Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prato and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Prato: $1,902 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Prato
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Prato Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index

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Prato

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,902

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,902 in Prato versus $2,555 in Milan.

Prato $1,902
Milan $2,555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,809 in Prato versus $3,859 in Milan.

Prato $2,809
Milan $3,859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,716 in Prato versus $5,163 in Milan.

Prato $3,716
Milan $5,163

Living in Prato 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: Prato 40% above, Milan 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.16 €21.65

$22.10 €19.80

9.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.7

$89.0 €79.8

-13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 €10.70

$13.35 €11.96

-10.56%

Cappuccino

$1.87 €1.67

$2.14 €1.91

-12.62%

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

$2.95 €2.65

$3.68 €3.30

-19.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.28

$1.95 €1.74

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €6.03

$6.96 €6.24

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.95

$6.78 €6.07

-18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.75 €1.56

-5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.89

$3.19 €2.85

-34.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.61

$3.69 €3.31

-20.87%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.32

$5.02 €4.50

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.89 €18.72

$23.30 €20.88

-10.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 €10.70

$14.73 €13.20

-18.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 €16.90

$22.89 €20.51

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.96 €2.65

-13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.12

$2.31 €2.07

2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.23 €2.89

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$4.30 €3.86

-26.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.26 €2.03

2.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.00 €1.79

-14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.78 €1.60

-29.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 €0.31

$0.61 €0.55

-42.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €6.04

$7.25 €6.50

-7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.12

$9.77 €8.75

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.93 €1.73

7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.68

$2.38 €2.14

25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.45 €2.20

-9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.40 €34.41

$43.45 €38.93

-11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 €3.22

$7.62 €6.83

-52.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.12

$2.29 €2.05

-45.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.47 €27.30

$65.1 €58.3

-53.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.20 €1.97

-10.00%

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

$29.4K €26.4K

$36.3K €32.6K

-19.09%

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

$34.8K €31.2K

$37.4K €33.5K

-6.94%

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

$284 €254

$248 €222

14.45%

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

$11.60 €10.39

$10.29 €9.22

12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.15 €26.12

$29.70 €26.61

-1.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.02 €37.65

$82.9 €74.2

-49.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.55 €30.06

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 €9.87

$11.38 €10.20

-3.16%

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

$389 €348

$939 €842

-58.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K €15.0K

$18.8K €16.8K

-10.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 €85.1

$101 €90.7

-6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.13 €32.38

$49.50 €44.36

-27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$116 €104

-11.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €133

$164 €147

-9.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 €674

$1,764 €1,581

-57.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 €551

$1,164 €1,043

-47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 €951

$3,429 €3,073

-69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €793

$1,975 €1,769

-55.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 €2,928

$10.6K €9,476

-69.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,109 €1,890

$5,220 €4,677

-59.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,133 €1,912

$2,162 €1,937

-1.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.18

-0.63%

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

Last update for Prato: October 27, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Prato

$615 32.4%

Milan

$1.2K 45.6% 89.2% $549

Groceries & Markets

Prato

$356 18.7%

Milan

$419 16.4% 17.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prato

$324 17.1%

Milan

$288 11.3% 11.3% $37

Eating Out

Prato

$314 16.5%

Milan

$313 12.3% 0.1% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Prato

$172 9%

Milan

$194 7.6% 12.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Prato

$64 3.4%

Milan

$106 4.1% 64.9% $42

Getting Around

Prato

$57 3%

Milan

$72 2.8% 26.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Prato and $1,764 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77 in Prato vs $89 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $419 per month, with Prato cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Prato

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Prato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,150

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

Prato vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $2,852 in Prato and $3,833 in Milan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $752 in Prato versus $1,764 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $389 in Prato versus $939 in Milan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,902 in Prato versus $2,555 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Prato but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Prato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Prato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.