Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parma and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Parma: $1,858 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Parma
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Parma Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Parma

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,858

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,858 in Parma versus $2,560 in Milan.

Parma $1,858
Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,922 in Parma versus $3,895 in Milan.

Parma $2,922
Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,986 in Parma versus $5,230 in Milan.

Parma $3,986
Milan $5,230

Living in Parma costs roughly 27% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Parma 38% above, Milan 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 €17.72

$22.52 €20.03

-11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 €64.5

$89.3 €79.4

-18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.14

$13.16 €11.71

3.72%

Cappuccino

$2.24 €1.99

$2.13 €1.90

5.16%

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

$3.40 €3.02

$3.67 €3.26

-7.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.82 €1.62

-10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.19 €5.50

$6.65 €5.92

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 €5.34

$6.64 €5.91

-9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.70 €1.51

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 €2.41

$3.16 €2.81

-14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.54 €3.15

-25.14%

Eggs

$4.28 €3.81

$4.88 €4.34

-12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €16.32

$22.85 €20.33

-19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 €11.43

$14.72 €13.09

-12.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$22.77 €20.25

-25.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.12 €2.77

-27.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.39 €2.12

-30.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.39 €3.02

-45.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$4.27 €3.80

-42.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.38 €2.12

-44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.04 €1.82

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.45

$1.75 €1.56

-6.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.57 €0.51

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.03

$7.46 €6.64

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.86

$9.58 €8.52

-19.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.01 €1.79

-22.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.70

$2.46 €2.19

-21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.38 €2.12

-22.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.06 €36.52

$43.27 €38.49

-5.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €5.05

$7.67 €6.82

-25.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.31

$2.26 €2.01

-34.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 €25.15

$65.2 €58.0

-56.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.20 €1.96

-11.36%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$36.5K €32.4K

-0.94%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$35.4K €31.5K

-0.25%

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

$236 €210

$247 €220

-4.48%

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

$11.61 €10.33

$10.21 €9.08

13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 €24.50

$29.16 €25.94

-5.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 €55.2

$82.4 €73.3

-24.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.85 €23.88

$34.18 €30.41

-21.45%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 €10.94

$12.11 €10.77

1.57%

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

$560 €498

$857 €762

-34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,443 €3,952

$18.6K €16.5K

-76.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €80.8

$101 €90.2

-10.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.60 €38.78

$50.8 €45.21

-14.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 €85.1

$117 €104

-17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$167 €149

-0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 €750

$1,731 €1,540

-51.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 €569

$1,169 €1,040

-45.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,349

$3,402 €3,026

-55.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,121

$2,036 €1,811

-38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,439 €3,059

$10.5K €9,376

-67.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,380 €2,117

$5,240 €4,661

-54.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,034 €1,809

$2,145 €1,908

-5.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.18

8.81%

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

Last update for Parma: October 13, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Parma

$639 34.4%

Milan

$1.2K 45.7% 82.9% $530

Groceries & Markets

Parma

$327 17.6%

Milan

$417 16.3% 27.5% $90

Eating Out

Parma

$290 15.6%

Milan

$314 12.3% 8.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parma

$275 14.8%

Milan

$286 11.2% 4.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Parma

$178 9.6%

Milan

$196 7.7% 10.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Parma

$87 4.7%

Milan

$107 4.2% 23% $20

Getting Around

Parma

$62 3.3%

Milan

$72 2.8% 16.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $843 in Parma and $1,731 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: $72.0 in Parma vs $89.0 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $417 per month, with Parma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Parma

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

Same time as Parma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,315

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

Parma vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% 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: $843 in Parma versus $1,731 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $560 in Parma versus $857 in Milan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,858 in Parma versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Parma but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Parma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Parma 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, Parma 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 Parma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.