Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Novara Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Novara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,467 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,312 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,156 in Novara.

Living in Milan is roughly 71% more expensive than Novara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Novara 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.84

$17.51 €15.06

31.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$58.0 €49.87

58.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.95

$9.35 €8.04

36.15%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$1.83 €1.57

18.58%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.40 €2.92

-5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.42 €1.22

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.11

$5.88 €5.06

20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.17 €4.45

10.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.49 €1.28

23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.91 €1.65

47.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$2.81 €2.42

18.86%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.70

$3.38 €2.91

27.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €16.98

$12.77 €10.99

54.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.20

$9.12 €7.84

42.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.24

$14.03 €12.07

75.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.68 €2.31

5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.70 €1.46

35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.25 €2.79

3.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.31 €1.99

70.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.02 €1.73

28.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.12 €0.97

95.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.06 €0.91

53.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.54 €0.47

29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.91

$7.08 €6.09

-2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.83

$6.78 €5.83

34.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.65 €1.42

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.89 €1.63

58.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.77 €1.52

40.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

$39.01 €33.56

16.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €6.99

$4.67 €4.02

74.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.09 €1.79

25.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.08

$35.43 €30.48

11.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.02 €1.74

1.49%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$28.4K €24.4K

17.81%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$31.5K €27.1K

15.70%

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

$216 €185

$168 €145

27.94%

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

$11.71 €10.07

$13.53 €11.64

-13.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.21

$32.43 €27.90

-6.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.6

$66.4 €57.1

13.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.94

$19.77 €17.00

87.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.10

$12.76 €10.98

-7.99%

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

$875 €753

$536 €461

63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$10.6K €9,132

57.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.0

$85.8 €73.8

34.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$35.04 €30.14

51.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$85.3 €73.4

34.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$129 €111

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,387

$655 €563

146.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €978

$449 €386

153.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,699

$1,119 €963

180.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,793

$815 €701

155.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,505

$2,948 €2,536

274.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,787

$1,945 €1,673

186.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,953

$2,133 €1,835

6.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.21

-22.80%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Novara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $655 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 6% 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: $92.0 in Milan vs $58.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $278 per month, with Novara 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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Milan pays 6% more on average, 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $655 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $536 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Novara versus $2,508 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 71% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.