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: $2,508 in Milan versus $2,073 in Varese.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $3,436 in Varese.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $4,799 in Varese.

Living in Milan is roughly 21% more expensive than Varese, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Varese 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.84

$17.23 €14.82

33.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$80.7 €69.5

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.95

$14.11 €12.13

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$2.01 €1.73

7.96%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.57 €3.07

-9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.24 €1.06

20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.11

$6.18 €5.32

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.72 €4.92

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.74 €1.50

5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$3.42 €2.94

-17.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.21 €2.76

4.05%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.70

$4.13 €3.56

4.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €16.98

$21.69 €18.66

-8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.20

$13.36 €11.49

-2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.24

$33.87 €29.14

-27.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.69 €2.31

5.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.38 €2.04

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.50 €2.15

34.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.22 €3.63

-6.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.14 €1.84

21.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.88 €1.61

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.60 €1.37

1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.50 €0.43

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.91

$7.27 €6.26

-5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.83

$4.22 €3.63

115.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.78 €1.53

32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.49 €1.28

101.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.93 €1.66

29.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €6.99

$5.85 €5.03

38.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.01 €0.87

160.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.08

$41.16 €35.41

-3.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.09 €1.80

-1.91%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$34.8K €30.0K

-4.08%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$36.2K €31.1K

0.57%

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

$216 €185

$249 €215

-13.60%

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

$11.71 €10.07

$13.70 €11.79

-14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.21

$35.06 €30.16

-13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.6

$55.7 €47.93

34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.94

$24.61 €21.17

50.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.10

$12.67 €10.90

-7.34%

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

$875 €753

$752 €647

16.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$6,789 €5,840

145.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.0

$106 €91.6

8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$41.25 €35.48

29.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$124 €107

-7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$169 €146

1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,387

$937 €806

72.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €978

$745 €641

52.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,699

$1,746 €1,502

79.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,793

$1,763 €1,517

18.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,505

$2,458 €2,114

349.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,787

$1,687 €1,451

229.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,953

$2,360 €2,030

-3.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.63

-29.81%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Varese: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $937 in Varese. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 4% 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 $81.0 in Varese. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $416, 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 Varese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varese is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Varese earns 4% 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 $937 in Varese. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $752 in Varese. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,073 in Varese versus $2,508 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 21% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.