Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Novara: $1,483 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Novara
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Novara Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Novara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,483

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novara 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 Novara and in Milan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,483 in Novara versus $2,560 in Milan.

Novara $1,483
Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Novara versus $3,895 in Milan.

Novara $2,293
Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,103 in Novara versus $5,231 in Milan.

Novara $3,103
Milan $5,231

Living in Novara costs roughly 42% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Novara 9% above, Milan 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.78 €14.92

$22.11 €19.66

-24.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.3

$88.7 €78.9

-36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €9.12

$13.22 €11.76

-22.47%

Cappuccino

$1.74 €1.55

$2.08 €1.85

-16.35%

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

$3.46 €3.08

$3.82 €3.40

-9.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.83 €1.63

-6.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.96

$6.87 €6.11

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.52

$6.93 €6.17

-26.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.76 €1.56

-21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.74

$3.29 €2.93

-40.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$3.57 €3.18

-19.33%

Eggs

$3.33 €2.96

$5.08 €4.52

-34.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 €10.14

$23.34 €20.76

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$14.68 €13.05

-40.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 €11.76

$22.73 €20.22

-41.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$3.07 €2.73

-17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.46

$2.42 €2.15

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.34 €2.97

2.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$4.18 €3.72

-48.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.41 €2.14

-19.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.95 €1.74

-41.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 €0.91

$1.81 €1.61

-43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.57 €0.50

31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.55

$7.20 €6.40

-13.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.96

$9.60 €8.54

-41.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.96 €1.74

-6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.42 €2.15

-5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.51

$2.52 €2.24

-32.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.24 €34.01

$43.15 €38.38

-11.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.87

$7.92 €7.04

-44.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.06

$2.30 €2.04

-47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.82 €30.97

$64.8 €57.6

-46.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.20 €1.96

-6.82%

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

$26.9K €23.9K

$36.1K €32.1K

-25.53%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$37.0K €32.9K

-9.76%

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

$176 €157

$250 €223

-29.55%

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

$10.41 €9.26

$10.20 €9.08

2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.24 €26.90

$29.45 €26.19

2.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.3 €69.6

$84.6 €75.3

-7.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.96 €16.86

$34.03 €30.27

-44.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €10.13

$11.05 €9.83

3.08%

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

$517 €460

$846 €753

-38.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,907 €8,813

$18.6K €16.5K

-46.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 €110

$101 €89.7

22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 €30.27

$51.1 €45.43

-33.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 €49.40

$114 €102

-51.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €123

$163 €145

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 €573

$1,689 €1,502

-61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 €389

$1,165 €1,036

-62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €932

$3,436 €3,056

-69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 €698

$2,038 €1,813

-61.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,850 €2,535

$10.5K €9,339

-72.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,873 €1,666

$5,149 €4,580

-63.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,082 €1,852

$2,190 €1,948

-4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.18

13.84%

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

Last update for Novara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novara

$438 29.5%

Milan

$1.2K 45.5% 166% $727

Groceries & Markets

Novara

$269 18.1%

Milan

$420 16.4% 56% $151

Eating Out

Novara

$245 16.5%

Milan

$312 12.2% 27.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novara

$217 14.6%

Milan

$290 11.3% 33.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Novara

$158 10.7%

Milan

$193 7.6% 22.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Novara

$101 6.8%

Milan

$107 4.2% 5.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Novara

$55 3.7%

Milan

$73 2.8% 31.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $644 in Novara and $1,689 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 5% 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: $57.0 in Novara vs $89.0 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $420 per month, with Novara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Novara

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

Same time as Novara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,910

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Novara vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Milan. 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: $644 in Novara versus $1,689 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $517 in Novara versus $846 in Milan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,483 in Novara versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Novara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Novara 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, Novara and Milan 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.