Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Pavia

For one person, living is cheaper in Pavia: $1,774 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Pavia
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Pavia Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Pavia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Pavia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,774 in Pavia.

Milan $2,560
Pavia $1,774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,773 in Pavia.

Milan $3,895
Pavia $2,773

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,231 in Milan versus $3,772 in Pavia.

Milan $5,231
Pavia $3,772

Living in Milan is roughly 44% more expensive than in Pavia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 89% above, Pavia 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 €19.66

$25.02 €22.25

-11.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 €78.9

$77.7 €69.2

14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$10.12 €9.00

30.63%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.85

$1.75 €1.56

18.86%

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

$3.82 €3.40

$3.50 €3.12

9.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.55 €1.38

18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €6.11

$5.55 €4.93

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.17

$5.76 €5.13

20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.46 €1.30

20.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.38 €2.12

38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.18

$2.97 €2.64

20.20%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.52

$3.31 €2.94

53.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.34 €20.76

$17.13 €15.24

36.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.05

$11.13 €9.90

31.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.73 €20.22

$24.16 €21.49

-5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.47 €2.20

24.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.86 €1.66

30.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$2.84 €2.53

17.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.72

$3.27 €2.91

27.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.02 €1.80

19.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.97 €2.64

-34.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.51 €1.35

19.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.53 €0.47

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 €6.40

$6.75 €6.01

6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.54

$5.49 €4.88

74.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.88 €1.67

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.29 €2.03

5.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.75 €1.56

44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 €38.38

$59.1 €52.6

-26.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 €7.04

$4.37 €3.89

81.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.21 €1.07

90.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 €57.6

$34.65 €30.82

86.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.99 €1.77

10.55%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$36.0K €32.0K

0.40%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$35.7K €31.8K

3.62%

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

$250 €223

$221 €197

13.12%

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

$10.20 €9.08

$10.30 €9.16

-0.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 €26.19

$29.77 €26.48

-1.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 €75.3

$51.1 €45.44

65.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.03 €30.27

$28.26 €25.13

20.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.83

$12.92 €11.50

-14.47%

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

$846 €753

$572 €508

48.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$10.1K €9,001

83.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.7

$114 €102

-11.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.43

$39.92 €35.51

27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$86.6 €77.0

32.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €145

$142 €126

15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,502

$788 €701

114.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,036

$532 €473

118.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 €3,056

$1,161 €1,032

196.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 €1,813

$929 €827

119.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,339

$3,366 €2,994

211.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,580

$2,069 €1,840

148.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,190 €1,948

$2,135 €1,899

2.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

2.92

8.90%

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

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pavia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.5%

Pavia

$532 30% 54.3% $633

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$420 16.4%

Pavia

$344 19.4% 18.1% $76

Eating Out

Milan

$312 12.2%

Pavia

$311 17.5% 0.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$290 11.3%

Pavia

$261 14.7% 9.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$193 7.6%

Pavia

$172 9.7% 10.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Pavia

$77 4.3% 27.9% $30

Getting Around

Milan

$73 2.8%

Pavia

$77 4.3% 5.4% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Milan and $788 in Pavia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 3% 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 $78.0 in Pavia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $344 per month, with Pavia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Pavia

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

71,214

💱 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 Pavia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pavia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% 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 $788 in Pavia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $846 in Milan versus $572 in Pavia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,774 in Pavia versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pavia but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Pavia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pavia 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 Pavia 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 Pavia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.