Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Riva del Garda Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Riva del Garda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,736 in Riva del Garda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $2,729 in Riva del Garda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $3,722 in Riva del Garda.

Living in Milan is roughly 42% more expensive than in Riva del Garda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Riva del Garda 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.61

$17.07 €14.95

37.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$92.7 €81.2

-1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.14

$11.60 €10.16

9.66%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$2.38 €2.08

-11.76%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$3.52 €3.08

-4.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.27

$2.40 €2.10

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.15

$5.70 €4.99

23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$5.07 €4.44

11.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.13 €0.99

56.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.80 €2.45

1.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$2.52 €2.20

30.16%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.73

$4.93 €4.32

-13.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.31

$15.92 €13.94

24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.35

$12.22 €10.71

6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.25

$17.47 €15.30

38.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$1.73 €1.51

63.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.02 €1.77

17.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$2.67 €2.34

25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.42

$2.69 €2.36

44.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.23

$1.47 €1.28

72.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.74 €1.52

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.13 €0.99

45.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.24 €0.21

191.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$7.92 €6.93

-9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.13

$8.17 €7.15

13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$1.18 €1.04

108.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$1.13 €0.99

177.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.72 €1.50

47.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.26

$42.71 €37.41

4.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.28 €7.26

-3.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$1.78 €1.56

49.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.76

$40.82 €35.75

-2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.05 €1.79

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$29.2K €25.5K

16.81%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$34.6K €30.3K

4.54%

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

$215 €188

$217 €190

-0.78%

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

$11.65 €10.20

$11.41 €9.99

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.40

$29.79 €26.09

5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.6

$54.6 €47.77

39.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.89

$23.13 €20.26

62.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.96

$12.58 €11.02

-9.54%

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

$878 €769

$478 €419

83.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$6,953 €6,090

135.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.2

$92.5 €81.0

21.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.73

$57.8 €50.6

-7.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$151 €132

-23.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$163 €143

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$745 €652

111.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$585 €512

92.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,810

$1,231 €1,078

160.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,795

$943 €826

117.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,333

$2,796 €2,449

281.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,680

$2,120 €1,856

152.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,934

$1,840 €1,612

20.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.11

4.50%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Riva del Garda: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $745 in Riva del Garda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 20% 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: $91.0 in Milan vs $93.0 in Riva del Garda. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $315, with Riva del Garda 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 Riva del Garda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riva del Garda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,573 in Milan versus $745 in Riva del Garda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Milan versus $478 in Riva del Garda. 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 $1,736 in Riva del Garda versus $2,467 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riva del Garda but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Riva del Garda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Riva del Garda 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 Riva del Garda 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 Riva del Garda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.