Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Monza Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Monza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Milan versus $2,090 in Monza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,008 in Milan versus $3,271 in Monza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Milan versus $4,452 in Monza.

Living in Milan is roughly 26% more expensive than in Monza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Monza 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.92 €20.62

$21.73 €18.73

10.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 €83.3

$93.1 €80.3

3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.26

$11.40 €9.83

24.82%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.90

$2.00 €1.72

10.00%

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

$3.93 €3.39

$3.99 €3.44

-1.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.40 €1.20

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.92

$5.78 €4.98

18.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.17

$6.31 €5.44

13.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.49 €1.28

20.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.38 €2.05

37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$3.82 €3.29

-1.05%

Eggs

$5.09 €4.38

$3.47 €2.99

46.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.17 €19.98

$23.37 €20.15

-0.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 €13.12

$14.60 €12.59

4.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.76 €20.48

$23.03 €19.85

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.76

$2.91 €2.51

9.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.95 €1.68

33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.02

$3.55 €3.06

-1.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €3.92

$3.45 €2.98

31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.17 €1.87

10.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.07 €1.78

-1.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.91 €1.64

-4.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.55

$0.68 €0.59

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 €6.65

$6.86 €5.91

12.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.17

$5.64 €4.86

68.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.91 €1.65

5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.05

$2.33 €2.01

1.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 €2.26

$3.05 €2.63

-14.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.60 €39.30

$69.7 €60.1

-34.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 €7.03

$8.24 €7.10

-0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.26 €1.09

79.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 €54.4

$36.29 €31.28

73.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.14 €1.85

0.47%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$37.0K €31.9K

0.73%

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

$37.9K €32.6K

$36.2K €31.2K

4.59%

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

$261 €225

$201 €173

30.30%

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

$10.96 €9.44

$10.78 €9.30

1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.08 €26.79

$28.65 €24.69

8.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 €76.4

$49.33 €42.52

79.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.85 €29.18

$41.31 €35.61

-18.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 €10.90

$13.24 €11.42

-4.53%

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

$890 €767

$872 €752

2.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K €17.2K

$20.2K €17.4K

-1.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$98.5 €84.9

11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.25

$44.22 €38.11

18.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.8

$115 €99.6

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €145

$166 €143

0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 €1,510

$1,085 €935

61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 €1,022

$800 €690

48.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,575 €3,082

$1,979 €1,706

80.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,837

$1,310 €1,130

62.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,608

$4,515 €3,892

146.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 €4,423

$3,057 €2,635

67.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,231 €1,923

$2,084 €1,796

7.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

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

Last update for Milan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Monza: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Milan and $1,085 in Monza. 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: $97.0 in Milan vs $93.0 in Monza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $390 per month, with Monza 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 Monza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monza is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap 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: $1,751 in Milan versus $1,085 in Monza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $890 in Milan versus $872 in Monza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,090 in Monza versus $2,626 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monza but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Monza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Monza 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 Monza 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 Monza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.