Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Modena Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Modena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Milan versus $1,999 in Modena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,801 in Milan versus $3,154 in Modena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,159 in Milan versus $4,309 in Modena.

Living in Milan is roughly 22% more expensive than in Modena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 84% above, Modena 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.33 €20.21

$22.79 €19.74

2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.5 €80.1

$80.5 €69.7

14.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.15 €11.39

$11.58 €10.03

13.56%

Cappuccino

$2.21 €1.91

$1.99 €1.72

11.06%

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

$3.29 €2.85

$3.04 €2.63

8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.35 €1.17

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.95

$5.77 €4.99

19.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.97

$5.63 €4.87

1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.44 €1.24

22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 €2.54

$2.85 €2.46

2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 €2.88

$2.52 €2.18

32.14%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.82

$4.78 €4.14

-7.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.37 €16.78

$20.00 €17.32

-3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 €11.39

$15.25 €13.20

-13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.68 €21.37

$22.28 €19.30

10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.54

$2.75 €2.38

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.77 €2.40

-12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.78 €3.28

-10.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 €3.51

$3.88 €3.36

4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.19

$2.69 €2.33

-5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.82 €1.58

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.53 €1.33

10.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.64

$0.62 €0.54

17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.16

$7.05 €6.10

0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 €8.04

$9.16 €7.93

1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.74 €1.50

41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$2.65 €2.30

13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.28 €1.98

14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.87 €39.73

$37.73 €32.68

21.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 €6.78

$6.86 €5.94

14.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.13 €0.98

133.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.22 €33.97

$34.05 €29.49

15.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.12 €1.83

-2.83%

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

$33.0K €28.6K

$28.0K €24.2K

18.17%

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

$35.5K €30.8K

$36.9K €32.0K

-3.81%

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

$215 €186

$267 €231

-19.31%

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

$11.75 €10.17

$12.87 €11.15

-8.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.37 €27.17

$30.48 €26.40

2.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 €66.0

$66.9 €57.9

13.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.59 €31.69

$23.10 €20.01

58.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 €10.20

$10.83 €9.38

8.68%

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

$878 €760

$715 €619

22.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.0K

$11.4K €9,903

41.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.9

$98.9 €85.6

14.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 €47.23

$42.69 €36.97

27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.7

$103 €89.5

11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €147

$129 €112

31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 €1,395

$859 €744

87.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €971

$679 €588

65.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 €2,744

$1,648 €1,428

92.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,801

$1,280 €1,108

62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,307

$3,686 €3,192

191.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,354 €4,637

$2,183 €1,891

145.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,156 €1,867

$2,055 €1,780

4.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.24

-23.35%

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

Last update for Milan: July 27, 2026

Last update for Modena: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Milan and $859 in Modena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 5% 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: $93.0 in Milan vs $80.0 in Modena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $398 per month, with Modena cheaper across the board.

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 Modena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Modena is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,611 in Milan versus $859 in Modena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Milan versus $715 in Modena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,999 in Modena versus $2,443 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Modena but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Modena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Modena is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milan and Modena are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Modena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.