Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Messina

For one person, living is cheaper in Messina: $1,379 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
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Messina Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Messina

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Milan vs $1,379 in Messina, rent included.

Milan $2,555
Messina $1,379

A couple spends around $3,859 per month in Milan vs $2,392 in Messina, rent included.

Milan $3,859
Messina $2,392

A family of three spends $5,163 per month in Milan vs $3,404 in Messina, rent included.

Milan $5,163
Messina $3,404

Milan costs about 85% more than Messina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.79

$16.90 €15.14

30.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.8

$67.8 €60.7

31.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.96

$12.41 €11.12

7.57%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$1.97 €1.77

8.63%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$2.36 €2.11

55.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.19 €1.07

63.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.24

$4.55 €4.07

52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$3.33 €2.98

103.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.30 €1.17

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.85

$1.84 €1.65

73.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.30

$2.74 €2.45

34.67%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.50

$2.89 €2.58

73.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.87

$14.49 €12.97

60.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.19

$10.55 €9.45

39.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.50

$16.82 €15.06

36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.91 €2.61

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.65 €1.47

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$1.14 €1.02

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.85

$3.40 €3.04

26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$0.65 €0.58

247.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.52 €1.36

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.42 €1.27

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.40 €0.36

52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.49

$6.87 €6.15

5.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.75

$5.75 €5.15

69.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.67 €1.50

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.32 €2.08

2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.65 €1.47

48.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.91

$41.21 €36.91

5.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.83

$5.72 €5.12

33.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.14 €1.02

100.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.3

$38.73 €34.68

68.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.05 €1.84

7.32%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$34.9K €31.3K

4.03%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$31.2K €28.0K

19.87%

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

$248 €222

$178 €159

39.40%

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

$10.29 €9.22

$10.17 €9.11

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.60

$25.62 €22.94

15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.2

$46.70 €41.83

77.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.04

$16.57 €14.84

102.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.19

$9.57 €8.58

18.91%

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

$939 €841

$337 €302

178.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$5,512 €4,936

240.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.7

$71.2 €63.8

42.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.34

$30.95 €27.72

59.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$86.9 €77.8

33.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$125 €112

30.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,580

$522 €468

237.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,043

$373 €334

211.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,071

$1,199 €1,074

185.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,768

$1,096 €981

80.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,470

$2,011 €1,801

425.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,675

$1,655 €1,482

215.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,936

$1,675 €1,500

29.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.39

-6.19%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Messina: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Messina

$373 27.1% 67.9% $791

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Messina

$287 20.8% 31.6% $132

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Messina

$240 17.4% 23.5% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Messina

$214 15.5% 25.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Messina

$142 10.3% 26.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Messina

$66 4.8% 37.6% $40

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Messina

$59 4.3% 18.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in Milan versus $522 in Messina. 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 29% 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 $68 in Messina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $287 – making Messina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Messina

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

217,734

💱 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 Messina 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Messina

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 Messina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan costs about 85% more than Messina, 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 $2,069 in Messina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Messina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $1,764 in Milan.

Kindergarten costs $939 per month in Milan and $337 in Messina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Milan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,555 in Milan and $1,379 in Messina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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