Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Siena

For one person, living is cheaper in Siena: $1,836 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Siena
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Siena Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Siena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,836

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Siena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,560 in Milan versus $1,836 in Siena.

Milan $2,560
Siena $1,836

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Milan versus $2,784 in Siena.

Milan $3,895
Siena $2,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Milan versus $3,733 in Siena.

Milan $5,230
Siena $3,733

Living in Milan is roughly 39% more expensive than in Siena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Siena 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.52 €20.03

$15.36 €13.66

46.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.4

$90.9 €80.9

-1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.71

$13.54 €12.05

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$1.89 €1.68

12.70%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$2.96 €2.63

23.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.41 €1.26

29.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 €5.92

$6.19 €5.51

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 €5.91

$5.59 €4.98

18.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.45 €1.29

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.24 €2.00

41.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$1.64 €1.46

115.85%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.34

$4.03 €3.58

21.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.85 €20.33

$13.54 €12.04

68.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 €13.09

$11.93 €10.61

23.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.77 €20.25

$21.56 €19.18

5.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$2.57 €2.29

21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.15 €1.91

11.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.13 €2.79

8.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$3.16 €2.81

35.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.82 €1.62

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.57 €1.40

29.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.37 €1.22

27.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.52 €0.46

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 €6.64

$6.66 €5.93

12.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.52

$6.53 €5.81

46.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.51 €1.34

33.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.62 €2.33

-6.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.94 €1.73

22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.27 €38.49

$41.73 €37.12

3.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$6.45 €5.74

18.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.39 €1.24

62.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.2 €58.0

$32.32 €28.74

101.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.08 €1.85

5.77%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$27.6K €24.6K

32.08%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.5K €31.6K

-0.31%

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

$247 €220

$194 €173

27.07%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$13.47 €11.98

-24.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$31.20 €27.75

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 €73.3

$70.4 €62.7

16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.18 €30.41

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 €10.77

$11.30 €10.05

7.17%

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

$857 €762

$576 €513

48.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.5K

$14.7K €13.1K

26.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.2

$84.0 €74.7

20.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €45.21

$37.04 €32.95

37.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$95.9 €85.3

21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$107 €95.0

56.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,540

$1,138 €1,013

52.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$725 €645

61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 €3,026

$1,720 €1,530

97.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 €1,811

$1,122 €998

81.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,376

$4,381 €3,897

140.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 €4,661

$3,930 €3,495

33.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,908

$1,882 €1,674

13.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

3.29

-3.34%

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

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Siena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.7%

Siena

$725 39.5% 38% $444

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$417 16.3%

Siena

$325 17.7% 22.1% $92

Eating Out

Milan

$314 12.3%

Siena

$246 13.4% 21.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$286 11.2%

Siena

$239 13% 16.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$196 7.7%

Siena

$146 7.9% 25.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$107 4.2%

Siena

$93 5.1% 12.7% $14

Getting Around

Milan

$72 2.8%

Siena

$63 3.4% 12.4% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,731 in Milan and $1,138 in Siena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 14% 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: $89.0 in Milan vs $91.0 in Siena. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $325, with Siena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇮🇹 Siena

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

53,903

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Milan vs Siena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,731 in Milan versus $1,138 in Siena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $857 in Milan versus $576 in Siena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,836 in Siena versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Siena but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Siena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Siena 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 Siena 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 Siena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.