Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modena and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Modena: $1,881 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Modena
Learn more

Modena Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index

Jump to prices

Modena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,881

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Modena and in Milan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Modena and in Milan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,881 in Modena versus $2,555 in Milan.

Modena $1,881
Milan $2,555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,040 in Modena versus $3,859 in Milan.

Modena $3,040
Milan $3,859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,200 in Modena versus $5,163 in Milan.

Modena $4,200
Milan $5,163

Living in Modena costs roughly 26% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Modena 38% above, Milan 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.58 €20.14

$22.10 €19.71

2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 €78.4

$89.0 €79.4

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 €11.76

$13.35 €11.91

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$1.89 €1.69

$2.14 €1.91

-11.68%

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

$2.94 €2.62

$3.68 €3.29

-20.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.95 €1.74

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 €5.88

$6.96 €6.21

-5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.13

$6.78 €6.05

-15.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.75 €1.56

-16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 €2.27

$3.19 €2.84

-20.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$3.69 €3.29

-55.01%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.39

$5.02 €4.48

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.46 €18.25

$23.30 €20.79

-12.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.82 €12.33

$14.73 €13.14

-6.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.61 €19.28

$22.89 €20.42

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.96 €2.64

-12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.31 €2.06

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.23 €2.88

1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 €2.73

$4.30 €3.84

-28.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.26 €2.02

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.00 €1.78

-17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.78 €1.59

-23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.60

$0.61 €0.55

9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 €5.81

$7.25 €6.47

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 €8.03

$9.77 €8.71

-7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.93 €1.73

-20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.34

$2.38 €2.13

10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.45 €2.19

-9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.38 €33.35

$43.45 €38.76

-13.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.41 €5.72

$7.62 €6.80

-15.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 €1.25

$2.29 €2.04

-38.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.81 €28.38

$65.1 €58.1

-51.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.20 €1.96

-5.00%

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

$37.0K €33.0K

$36.3K €32.4K

1.67%

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

$35.4K €31.6K

$37.4K €33.4K

-5.46%

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

$195 €174

$248 €221

-21.23%

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

$13.10 €11.68

$10.29 €9.18

27.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.99 €27.65

$29.70 €26.50

4.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 €63.5

$82.9 €73.9

-14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.60 €20.17

$33.55 €29.93

-32.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 €9.78

$11.38 €10.15

-3.69%

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

$763 €681

$939 €838

-18.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K €13.6K

$18.8K €16.7K

-18.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €76.0

$101 €90.3

-15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.41 €36.94

$49.50 €44.17

-16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 €86.5

$116 €103

-16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.3

$164 €146

-34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$856 €764

$1,764 €1,574

-51.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 €590

$1,164 €1,039

-43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 €1,531

$3,429 €3,059

-49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 €1,192

$1,975 €1,762

-32.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,557 €3,174

$10.6K €9,435

-66.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 €2,044

$5,220 €4,657

-56.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,028 €1,809

$2,162 €1,929

-6.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

3.18

3.46%

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

Last update for Modena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Modena

$661 35.1%

Milan

$1.2K 45.6% 76.2% $503

Groceries & Markets

Modena

$373 19.9%

Milan

$419 16.4% 12.1% $45

Eating Out

Modena

$305 16.2%

Milan

$313 12.3% 2.6% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modena

$239 12.7%

Milan

$288 11.3% 20.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Modena

$149 7.9%

Milan

$194 7.6% 29.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Modena

$93 5%

Milan

$106 4.1% 13.5% $13

Getting Around

Modena

$60 3.2%

Milan

$72 2.8% 21.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $856 in Modena and $1,764 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 7% 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: $88 in Modena vs $89 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $419 per month, with Modena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Modena

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

Same time as Modena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

184,973

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Modena Milan 160 km

From you

Modena
Milan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Modena vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Modena is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Modena. 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: $856 in Modena versus $1,764 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,881 per month in Modena versus $2,555 in Milan – Modena is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Modena and Milan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Modena wins on affordability, Milan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.