Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Reggio Nell'emilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Reggio Nell'emilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,645 in Milan versus $1,767 in Reggio Nell'emilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Milan versus $2,772 in Reggio Nell'emilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,444 in Milan versus $3,778 in Reggio Nell'emilia.

Living in Milan is roughly 50% more expensive than in Reggio Nell'emilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 92% above, Reggio Nell'emilia 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.76 €21.35

$19.36 €16.70

27.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.3 €83.9

$81.6 €70.4

19.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.00

$11.74 €10.13

18.48%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.84

$2.44 €2.11

-12.70%

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

$4.02 €3.47

$3.70 €3.19

8.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.68 €1.45

22.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.94

$5.97 €5.15

15.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €6.00

$4.60 €3.97

51.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.48 €1.28

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.11 €1.82

58.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$2.06 €1.77

83.50%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.37

$4.34 €3.74

16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.70 €20.44

$21.63 €18.66

9.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 €12.96

$12.43 €10.72

20.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.74 €20.47

$18.73 €16.15

26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.52 €2.18

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.17 €1.87

17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.01

$2.66 €2.29

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 €3.96

$3.56 €3.07

28.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.28 €1.96

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.81 €2.43

-23.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.22 €1.05

50.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.61 €0.53

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 €6.49

$6.98 €6.02

7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 €8.07

$6.81 €5.87

37.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.56 €1.35

31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.41 €2.08

-2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$2.26 €1.95

10.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.87 €39.56

$43.50 €37.52

5.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 €6.96

$8.87 €7.65

-9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.05

$3.58 €3.09

-33.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 €56.1

$22.90 €19.75

184.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.06 €1.77

4.37%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$37.0K €31.9K

3.42%

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

$37.7K €32.5K

$39.8K €34.4K

-5.42%

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

$267 €230

$168 €144

59.43%

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

$10.89 €9.39

$8.39 €7.24

29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €26.47

$28.02 €24.17

9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 €76.2

$92.2 €79.5

-4.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.05 €29.37

$19.78 €17.06

72.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 €11.10

$10.71 €9.24

20.17%

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

$862 €744

$512 €441

68.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K €17.3K

$7,076 €6,103

183.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.8

$89.8 €77.5

18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 €45.34

$47.24 €40.75

11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$111 €95.3

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €147

$119 €103

42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 €1,501

$712 €614

144.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,054

$602 €519

103.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,638 €3,137

$1,088 €939

234.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 €1,801

$934 €806

123.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,581

$2,478 €2,137

348.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,102 €4,400

$2,246 €1,937

127.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 €1,962

$1,989 €1,715

14.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

3.92

-19.13%

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

Last update for Milan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Reggio Nell'emilia: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,740 in Milan and $712 in Reggio Nell'emilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 14% 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: $97.0 in Milan vs $82.0 in Reggio Nell'emilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $350 per month, with Reggio Nell'emilia cheaper across the board.

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 Reggio Nell'emilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reggio Nell'emilia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,740 in Milan versus $712 in Reggio Nell'emilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $862 in Milan versus $512 in Reggio Nell'emilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,767 in Reggio Nell'emilia versus $2,645 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Reggio Nell'emilia but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Reggio Nell'emilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Reggio Nell'emilia 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 Reggio Nell'emilia 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 Reggio Nell'emilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.