Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavia and Milan Cost of Living Comparison Between Pavia and Milan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Pavia versus $2,467 in Milan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,799 in Pavia versus $3,845 in Milan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,860 in Pavia versus $5,223 in Milan.

Living in Pavia costs roughly 30% less than in Milan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pavia 30% above, Milan 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €15.01

$23.53 €20.61

-27.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 €72.0

$91.5 €80.1

-10.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 €8.22

$12.72 €11.14

-26.18%

Cappuccino

$1.84 €1.62

$2.10 €1.84

-12.38%

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

$3.54 €3.10

$3.35 €2.93

5.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.44 €1.27

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 €5.11

$7.02 €6.15

-16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.13

$5.64 €4.94

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.77 €1.55

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 €2.85

$2.84 €2.49

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.45

$3.28 €2.87

-14.94%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.42

$4.26 €3.73

-8.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.17 €20.29

$19.76 €17.31

17.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.19

$12.96 €11.35

-18.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.22 €30.85

$24.27 €21.25

45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$2.83 €2.48

-5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.38 €2.08

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.93

$3.34 €2.92

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.64

$3.90 €3.42

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$2.54 €2.23

-12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.22 €1.95

27.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.64 €1.43

32.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.64

$0.70 €0.61

4.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.36

$7.13 €6.24

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.02

$9.28 €8.13

-38.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.46 €2.16

-24.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.30

$3.14 €2.75

-52.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.53 €2.21

-33.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.88 €35.80

$44.83 €39.26

-8.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 €4.07

$7.97 €6.98

-41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.99

$2.66 €2.33

-57.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 €30.87

$39.69 €34.76

-11.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.05 €1.80

1.95%

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

$39.1K €34.2K

$34.1K €29.8K

14.72%

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

$35.9K €31.5K

$36.1K €31.6K

-0.62%

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

$223 €195

$215 €188

3.69%

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

$13.21 €11.57

$11.65 €10.20

13.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 €24.40

$31.28 €27.40

-10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.87

$76.0 €66.6

-32.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 €25.32

$37.56 €32.89

-23.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 €11.10

$11.38 €9.96

11.42%

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

$614 €538

$878 €769

-30.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,601 €5,781

$16.4K €14.3K

-59.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €96.9

$112 €98.2

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 €47.45

$53.4 €46.73

1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €76.5

$115 €101

-24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €112

$169 €148

-24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €690

$1,573 €1,378

-49.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 €415

$1,124 €984

-57.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €952

$3,208 €2,810

-66.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 €860

$2,050 €1,795

-52.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,456 €3,027

$10.7K €9,333

-67.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,147 €1,881

$5,344 €4,680

-59.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,136 €1,871

$2,208 €1,934

-3.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.25

29.54%

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

Last update for Pavia: July 11, 2026

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Pavia and $1,573 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: $82.0 in Pavia vs $91.0 in Milan. Groceries flip the comparison at $419 vs $399, with Milan 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

Pavia vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pavia is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% 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 $1,573 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Pavia versus $878 in Milan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,738 in Pavia versus $2,467 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 42% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.