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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,508 per month in Milan vs $1,493 in Matera, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,853 per month in Milan vs $2,276 in Matera, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,197 per month in Milan vs $3,060 in Matera, rent included.

Milan costs about 68% more than Matera, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Milan and Matera sit above the global median – Milan by 87%, Matera by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.86

$13.69 €11.79

68.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.3

$69.2 €59.6

33.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.96

$11.42 €9.84

11.47%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$2.10 €1.81

3.33%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$2.08 €1.79

55.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.07 €0.92

40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$4.61 €3.97

54.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$4.54 €3.91

25.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.28 €1.11

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.73 €1.49

62.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$2.92 €2.52

14.38%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.71

$3.76 €3.24

14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €17.00

$14.64 €12.61

34.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.21

$10.15 €8.74

28.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.26

$16.51 €14.21

49.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.92 €2.51

-2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.30 €1.98

0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$1.13 €0.97

198.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.69 €3.18

6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$1.93 €1.66

34.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.77 €1.53

23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.49 €1.29

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.50 €0.43

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$6.63 €5.71

3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$8.35 €7.19

9.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.67 €2.30

-11.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$3.44 €2.96

-12.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.76 €1.52

41.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.25

$44.12 €37.99

3.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €7.00

$5.64 €4.86

44.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.16 €1.86

21.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.11

$35.20 €30.31

12.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.07 €1.79

-0.97%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$36.4K €31.4K

-8.28%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$34.9K €30.0K

4.42%

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

$216 €186

$171 €148

25.74%

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

$11.71 €10.08

$13.03 €11.22

-10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.24

$33.23 €28.61

-8.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.7

$54.2 €46.69

38.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.97

$23.44 €20.19

58.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.11

$11.45 €9.86

2.53%

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

$875 €753

$386 €332

126.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$6,172 €5,315

170.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.1

$94.3 €81.2

22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.85

$43.38 €37.35

22.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.0

$101 €87.3

13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$145 €125

17.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,388

$628 €541

156.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$436 €376

160.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,702

$926 €797

238.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,795

$662 €570

215.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,515

$2,898 €2,496

281.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,792

$3,382 €2,912

64.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,955

$1,768 €1,522

28.43%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Matera: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Milan versus $628 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 28% 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 $92.0 in Milan versus $69.0 in Matera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $311 – 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 68% 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 $3,762 per month in Milan and $2,239 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 $875 per month in Milan and $386 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 $1,493, than in Milan at $2,508. 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 $1,493 versus $2,508 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.