Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Varese Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Varese

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,657 in Milan versus $2,067 in Varese.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Milan versus $3,485 in Varese.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,441 in Milan versus $4,904 in Varese.

Living in Milan is roughly 29% more expensive than in Varese, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 94% above, Varese 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.95 €20.87

$22.96 €20.01

4.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 €83.2

$103 €89.8

-7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €12.06

$14.70 €12.82

-5.92%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.84

$2.29 €1.99

-7.86%

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

$3.99 €3.48

$3.71 €3.23

7.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.74 €1.52

12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 €6.08

$6.85 €5.97

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 €5.92

$6.41 €5.58

6.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.81 €1.58

0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 €2.99

$2.95 €2.57

16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 €3.31

$3.15 €2.75

20.32%

Eggs

$5.18 €4.51

$4.58 €3.99

13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.71 €20.67

$18.12 €15.79

30.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.49 €13.50

$13.22 €11.52

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.63 €20.60

$29.04 €25.32

-18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.77

$2.67 €2.33

19.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.21

$2.41 €2.10

5.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 €3.17

$3.03 €2.64

19.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 €3.93

$3.97 €3.46

13.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.65 €2.31

-10.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.22 €1.93

-7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.51 €1.31

25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$0.56 €0.49

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.55 €6.58

$6.83 €5.96

10.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 €8.11

$8.15 €7.11

14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.80 €1.57

11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.61 €1.40

47.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.74 €2.39

-9.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.35 €38.66

$51.6 €44.95

-14.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.14

$5.91 €5.15

38.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.27 €1.98

0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 €54.6

$40.33 €35.15

55.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.07 €1.80

7.25%

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

$37.8K €33.0K

$36.9K €32.1K

2.63%

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

$36.6K €31.9K

$36.8K €32.1K

-0.55%

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

$265 €231

$222 €193

19.68%

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

$10.78 €9.40

$13.58 €11.84

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.61 €26.68

$31.96 €27.86

-4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.2 €74.3

$47.69 €41.57

78.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.22 €29.83

$26.14 €22.79

30.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 €11.26

$12.05 €10.50

7.22%

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

$887 €774

$759 €661

16.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K €17.2K

$7,215 €6,290

173.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €93.1

$113 €98.8

-5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 €46.73

$58.0 €50.6

-7.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €102

$132 €115

-11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €147

$168 €146

0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 €1,538

$975 €850

81.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,023

$732 €638

60.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,538 €3,084

$1,760 €1,534

101.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 €1,801

$1,643 €1,432

25.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K €9,492

$2,671 €2,328

307.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,428

$1,727 €1,505

194.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,242 €1,955

$2,459 €2,143

-8.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

3.62

-12.43%

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

Last update for Milan: September 15, 2026

Last update for Varese: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Milan and $975 in Varese. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Milan vs $103 in Varese. Groceries flip the comparison at $435 vs $399, with Varese 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 Varese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varese is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Varese. 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: $1,765 in Milan versus $975 in Varese. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $887 in Milan versus $759 in Varese. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,067 in Varese versus $2,657 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varese but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Varese the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varese 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 Varese 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 Varese gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.