Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Ostia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostia: $1,756 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Ostia
Learn more

Ostia Living Index

Jump to prices

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Ostia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Ostia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,756 in Ostia.

Milan $2,560
Ostia $1,756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,594 in Ostia.

Milan $3,895
Ostia $2,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Milan versus $3,432 in Ostia.

Milan $5,230
Ostia $3,432

Living in Milan is roughly 46% more expensive than in Ostia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Ostia 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.03

$16.51 €14.69

36.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$66.0 €58.7

35.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$11.36 €10.10

15.85%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$2.25 €2.00

-5.33%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$2.33 €2.07

57.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.20 €1.06

51.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$5.46 €4.86

21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$4.80 €4.27

38.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.67 €1.48

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.16 €1.92

46.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$3.00 €2.67

18.00%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$4.54 €4.04

7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$14.92 €13.27

53.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$12.49 €11.11

17.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$19.61 €17.44

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.59 €2.30

20.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.06 €1.84

16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.33 €2.07

45.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$2.38 €2.11

79.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.44 €1.28

65.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.60 €1.42

27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.32 €1.17

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.51 €0.46

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$6.63 €5.90

12.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$5.42 €4.82

76.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.56 €1.39

28.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.50 €2.22

-1.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.65 €1.47

44.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

$39.01 €34.70

10.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$4.42 €3.93

73.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.24 €1.11

82.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$23.16 €20.60

181.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.15 €1.91

2.33%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$35.3K €31.4K

3.34%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

0.07%

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

$247 €220

$197 €175

25.56%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$9.61 €8.55

6.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$31.13 €27.69

-6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$56.1 €49.93

46.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

$11.20 €9.96

205.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$11.07 €9.85

9.39%

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

$857 €762

$449 €400

90.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$8,805 €7,832

111.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$72.2 €64.2

40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$36.65 €32.60

38.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$84.6 €75.2

37.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$125 €111

34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$853 €759

102.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$673 €599

73.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$1,130 €1,005

201.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$990 €881

105.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,376

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$1,992 €1,772

7.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.5

-9.14%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ostia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Ostia

$673 38.3% 42.4% $496

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Ostia

$324 18.4% 22.4% $93

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Ostia

$244 13.9% 22.1% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Ostia

$237 13.5% 17.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Ostia

$143 8.2% 27.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Ostia

$78 4.5% 26.6% $28

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Ostia

$56 3.2% 21.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,731 in Milan and $853 in Ostia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 8% 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 $66.0 in Ostia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $324 per month, with Ostia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Ostia

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

79,400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Ostia 480 km

From you

Milan
Ostia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ostia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,731 in Milan versus $853 in Ostia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $857 in Milan versus $449 in Ostia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,756 in Ostia versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ostia but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Ostia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ostia 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 Ostia 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 Ostia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.