Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Riva del Garda

For one person, living is cheaper in Riva del Garda: $1,704 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Riva del Garda
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Riva del Garda Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Riva del Garda

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Riva del Garda

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 Riva del Garda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,704 in Riva del Garda.

Milan $2,560
Riva del Garda $1,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,560 in Riva del Garda.

Milan $3,895
Riva del Garda $2,560

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,231 in Milan versus $3,416 in Riva del Garda.

Milan $5,231
Riva del Garda $3,416

Living in Milan is roughly 50% more expensive than in Riva del Garda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 89% above, Riva del Garda 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 €19.78

$16.45 €14.72

34.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 €79.3

$59.3 €53.0

49.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.83

$13.44 €12.02

-1.64%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.86

$2.28 €2.04

-8.77%

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

$3.82 €3.42

$3.45 €3.09

10.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.64

$2.28 €2.04

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €6.15

$5.55 €4.96

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.20

$4.53 €4.05

52.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.14 €1.02

54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 €2.95

$2.63 €2.35

25.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.20

$2.72 €2.43

31.25%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.55

$5.41 €4.84

-6.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.34 €20.88

$12.88 €11.53

81.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 €13.13

$10.17 €9.10

44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.73 €20.33

$17.07 €15.27

33.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.75

$1.65 €1.48

86.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.88 €1.68

28.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.99

$2.64 €2.37

26.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.74

$2.55 €2.28

63.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$1.90 €1.70

26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.58 €1.42

23.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.62

$1.09 €0.97

66.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.23 €0.21

147.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 €6.44

$7.92 €7.09

-9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.59

$7.88 €7.05

21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.10 €0.98

78.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.14 €1.02

112.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.25

$1.71 €1.53

47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 €38.61

$42.58 €38.09

1.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 €7.08

$7.84 €7.01

1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.69 €1.51

36.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 €57.9

$30.81 €27.57

110.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.99 €1.78

10.55%

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

$36.1K €32.3K

-0.08%

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

$37.0K €33.1K

$34.9K €31.2K

6.11%

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

$250 €224

$211 €188

18.86%

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

$10.20 €9.13

$11.29 €10.10

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 €26.35

$28.44 €25.44

3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 €75.7

$55.3 €49.43

53.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.03 €30.45

$23.38 €20.92

45.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.89

$12.28 €10.99

-10.02%

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

$846 €757

$585 €523

44.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.6K

$6,644 €5,944

179.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$90.1 €80.6

11.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €45.69

$44.18 €39.52

15.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$145 €130

-21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €146

$160 €144

1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,511

$724 €648

133.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,042

$558 €499

108.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 €3,074

$1,172 €1,049

193.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 €1,823

$886 €793

129.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,394

$2,930 €2,621

258.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,607

$2,045 €1,829

151.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,190 €1,959

$1,778 €1,591

23.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.11

2.25%

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

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Riva del Garda: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.5%

Riva del Garda

$558 32.8% 52.1% $607

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$420 16.4%

Riva del Garda

$293 17.2% 30.1% $126

Eating Out

Milan

$312 12.2%

Riva del Garda

$259 15.2% 17.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$290 11.3%

Riva del Garda

$250 14.7% 13.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$193 7.6%

Riva del Garda

$198 11.6% 2.3% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Riva del Garda

$80 4.7% 25.2% $27

Getting Around

Milan

$73 2.8%

Riva del Garda

$66 3.9% 9.5% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Milan and $724 in Riva del Garda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 23% 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 in Milan vs $59 in Riva del Garda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $293 per month, with Riva del Garda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Riva del Garda

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

16,926

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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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, eating out, and leisure. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $724 in Riva del Garda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,560 per month in Milan versus $1,704 in Riva del Garda – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Riva del Garda gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Riva del Garda wins on affordability, Milan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.