Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Matera

For one person, living is cheaper in Matera: $1,484 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Matera
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Matera Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Matera

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Matera

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $1,484 in Matera, rent included.

Milan $2,555
Matera $1,484

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $2,356 in Matera, rent included.

Milan $3,859
Matera $2,356

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $3,227 in Matera, rent included.

Milan $5,163
Matera $3,227

Milan costs about 72% more than Matera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Matera sit above the global median – Milan by 88%, Matera by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.80

$15.29 €13.70

44.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.8

$60.7 €54.4

46.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.96

$11.34 €10.17

17.72%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$1.88 €1.68

13.83%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$2.27 €2.04

62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.09 €0.97

78.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.24

$5.74 €5.14

21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$3.31 €2.97

104.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.58 €1.41

10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.85

$1.72 €1.54

85.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$3.28 €2.94

12.50%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.50

$3.52 €3.16

42.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.88

$15.39 €13.79

51.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.20

$12.28 €11.01

19.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.51

$20.84 €18.68

9.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.63 €2.36

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.16 €1.94

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$1.13 €1.01

185.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.86

$3.80 €3.41

13.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.78 €1.60

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.64 €1.47

21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.46 €1.31

21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.47 €0.42

29.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.50

$6.75 €6.05

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.75

$6.34 €5.68

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.84 €1.65

4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$3.11 €2.79

-23.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.72 €1.54

42.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.93

$20.20 €18.10

115.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.83

$4.43 €3.97

72.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.19 €1.07

92.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.3

$23.74 €21.28

174.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.02 €1.81

8.91%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$35.1K €31.5K

3.49%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$37.3K €33.5K

0.23%

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

$248 €222

$197 €177

25.47%

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

$10.29 €9.22

$9.37 €8.39

9.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.61

$30.74 €27.54

-3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.2

$55.3 €49.59

49.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.06

$23.43 €20.99

43.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.20

$9.94 €8.90

14.49%

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

$939 €842

$448 €402

109.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$7,918 €7,096

136.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.7

$67.2 €60.3

50.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.36

$42.87 €38.41

15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$105 €94.4

9.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$135 €121

21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,581

$705 €632

150.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,043

$421 €377

176.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,073

$1,025 €918

234.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,769

$841 €753

134.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,476

$2,772 €2,484

281.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,677

$3,179 €2,849

64.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,937

$1,750 €1,568

23.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.08

3.25%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Matera: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Matera

$421 28.3% 63.9% $743

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Matera

$328 22.1% 21.6% $90

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Matera

$228 15.3% 27.3% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Matera

$238 16% 17.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Matera

$158 10.6% 18.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Matera

$75 5.1% 28.8% $30

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Matera

$37 2.5% 48.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $705 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 $89 in Milan versus $61 in Matera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $328 – making Matera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Matera

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

59,607

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Milan Matera 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 72% more than Matera, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Milan and $2,227 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $705 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Matera. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $939 per month in Milan and $448 in Matera. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,555 in Milan and $1,484 in Matera. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Matera – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Matera. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Milan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.