Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Trieste Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Trieste

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Milan versus $1,817 in Trieste.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $2,746 in Trieste.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $3,674 in Trieste.

Living in Milan is roughly 36% more expensive than in Trieste, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Trieste 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.61

$17.34 €15.19

35.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €80.1

$68.8 €60.3

32.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.14

$12.05 €10.55

5.56%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$2.14 €1.87

-1.87%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$3.42 €3.00

-2.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.27

$1.76 €1.54

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.15

$6.29 €5.51

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.94

$5.67 €4.97

-0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.92 €1.68

-7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.49

$3.00 €2.63

-5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$3.78 €3.31

-13.23%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.73

$3.97 €3.47

7.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.31

$15.23 €13.34

29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.35

$12.21 €10.70

6.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.25

$18.16 €15.90

33.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$2.65 €2.32

6.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.50 €2.19

-4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$2.96 €2.59

12.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.42

$4.36 €3.82

-10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.23

$2.38 €2.08

6.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.18 €1.91

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.87 €1.64

-12.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.62 €0.54

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$6.95 €6.09

2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.13

$7.89 €6.91

17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.16

$1.80 €1.58

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.75

$3.56 €3.12

-11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.63 €1.43

55.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.26

$44.47 €38.94

0.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.98

$10.78 €9.44

-26.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

$1.33 €1.17

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.76

$38.92 €34.08

1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.01 €1.76

1.99%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$34.2K €29.9K

-0.26%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$41.3K €36.2K

-12.50%

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

$215 €188

$223 €195

-3.63%

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

$11.65 €10.20

$12.76 €11.17

-8.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.40

$32.25 €28.25

-3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.6

$53.7 €47.07

41.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.89

$27.04 €23.69

38.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.96

$9.53 €8.35

19.41%

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

$878 €769

$703 €616

24.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$10.5K €9,173

56.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.2

$87.5 €76.7

28.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.73

$36.69 €32.13

45.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$97.2 €85.2

18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$140 €123

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$823 €721

91.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$647 €567

73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,810

$1,326 €1,162

141.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,795

$1,051 €920

95.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,333

$3,797 €3,325

180.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,680

$2,157 €1,889

147.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,934

$1,924 €1,685

14.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.6

-29.35%

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

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Trieste: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $823 in Trieste. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 15% 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: $91.0 in Milan vs $69.0 in Trieste for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $362 per month, with Trieste 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 Trieste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trieste is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,573 in Milan versus $823 in Trieste. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Milan versus $703 in Trieste. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,817 in Trieste versus $2,467 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Trieste but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Trieste the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Trieste 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 Trieste 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 Trieste gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.