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: $2,645 in Milan versus $2,269 in Thunder Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Milan versus $3,424 in Thunder Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,444 in Milan versus $4,579 in Thunder Bay.

Living in Milan is roughly 17% more expensive than in Thunder Bay, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 92% above, Thunder Bay 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.76 €21.30

$17.82 CA$24.66

38.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.3 €83.7

$60.3 CA$83.5

61.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.97

$12.45 CA$17.23

11.73%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.83

$3.47 CA$4.80

-38.62%

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

$4.02 €3.46

$1.99 CA$2.75

102.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.57 CA$2.17

31.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.93

$5.34 CA$7.39

29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €5.99

$5.16 CA$7.14

34.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.28 CA$3.15

-21.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 €2.87

$2.67 CA$3.70

25.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.25

$3.29 CA$4.55

14.89%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.36

$3.87 CA$5.36

31.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.70 €20.39

$17.32 CA$23.96

36.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 €12.93

$16.47 CA$22.79

-8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.74 €20.43

$16.82 CA$23.27

41.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$3.36 CA$4.64

-4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$1.23 CA$1.70

107.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.87 CA$5.35

-9.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 €3.95

$3.53 CA$4.88

30.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.12

$2.44 CA$3.38

1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.08 CA$2.88

3.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.58

$3.01 CA$4.17

-38.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$2.33 CA$3.22

-74.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 €6.47

$11.03 CA$15.26

-31.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 €8.05

$8.94 CA$12.36

4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.00 CA$2.77

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$3.06 CA$4.23

-22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$2.38 CA$3.29

4.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.87 €39.47

$64.2 CA$88.8

-28.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 €6.94

$5.37 CA$7.44

50.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.10 CA$2.91

12.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 €56.0

$35.67 CA$49.36

82.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.12 CA$1.54

91.96%

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

$38.3K €32.9K

$28.0K CA$38.7K

36.62%

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

$37.7K €32.4K

$19.4K CA$26.9K

93.81%

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

$267 €230

$160 CA$221

67.19%

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

$10.89 €9.37

$58.2 CA$80.5

-81.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €26.41

$81.0 CA$112

-62.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 €76.0

$29.68 CA$41.07

197.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.05 €29.30

$17.98 CA$24.88

89.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 €11.08

$17.72 CA$24.53

-27.37%

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

$862 €742

$692 CA$958

24.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K €17.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.6

$77.7 CA$107

37.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 €45.24

$35.80 CA$49.53

46.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$77.9 CA$108

50.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €146

$135 CA$187

25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 €1,498

$1,079 CA$1,492

61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,052

$951 CA$1,316

28.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,638 €3,130

$1,930 CA$2,670

88.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 €1,797

$1,705 CA$2,360

22.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,559

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,102 €4,390

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 €1,958

$2,743 CA$3,796

-17.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

4.58

-30.79%

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

Last update for Milan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,740 in Milan and $1,079 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thunder Bay pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Milan vs $60.0 in Thunder Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $406 per month, with Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thunder Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Thunder Bay. 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: $1,740 in Milan versus $1,079 in Thunder Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $862 in Milan versus $692 in Thunder Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,269 in Thunder Bay versus $2,645 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 17% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.