Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Novara

For one person, living is cheaper in Novara: $1,483 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Novara
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Novara Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Novara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Novara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,483 in Novara.

Milan $2,560
Novara $1,483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,293 in Novara.

Milan $3,895
Novara $2,293

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,231 in Milan versus $3,103 in Novara.

Milan $5,231
Novara $3,103

Living in Milan is roughly 73% more expensive than in Novara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 89% above, Novara 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 €19.66

$16.78 €14.92

31.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 €78.9

$56.6 €50.3

56.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$10.25 €9.12

28.98%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.85

$1.74 €1.55

19.54%

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

$3.82 €3.40

$3.46 €3.08

10.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.72 €1.53

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €6.11

$5.57 €4.96

23.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.17

$5.09 €4.52

36.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.39 €1.24

26.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 €2.93

$1.95 €1.74

68.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.18

$2.88 €2.56

23.96%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.52

$3.33 €2.96

52.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.34 €20.76

$11.40 €10.14

104.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.05

$8.76 €7.79

67.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.73 €20.22

$13.22 €11.76

71.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.53 €2.25

21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.65 €1.46

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.41 €3.04

-2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.72

$2.16 €1.92

93.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$1.94 €1.73

24.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.14 €1.02

71.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.03 €0.91

75.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.75 €0.67

-24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 €6.40

$6.23 €5.55

15.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.54

$5.58 €4.96

72.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.84 €1.63

6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.28 €2.03

6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.69 €1.51

49.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 €38.38

$38.24 €34.01

12.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 €7.04

$4.36 €3.87

81.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.20 €1.06

91.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 €57.6

$34.82 €30.97

85.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.05 €1.82

7.32%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$26.9K €23.9K

34.28%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$33.4K €29.7K

10.81%

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

$250 €223

$176 €157

41.94%

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

$10.20 €9.08

$10.41 €9.26

-2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 €26.19

$30.24 €26.90

-2.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 €75.3

$78.3 €69.6

8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.03 €30.27

$18.96 €16.86

79.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.83

$11.39 €10.13

-2.99%

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

$846 €753

$517 €460

63.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$9,907 €8,813

87.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.7

$124 €110

-18.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.43

$34.03 €30.27

50.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$55.5 €49.40

105.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$139 €123

17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,502

$644 €573

162.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,036

$438 €389

166.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 €3,056

$1,048 €932

227.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 €1,813

$784 €698

159.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,339

$2,850 €2,535

268.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,580

$1,873 €1,666

174.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,190 €1,948

$2,082 €1,852

5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.62

-12.15%

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

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Novara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.5%

Novara

$438 29.5% 62.4% $727

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$420 16.4%

Novara

$269 18.1% 35.9% $151

Eating Out

Milan

$312 12.2%

Novara

$245 16.5% 21.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$290 11.3%

Novara

$217 14.6% 25.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$193 7.6%

Novara

$158 10.7% 18.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Novara

$101 6.8% 5.3% $5.7

Getting Around

Milan

$73 2.8%

Novara

$55 3.7% 23.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Milan and $644 in Novara. 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: $89.0 in Milan vs $57.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $269 per month, with Novara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Novara

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

100,910

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 73% 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: $1,689 in Milan versus $644 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $846 in Milan versus $517 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,483 in Novara versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Novara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.