Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Modena

For one person, living is cheaper in Modena: $1,881 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Modena
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Modena Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Modena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Modena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,881 in Modena.

Milan $2,555
Modena $1,881

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $3,040 in Modena.

Milan $3,859
Modena $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $4,200 in Modena.

Milan $5,163
Modena $4,200

Living in Milan is roughly 36% more expensive than in Modena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Modena 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.71

$22.58 €20.14

-2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.4

$87.9 €78.4

1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.91

$13.18 €11.76

1.29%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$1.89 €1.69

13.23%

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

$3.68 €3.29

$2.94 €2.62

25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.55 €1.38

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.21

$6.59 €5.88

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.05

$5.75 €5.13

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.46 €1.30

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.84

$2.54 €2.27

25.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.29

$1.66 €1.49

122.29%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.48

$4.92 €4.39

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.79

$20.46 €18.25

13.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.14

$13.82 €12.33

6.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.42

$21.61 €19.28

5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.58 €2.30

14.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$2.55 €2.27

-9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.88

$3.28 €2.92

-1.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.84

$3.06 €2.73

40.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.46 €2.20

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.66 €1.48

20.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.36 €1.22

30.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.67 €0.60

-8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.47

$6.51 €5.81

11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.71

$9.00 €8.03

8.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.54 €1.37

25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.62 €2.34

-9.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.21 €1.97

10.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.76

$37.38 €33.35

16.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.80

$6.41 €5.72

18.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.40 €1.25

63.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.1

$31.81 €28.38

104.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.09 €1.86

5.26%

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

$36.3K €32.4K

$37.0K €33.0K

-1.64%

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

$37.4K €33.4K

$35.4K €31.6K

5.78%

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

$248 €221

$195 €174

26.96%

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

$10.29 €9.18

$13.10 €11.68

-21.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.50

$30.99 €27.65

-4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €73.9

$71.2 €63.5

16.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €29.93

$22.60 €20.17

48.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.15

$10.96 €9.78

3.83%

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

$939 €838

$763 €681

23.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.7K

$15.3K €13.6K

22.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.3

$85.1 €76.0

18.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.17

$41.41 €36.94

19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$96.9 €86.5

19.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$108 €96.3

51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,574

$856 €764

106.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,039

$661 €590

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,059

$1,716 €1,531

99.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,762

$1,336 €1,192

47.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,435

$3,557 €3,174

197.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,657

$2,291 €2,044

127.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,929

$2,028 €1,809

6.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.29

-3.34%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Modena: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Modena

$661 35.1% 43.2% $503

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Modena

$373 19.9% 10.8% $45

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Modena

$305 16.2% 2.6% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Modena

$239 12.7% 16.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Modena

$149 7.9% 23% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Modena

$93 5% 11.9% $13

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Modena

$60 3.2% 17.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $856 in Modena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $88 in Modena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $373 per month, with Modena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Modena

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

184,973

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Milan vs Modena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Modena is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Milan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,764 in Milan versus $856 in Modena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,555 per month in Milan versus $1,881 in Modena – Modena is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Milan and Modena are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Modena wins on affordability, Milan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.