Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,997 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
Learn more

Rome Living Index

Jump to prices

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Rome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,997 in Rome.

Milan $2,555
Rome $1,997

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $3,132 in Rome.

Milan $3,859
Rome $3,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $4,266 in Rome.

Milan $5,163
Rome $4,266

Living in Milan is roughly 28% more expensive than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Rome 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.82

$16.44 €14.75

34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.9

$68.0 €61.0

31.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.97

$11.14 €9.99

19.84%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.92

$2.02 €1.81

5.94%

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

$3.68 €3.30

$3.00 €2.69

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.48 €1.33

31.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.25

$5.69 €5.10

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.08

$6.77 €6.07

0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.69 €1.51

3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.19 €1.96

45.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$3.08 €2.76

19.81%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.50

$4.74 €4.25

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.90

$14.65 €13.14

59.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.21

$12.45 €11.17

18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.53

$19.48 €17.48

17.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.65

$2.60 €2.33

13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.35 €2.10

-1.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.89

$2.33 €2.09

38.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.86

$2.34 €2.10

83.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.36 €1.22

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.61 €1.44

24.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.32 €1.18

34.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.51 €0.46

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.50

$7.03 €6.31

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.76

$5.61 €5.03

74.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.64 €1.47

17.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.51 €2.25

-5.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.64 €1.47

49.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.97

$39.58 €35.51

9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.84

$6.77 €6.07

12.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.06

$1.65 €1.48

38.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.4

$34.02 €30.52

91.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.17 €1.95

1.38%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$35.4K €31.7K

2.77%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$36.6K €32.8K

2.26%

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

$248 €222

$210 €188

18.17%

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

$10.29 €9.23

$11.53 €10.34

-10.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.64

$32.32 €28.99

-8.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.3

$65.0 €58.3

27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.09

$23.53 €21.11

42.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.21

$11.32 €10.16

0.53%

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

$939 €842

$488 €438

92.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$16.7K €15.0K

12.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.8

$71.1 €63.8

42.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.40

$36.84 €33.04

34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$85.4 €76.6

35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$128 €115

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,583

$1,297 €1,163

36.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,044

$875 €785

33.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,076

$2,584 €2,318

32.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,771

$1,739 €1,560

13.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,485

$8,477 €7,604

24.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,682

$3,239 €2,905

61.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,939

$1,948 €1,748

10.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.52

-9.66%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Rome

$875 43.8% 24.8% $289

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Rome

$326 16.3% 22.2% $93

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Rome

$249 12.5% 20.5% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Rome

$254 12.7% 11.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Rome

$145 7.2% 25.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Rome

$88 4.4% 17% $18

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Rome

$61 3.1% 15.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $1,297 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 11% 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 $68 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $326 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Rome 480 km

From you

Milan
Rome

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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,764 in Milan versus $1,297 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Milan versus $488 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

For families, Rome 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 Rome 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.