Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Parma

For one person, living is cheaper in Parma: $1,858 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Parma
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Parma Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Parma

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Parma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,858 in Parma.

Milan $2,560
Parma $1,858

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,922 in Parma.

Milan $3,895
Parma $2,922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Milan versus $3,986 in Parma.

Milan $5,230
Parma $3,986

Living in Milan is roughly 38% more expensive than in Parma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Parma 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.03

$19.92 €17.72

13.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$72.5 €64.5

23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$13.65 €12.14

-3.59%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$2.24 €1.99

-4.91%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$3.40 €3.02

7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.62 €1.44

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$6.19 €5.50

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$6.00 €5.34

10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.38 €1.23

23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.71 €2.41

16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$2.65 €2.36

33.58%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$4.28 €3.81

14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$18.34 €16.32

24.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$12.85 €11.43

14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$17.07 €15.19

33.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.26 €2.01

38.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.66 €1.48

43.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$1.86 €1.65

82.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$2.47 €2.20

72.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.33 €1.19

78.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.38 €1.23

47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.64 €1.45

6.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.54 €0.48

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$6.78 €6.03

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$7.71 €6.86

24.25%

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

$1.92 €1.70

28.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.85 €1.64

28.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

$41.06 €36.52

5.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$5.68 €5.05

35.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.48 €1.31

52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$28.28 €25.15

130.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.95 €1.74

12.82%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$36.1K €32.1K

0.95%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.3K €31.4K

0.25%

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

$247 €220

$236 €210

4.69%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$11.61 €10.33

-12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$27.54 €24.50

5.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$62.0 €55.2

32.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

$26.85 €23.88

27.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$12.30 €10.94

-1.54%

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

$857 €762

$560 €498

52.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$4,443 €3,952

318.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$90.9 €80.8

11.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$43.60 €38.78

16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$95.6 €85.1

21.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$166 €148

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$843 €750

105.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$639 €569

82.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$1,517 €1,349

124.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$1,260 €1,121

61.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,376

$3,439 €3,059

206.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

$2,380 €2,117

120.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$2,034 €1,809

5.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.46

-8.09%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Parma: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Parma

$639 34.4% 45.3% $530

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Parma

$327 17.6% 21.5% $90

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Parma

$290 15.6% 7.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Parma

$275 14.8% 3.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Parma

$178 9.6% 9.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Parma

$87 4.7% 18.7% $20

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Parma

$62 3.3% 14.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,731 in Milan and $843 in Parma. 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 $72.0 in Parma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $327 per month, with Parma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Parma

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

193,315

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Parma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% 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: $1,731 in Milan versus $843 in Parma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $857 in Milan versus $560 in Parma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,858 in Parma versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Parma but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Parma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Parma 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 Parma 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 Parma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.