matera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Matera costs $1,506 versus $2,467 in Milan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Matera. 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.