Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Thornton, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Milan: $2,555 a month against $2,887 in Thornton, CO, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milan, Italy
Thornton, CO, United States
Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,555
/mo nomad
Thornton, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,887
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Milan and in Thornton, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,555 in Milan versus $2,887 in Thornton, CO.

  • Milan $2,555
  • Thornton, CO $2,887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Milan versus $3,977 in Thornton, CO.

  • Milan $3,859
  • Thornton, CO $3,977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Milan versus $5,068 in Thornton, CO.

  • Milan $5,163
  • Thornton, CO $5,068

Living in Milan costs roughly 11% less than in Thornton, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 88% above, Thornton, CO 112% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.10 €19.85
$20.21 $20.21
9.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.0 €80.0
$84.0 $84.0
6.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.35 €11.99
$13.03 $13.03
2.46%
Cappuccino
$2.14 €1.92
$5.90 $5.90
-63.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 €3.31
$3.00 $3.00
22.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.75
$2.27 $2.27
-14.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.96 €6.25
$7.12 $7.12
-2.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.78 €6.09
$8.05 $8.05
-15.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.57
$1.07 $1.07
63.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.19 €2.86
$3.24 $3.24
-1.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.69 €3.31
$4.29 $4.29
-13.99%
Eggs
$5.02 €4.51
$5.10 $5.10
-1.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.30 €20.93
$14.77 $14.77
57.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.73 €13.23
$13.72 $13.72
7.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.89 €20.56
$19.16 $19.16
19.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.96 €2.66
$5.26 $5.26
-43.73%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$2.16 $2.16
6.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 €2.90
$4.50 $4.50
-28.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.30 €3.87
$4.65 $4.65
-7.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$2.64 $2.64
-14.39%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$2.50 $2.50
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 €1.60
$2.40 $2.40
-25.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 €0.55
$2.43 $2.43
-74.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.25 €6.51
$10.20 $10.20
-28.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.77 €8.77
$19.18 $19.18
-49.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.74
$2.78 $2.78
-30.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.14
$4.76 $4.76
-50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.45 €2.20
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.45 €39.03
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.62 €6.85
$3.40 $3.40
124.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.39 $1.39
64.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$65.1 €58.5
$24.76 $24.76
162.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.03 $1.03
113.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K €32.7K
$28.5K $28.5K
27.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.6K
$26.2K $26.2K
43.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 €223
$165 $165
50.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.29 €9.24
$77.5 $77.5
-86.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.70 €26.68
$86.6 $86.6
-65.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.9 €74.4
$55.7 $55.7
48.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.55 €30.13
$9.96 $9.96
236.85%
Cinema Ticket
$11.38 €10.22
$15.02 $15.02
-24.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$939 €844
$1,579 $1,579
-40.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K €16.8K
$24.7K $24.7K
-24.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.9
$58.3 $58.3
73.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.50 €44.47
$39.21 $39.21
26.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 €104
$83.1 $83.1
39.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 €147
$124 $124
31.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,764 €1,585
$1,743 $1,743
1.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 €1,046
$1,535 $1,535
-24.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,429 €3,080
$2,628 $2,628
30.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,975 €1,774
$2,029 $2,029
-2.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.6K €9,499
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,220 €4,689
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milan
Thornton, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,162 €1,942
$5,576 $5,576
-61.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
6.72
-52.68%

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

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Thornton, CO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Milan
$1.2K
Thornton, CO
$1.5K 31.9% $371
Groceries & Markets
Milan
$419
Thornton, CO
$445 6.3% $26
Eating Out
Milan
$313
Thornton, CO
$344 9.9% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milan
$288
Thornton, CO
$329 14.3% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Milan
$194
Thornton, CO
$137 29.1% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Milan
$106
Thornton, CO
$86 18.9% $20
Getting Around
Milan
$72
Thornton, CO
$10 * 85.7% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,764 in Milan and $1,743 in Thornton, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thornton, CO pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Milan vs $84 in Thornton, CO. Groceries flip the comparison at $419 vs $445, with Milan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Milan
🇺🇸 Thornton, CO
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
13:58 1:58 PM
7 h behind Milan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,394,798
139,478
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Milan Thornton, CO 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Milan
  • Thornton, CO

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 Thornton, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Milan cheaper than Thornton, CO?
Milan is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Milan or Thornton, CO?
On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Milan. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Milan and Thornton, CO?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,764 in Milan versus $1,743 in Thornton, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Milan and in Thornton, CO?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Thornton, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Milan and in Thornton, CO?
All in, you’ll spend $2,555 per month in Milan versus $2,887 in Thornton, CO – Milan is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Milan or in Thornton, CO?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Milan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Milan or in Thornton, CO?
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.
Which city is safer, Milan or Thornton, CO?
Safety-wise, Milan and Thornton, CO are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Milan wins on affordability, Thornton, CO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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