Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Scalea

For one person, living is cheaper in Scalea: $1,723 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Scalea
Learn more

Scalea Living Index

Jump to prices

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Scalea

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Scalea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $1,723 in Scalea.

Milan $2,555
Scalea $1,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $2,482 in Scalea.

Milan $3,859
Scalea $2,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $3,241 in Scalea.

Milan $5,163
Scalea $3,241

Living in Milan is roughly 48% more expensive than in Scalea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Scalea 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.85

$16.80 €15.09

31.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €80.0

$56.6 €50.8

57.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.35 €11.99

$11.02 €9.90

21.14%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.92

$2.10 €1.89

1.90%

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

$3.68 €3.31

$2.96 €2.66

24.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.08 €1.87

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.25

$6.59 €5.92

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.09

$4.13 €3.71

64.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.26 €1.13

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 €2.86

$1.68 €1.50

89.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.62 €2.35

40.84%

Eggs

$5.02 €4.51

$3.41 €3.06

47.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.93

$11.04 €9.92

111.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.23

$11.70 €10.51

25.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 €20.56

$15.79 €14.18

44.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.66

$1.99 €1.78

48.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.73 €1.56

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.90

$1.39 €1.25

132.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.87

$2.64 €2.37

62.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.74 €1.56

29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.30 €1.17

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.28 €1.15

39.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.46 €0.42

32.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.51

$6.82 €6.12

6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 €8.77

$7.81 €7.01

25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.74

$1.83 €1.64

5.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.14

$1.53 €1.37

55.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.66 €1.49

47.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €39.03

$38.62 €34.69

12.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.85

$4.57 €4.11

66.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.06

$1.14 €1.02

100.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.5

$22.00 €19.76

195.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.12 €1.91

3.77%

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

$36.3K €32.7K

$36.0K €32.3K

0.99%

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

$37.4K €33.6K

$37.6K €33.8K

-0.45%

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

$248 €223

$315 €283

-21.22%

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

$10.29 €9.24

$10.52 €9.45

-2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €26.68

$34.57 €31.05

-14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 €74.4

$53.1 €47.73

55.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.13

$22.55 €20.26

48.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.22

$9.07 €8.14

25.47%

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

$939 €844

$445 €400

111.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.8K

$6,807 €6,114

175.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$83.0 €74.6

21.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.47

$34.18 €30.70

44.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €104

$84.9 €76.3

36.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €147

$129 €116

26.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 €1,585

$700 €629

151.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,046

$556 €500

109.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 €3,080

$1,099 €987

212.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,774

$819 €735

141.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,499

$1,452 €1,304

628.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,220 €4,689

$1,141 €1,025

357.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,162 €1,942

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.55

-10.42%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Scalea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.6%

Scalea

$556 32.3% 52.2% $608

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$419 16.4%

Scalea

$278 16.1% 33.6% $141

Eating Out

Milan

$313 12.3%

Scalea

$254 14.7% 18.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$288 11.3%

Scalea

$360 20.9% 25% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$194 7.6%

Scalea

$149 8.6% 23% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$106 4.1%

Scalea

$71 4.1% 32.5% $34

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Scalea

$56 3.2% 23.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $700 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $57 in Scalea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $278 per month, with Scalea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Scalea

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

10,913

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milan Scalea 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
Scalea

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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scalea is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,833 in Milan and $2,585 in Scalea 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: $1,764 in Milan versus $700 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Milan versus $445 in Scalea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Scalea 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 Scalea are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Scalea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.