Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Prato

For one person, living is cheaper in Prato: $1,902 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Prato
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Prato Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Prato

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Prato

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,902 in Prato.

Milan $2,555
Prato $1,902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $2,809 in Prato.

Milan $3,859
Prato $2,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $3,716 in Prato.

Milan $5,163
Prato $3,716

Living in Milan is roughly 34% more expensive than in Prato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Prato 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.80

$24.16 €21.65

-8.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.8

$76.7 €68.7

16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.96

$11.94 €10.70

11.81%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.91

$1.87 €1.67

14.44%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$2.95 €2.65

24.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.42 €1.28

37.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.24

$6.73 €6.03

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$5.52 €4.95

22.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.66 €1.48

5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.10 €1.89

51.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.92 €2.61

26.37%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.50

$4.82 €4.32

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.88

$20.89 €18.72

11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.20

$11.94 €10.70

23.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.51

$18.86 €16.90

21.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.56 €2.30

15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.36 €2.12

-2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$3.37 €3.02

-4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.86

$3.16 €2.83

36.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.31 €2.07

-2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.72 €1.54

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.25 €1.12

42.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.35 €0.31

74.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.50

$6.74 €6.04

7.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.75

$7.94 €7.12

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$2.07 €1.85

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.99 €2.68

-20.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.21 €1.98

10.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.93

$38.40 €34.41

13.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.83

$3.59 €3.22

112.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.25 €1.12

83.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.3

$30.47 €27.30

113.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.98 €1.77

11.11%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$29.4K €26.4K

23.59%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$34.8K €31.2K

7.45%

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

$248 €222

$284 €254

-12.63%

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

$10.29 €9.22

$11.60 €10.39

-11.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.61

$29.15 €26.12

1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.2

$42.02 €37.65

97.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.20

$11.02 €9.87

3.27%

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

$939 €842

$389 €348

141.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$16.8K €15.0K

11.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.7

$95.0 €85.1

6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.36

$36.13 €32.38

37.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$102 €91.4

13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$148 €133

10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,581

$752 €674

134.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,043

$615 €551

89.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,073

$1,062 €951

223.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,769

$885 €793

123.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,476

$3,268 €2,928

223.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,677

$2,109 €1,890

147.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,937

$2,133 €1,912

1.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.16

0.63%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Prato: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Prato

$615 32.4% 47.2% $549

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Prato

$356 18.7% 15.1% $63

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Prato

$314 16.5% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Prato

$324 17.1% 12.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Prato

$172 9% 11.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Prato

$64 3.4% 39.3% $42

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Prato

$57 3% 21.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $752 in Prato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $77 in Prato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $356 per month, with Prato cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Prato

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

191,150

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Prato 230 km

From you

Milan
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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 Prato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Prato is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,833 in Milan and $2,852 in Prato to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,764 in Milan versus $752 in Prato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Milan versus $389 in Prato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,902 in Prato versus $2,555 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Prato but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Prato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Prato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.