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: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,473 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $2,315 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $3,156 in Novara.

Living in Milan is roughly 67% more expensive than in Novara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Novara 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.59

$17.22 €15.07

36.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.0

$58.9 €51.5

55.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.13

$9.44 €8.26

34.75%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$1.77 €1.55

18.64%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$3.40 €2.97

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.48 €1.30

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.14

$5.84 €5.11

20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.93

$5.23 €4.57

7.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.51 €1.32

17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.48

$1.94 €1.69

46.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$2.93 €2.56

11.95%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.72

$3.27 €2.86

30.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.29

$12.77 €11.17

54.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.34

$9.21 €8.06

40.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.23

$13.72 €12.00

76.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.64 €2.31

7.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.75 €1.53

36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$3.37 €2.95

-0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.41

$2.28 €1.99

71.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.99 €1.74

27.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.13 €0.99

96.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.06 €0.93

54.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.51 €0.45

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$7.10 €6.21

0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.12

$5.61 €4.90

65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$1.59 €1.39

54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$1.82 €1.59

72.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.71 €1.50

47.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.22

$39.26 €34.35

14.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.68 €4.10

70.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$2.17 €1.90

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.73

$35.42 €30.99

12.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.00 €1.75

2.50%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$28.8K €25.2K

18.47%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$30.9K €27.1K

16.86%

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

$215 €188

$171 €150

25.65%

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

$11.65 €10.19

$13.15 €11.51

-11.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.37

$31.30 €27.39

-0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.5

$66.3 €58.0

14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.86

$19.89 €17.40

88.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.95

$12.80 €11.19

-11.09%

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

$878 €769

$533 €466

64.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$10.5K €9,149

56.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.1

$85.9 €75.1

30.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.68

$34.67 €30.34

53.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$86.8 €76.0

32.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$127 €111

33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,376

$655 €573

140.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €983

$450 €393

149.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,807

$1,099 €962

191.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,793

$811 €709

152.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,324

$2,855 €2,498

273.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,675

$1,916 €1,676

178.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,932

$2,102 €1,839

5.06%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Novara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $655 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: $91.0 in Milan vs $59.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $275 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 67% 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: $1,573 in Milan versus $655 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Milan versus $533 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,473 in Novara versus $2,467 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 67% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.