Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Thunder Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Thunder Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $2,413 in Thunder Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $3,528 in Thunder Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $4,642 in Thunder Bay.

Living in Milan is roughly 4% more expensive than Thunder Bay, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Thunder Bay 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.86

$18.24 CA$25.34

26.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.3

$59.3 CA$82.3

55.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.96

$12.65 CA$17.58

0.63%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$3.64 CA$5.06

-40.38%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$1.86 CA$2.58

73.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.48 CA$2.06

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$5.43 CA$7.55

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.06 CA$7.03

12.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.43 CA$3.38

-24.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.45 CA$3.41

14.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.39 CA$4.71

-1.47%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.71

$3.62 CA$5.04

19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €17.00

$17.19 CA$23.88

14.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.21

$16.50 CA$22.93

-21.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.26

$18.17 CA$25.24

35.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$3.44 CA$4.78

-17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.33 CA$1.85

73.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.92 CA$5.45

-14.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.58 CA$4.98

10.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.70 CA$3.76

-4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.14 CA$2.98

2.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$3.12 CA$4.33

-47.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$2.11 CA$2.93

-66.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$11.24 CA$15.62

-38.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$9.22 CA$12.80

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.04 CA$2.84

15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.73 CA$3.79

9.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$2.46 CA$3.42

1.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.25

$62.9 CA$87.4

-27.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €7.00

$3.30 CA$4.58

146.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.02 CA$2.81

30.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.11

$25.84 CA$35.90

53.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.16 CA$1.61

76.72%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$25.3K CA$35.2K

31.98%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$19.9K CA$27.7K

82.47%

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

$216 €186

$199 CA$276

8.44%

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

$11.71 €10.08

$60.1 CA$83.6

-80.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.24

$97.9 CA$136

-68.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.7

$30.22 CA$41.99

148.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.97

$18.76 CA$26.06

97.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.11

$13.36 CA$18.56

-12.13%

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

$875 €753

$750 CA$1,042

16.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$11.6K CA$16.1K

44.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.1

$59.1 CA$82.1

94.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.85

$35.69 CA$49.59

49.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.0

$75.6 CA$105

52.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$138 CA$192

23.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,388

$1,036 CA$1,439

55.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$1,059 CA$1,471

7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,702

$1,884 CA$2,618

66.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,795

$1,799 CA$2,499

15.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,515

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,792

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,955

$2,908 CA$4,040

-21.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

6.19

-47.50%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $1,036 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thunder Bay pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Milan vs $59.0 in Thunder Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $409, with Milan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thunder Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Thunder Bay earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Milan versus $1,036 in Thunder Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $750 in Thunder Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,413 in Thunder Bay versus $2,508 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thunder Bay but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Thunder Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.