Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and San Martino in Rio Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and San Martino in Rio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,733 in San Martino in Rio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,649 in San Martino in Rio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,566 in San Martino in Rio.

Living in Milan is roughly 45% more expensive than San Martino in Rio, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, San Martino in Rio 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.85

$17.47 €15.04

32.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.3

$82.6 €71.1

11.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.96

$11.78 €10.14

8.06%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$2.02 €1.74

7.43%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.52 €3.03

-8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.43 €1.23

4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$5.67 €4.88

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.63 €4.85

1.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.52 €1.31

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.09 €1.80

34.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$1.80 €1.55

85.56%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.71

$3.84 €3.30

12.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €17.00

$19.34 €16.65

2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.21

$10.56 €9.10

23.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.26

$20.73 €17.85

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.00 €1.72

42.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.98 €1.70

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.65 €2.28

27.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.37 €2.90

16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.32 €2.00

11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.63 €1.41

34.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.02 €0.88

59.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.54 €0.47

29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$7.13 €6.14

-3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$7.03 €6.06

29.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.81 €1.56

29.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$3.07 €2.65

-2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.78 €1.54

39.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.24

$42.84 €36.88

6.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €7.00

$5.66 €4.87

43.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.00 €0.86

163.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.10

$23.03 €19.83

71.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.10 €1.81

-2.38%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$29.2K €25.1K

14.66%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$39.6K €34.1K

-8.18%

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

$216 €186

$231 €199

-6.76%

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

$11.71 €10.08

$11.61 €9.99

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.24

$27.98 €24.09

8.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.7

$54.1 €46.61

38.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.97

$22.89 €19.71

62.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.11

$10.63 €9.15

10.44%

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

$875 €753

$523 €450

67.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$8,002 €6,889

108.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.1

$88.2 €75.9

30.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.84

$38.53 €33.17

38.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$123 €106

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$113 €97.6

50.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,388

$750 €645

115.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$572 €493

98.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,701

$1,213 €1,044

158.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,794

$918 €791

126.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,513

$2,764 €2,379

299.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,791

$2,040 €1,756

172.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,955

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.17

-22.06%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Martino in Rio: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $750 in San Martino in Rio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $92.0 in Milan vs $83.0 in San Martino in Rio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $331 per month, with San Martino in Rio 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 San Martino in Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Martino in Rio is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,762 in Milan and $2,600 in San Martino in Rio 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $750 in San Martino in Rio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $523 in San Martino in Rio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,733 in San Martino in Rio versus $2,508 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in San Martino in Rio but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes San Martino in Rio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Martino in Rio 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 San Martino in Rio 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 San Martino in Rio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.