Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavia and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pavia: $1,774 a month against $2,560 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Pavia
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Pavia Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Pavia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,774

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,774 in Pavia versus $2,560 in Milan.

Pavia $1,774
Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,773 in Pavia versus $3,895 in Milan.

Pavia $2,773
Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,772 in Pavia versus $5,231 in Milan.

Pavia $3,772
Milan $5,231

Living in Pavia costs roughly 31% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pavia 31% above, Milan 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.02 €22.25

$22.11 €19.66

13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 €69.2

$88.7 €78.9

-12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 €9.00

$13.22 €11.76

-23.45%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.56

$2.08 €1.85

-15.87%

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

$3.50 €3.12

$3.82 €3.40

-8.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.83 €1.63

-15.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.93

$6.87 €6.11

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €5.13

$6.93 €6.17

-16.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.76 €1.56

-17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.12

$3.29 €2.93

-27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$3.57 €3.18

-16.81%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.94

$5.08 €4.52

-34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.13 €15.24

$23.34 €20.76

-26.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.13 €9.90

$14.68 €13.05

-24.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.16 €21.49

$22.73 €20.22

6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$3.07 €2.73

-19.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.42 €2.15

-23.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$3.34 €2.97

-14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.18 €3.72

-21.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.41 €2.14

-16.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$1.95 €1.74

52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.81 €1.61

-16.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$0.57 €0.50

-7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 €6.01

$7.20 €6.40

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.49 €4.88

$9.60 €8.54

-42.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.96 €1.74

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$2.42 €2.15

-5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.52 €2.24

-30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 €52.6

$43.15 €38.38

36.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.89

$7.92 €7.04

-44.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.07

$2.30 €2.04

-47.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.65 €30.82

$64.8 €57.6

-46.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.20 €1.96

-9.55%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$36.1K €32.1K

-0.40%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$37.0K €32.9K

-3.50%

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

$221 €197

$250 €223

-11.60%

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

$10.30 €9.16

$10.20 €9.08

0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 €26.48

$29.45 €26.19

1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 €45.44

$84.6 €75.3

-39.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.26 €25.13

$34.03 €30.27

-16.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 €11.50

$11.05 €9.83

16.92%

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

$572 €508

$846 €753

-32.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €9,001

$18.6K €16.5K

-45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$101 €89.7

13.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.92 €35.51

$51.1 €45.43

-21.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €77.0

$114 €102

-24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €126

$163 €145

-13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €701

$1,689 €1,502

-53.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 €473

$1,165 €1,036

-54.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 €1,032

$3,436 €3,056

-66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 €827

$2,038 €1,813

-54.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,366 €2,994

$10.5K €9,339

-67.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 €1,840

$5,149 €4,580

-59.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,135 €1,899

$2,190 €1,948

-2.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.92

3.18

-8.18%

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

Last update for Pavia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pavia

$532 30%

Milan

$1.2K 45.5% 119% $633

Groceries & Markets

Pavia

$344 19.4%

Milan

$420 16.4% 22.2% $76

Eating Out

Pavia

$311 17.5%

Milan

$312 12.2% 0.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pavia

$261 14.7%

Milan

$290 11.3% 11% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Pavia

$172 9.7%

Milan

$193 7.6% 12.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Pavia

$77 4.3%

Milan

$107 4.2% 38.8% $30

Getting Around

Pavia

$77 4.3%

Milan

$73 2.8% 5.1% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Pavia and $1,689 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 3% 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: $78.0 in Pavia vs $89.0 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $420 per month, with Pavia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Pavia

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

Same time as Pavia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,214

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Pavia vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pavia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $788 in Pavia versus $1,689 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $572 in Pavia 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 22% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,774 in Pavia versus $2,560 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pavia but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Pavia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pavia 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, Pavia 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 Pavia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.