Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Pavia Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Pavia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Milan versus $1,698 in Pavia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,883 in Milan versus $2,757 in Pavia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,324 in Milan versus $3,817 in Pavia.

Living in Milan is roughly 44% more expensive than Pavia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 81% above, Pavia 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.10 €19.66

$17.58 €14.96

31.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 €78.3

$80.6 €68.6

14.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.00 €11.06

$9.50 €8.09

36.84%

Cappuccino

$2.21 €1.88

$1.76 €1.50

25.57%

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

$3.40 €2.89

$3.61 €3.07

-5.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.78 €1.51

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 €6.01

$5.86 €4.99

20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.79

$5.87 €4.99

-4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.70 €1.44

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 €2.45

$3.27 €2.79

-11.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 €2.73

$2.83 €2.41

13.43%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.73

$3.75 €3.19

17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 €16.73

$23.83 €20.28

-17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 €11.21

$10.23 €8.71

28.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.43 €20.79

$34.51 €29.37

-29.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.43

$2.64 €2.25

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.33 €1.98

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.86

$3.24 €2.76

3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 €3.51

$4.29 €3.65

-3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.26

$2.19 €1.86

21.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.82

$2.90 €2.47

-26.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.39

$2.16 €1.84

-24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 €5.94

$7.07 €6.02

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 €7.87

$4.47 €3.81

106.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.01

$1.80 €1.53

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.62

$1.43 €1.22

115.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 €2.19

$1.78 €1.51

44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.57 €37.93

$40.07 €34.10

11.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 €6.98

$4.58 €3.89

79.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.15 €0.98

126.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €33.79

$35.67 €30.35

11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.75

$2.08 €1.77

-0.96%

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

$33.5K €28.5K

$39.0K €33.2K

-14.24%

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

$35.7K €30.4K

$35.9K €30.6K

-0.60%

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

$218 €186

0.08%

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

$11.69 €9.95

$13.53 €11.52

-13.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €26.13

$27.07 €23.03

13.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.6 €65.1

$52.3 €44.48

46.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.94 €31.44

$29.33 €24.96

25.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 €9.76

$12.54 €10.68

-8.53%

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

$890 €757

$615 €523

44.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.2K

$6,626 €5,638

151.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €96.2

$110 €93.9

2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 €46.80

$53.6 €45.65

2.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €97.7

$85.9 €73.1

33.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 €148

$126 €107

38.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 €1,384

$793 €675

105.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 €953

$478 €406

134.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,194 €2,718

$1,087 €925

193.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 €1,769

$965 €821

115.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.0K €9,326

$3,602 €3,065

204.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,526

$2,221 €1,890

139.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,284 €1,944

$2,224 €1,893

2.69%

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Pavia: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,626 in Milan and $793 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: $92 in Milan vs $81 in Pavia. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $414, with Milan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Milan pays 3% 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: $1,626 in Milan versus $793 in Pavia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $890 in Milan versus $615 in Pavia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,698 in Pavia versus $2,441 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.