Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Siena Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Siena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,926 in Siena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,885 in Siena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,844 in Siena.

Living in Milan is roughly 30% more expensive than Siena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Siena 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.84

$17.45 €15.01

32.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$80.0 €68.8

15.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.95

$11.40 €9.80

11.67%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$1.97 €1.69

10.15%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.05 €2.62

5.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.36 €1.17

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.11

$5.75 €4.94

23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.66 €4.87

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.44 €1.24

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.40 €2.06

17.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$2.19 €1.89

52.51%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.70

$4.33 €3.72

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €16.98

$14.35 €12.35

37.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.20

$12.97 €11.16

0.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.24

$22.05 €18.97

11.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.74 €2.36

3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.48 €2.13

-6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.62 €3.12

-6.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.62 €3.12

8.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.00 €1.72

29.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.84 €1.59

19.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.49 €1.28

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.62 €0.53

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.91

$7.07 €6.09

-2.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.83

$6.88 €5.92

32.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.71 €1.47

37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.63 €2.26

14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.99 €1.71

25.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

$40.93 €35.21

11.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €6.99

$6.75 €5.80

20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.13 €1.83

23.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.08

$32.90 €28.30

20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.08 €1.79

-1.44%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$27.4K €23.5K

22.11%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$36.7K €31.6K

-0.86%

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

$216 €185

$267 €230

-19.32%

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

$11.71 €10.07

$12.76 €10.97

-8.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.21

$30.95 €26.63

-1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.6

$79.5 €68.4

-5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.94

$23.50 €20.22

58.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.10

$9.10 €7.82

29.01%

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

$875 €753

$117 €101

647.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$11.3K €9,762

47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.0

$91.9 €79.0

25.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$38.14 €32.81

39.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$91.3 €78.5

25.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$127 €109

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,387

$1,074 €924

50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €978

$714 €614

59.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,699

$1,723 €1,482

82.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,793

$1,080 €929

92.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,505

$4,689 €4,034

135.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,787

$4,051 €3,485

37.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,953

$1,954 €1,681

16.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.24

-23.35%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Siena: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $1,074 in Siena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 16% 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: $92.0 in Milan vs $80.0 in Siena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $350 per month, with Siena 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 Siena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siena is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Milan pays 16% more on average, 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $1,074 in Siena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $117 in Siena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,926 in Siena versus $2,508 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 30% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.