Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Waterford Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Waterford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Milan versus $2,767 in Waterford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $4,029 in Waterford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $5,291 in Waterford.

Living in Milan costs roughly 9% less than in Waterford, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Waterford 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.84

$22.75 €19.57

1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$92.1 €79.3

-0.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.95

$12.57 €10.81

1.27%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$4.01 €3.45

-45.89%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$2.45 €2.11

31.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.22 €1.91

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.11

$7.12 €6.12

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$5.57 €4.80

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.31 €1.12

40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.88 €2.48

-2.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$2.37 €2.04

40.93%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.70

$4.39 €3.77

-1.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €16.98

$11.83 €10.18

66.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.20

$10.37 €8.92

25.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.24

$13.97 €12.02

76.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$3.10 €2.67

-8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.57 €2.21

-10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.48 €2.99

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$3.75 €3.23

5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.34 €2.01

10.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.45 €1.25

51.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.26 €1.09

29.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.97 €1.70

-64.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.91

$18.32 €15.76

-62.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.83

$19.51 €16.79

-53.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.03 €2.60

-22.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$3.20 €2.75

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$2.64 €2.27

-5.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

$65.0 €55.9

-29.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €6.99

$6.05 €5.20

34.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.17 €1.00

124.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.08

$35.49 €30.53

11.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$36.8K €31.7K

-9.27%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$41.3K €35.5K

-11.91%

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

$216 €185

$222 €191

-3.06%

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

$11.71 €10.07

$25.86 €22.24

-54.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.21

$61.9 €53.3

-50.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.6

$47.30 €40.68

58.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.94

$14.73 €12.67

152.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.10

$13.06 €11.24

-10.11%

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

$875 €753

$1,218 €1,047

-28.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$7,765 €6,680

114.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.0

$97.5 €83.8

18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$57.9 €49.83

-8.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$114 €98.5

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$132 €113

29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,387

$1,748 €1,503

-7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €978

$1,381 €1,188

-17.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,699

$2,693 €2,316

16.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,793

$2,180 €1,875

-4.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,505

$4,064 €3,496

171.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,787

$2,901 €2,496

91.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,953

$3,406 €2,930

-33.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

4.23

-23.17%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Waterford: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $1,748 in Waterford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterford pays 50% 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: $92.0 in Milan vs $92.0 in Waterford. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $361, with Waterford 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 Waterford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Waterford earns 50% 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 $1,748 in Waterford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $1,218 in Waterford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Waterford pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Milan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Milan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Waterford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milan and Waterford 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 Milan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Waterford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.