Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,997 a month against $2,555 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
Learn more

Rome Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index

Jump to prices

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $2,555 in Milan.

Rome $1,997
Milan $2,555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $3,859 in Milan.

Rome $3,132
Milan $3,859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $5,163 in Milan.

Rome $4,266
Milan $5,163

Living in Rome costs roughly 22% less than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Milan 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.75

$22.10 €19.82

-25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €61.0

$89.0 €79.9

-23.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.99

$13.35 €11.97

-16.55%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.81

$2.14 €1.92

-5.61%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$3.68 €3.30

-18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.95 €1.75

-24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$6.96 €6.25

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.07

$6.78 €6.08

-0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.75 €1.57

-3.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$3.19 €2.86

-31.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.76

$3.69 €3.31

-16.53%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$5.02 €4.50

-5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.14

$23.30 €20.90

-37.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.17

$14.73 €13.21

-15.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.48

$22.89 €20.53

-14.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.96 €2.65

-12.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.31 €2.07

1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.23 €2.89

-27.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$4.30 €3.86

-45.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.26 €2.03

-39.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.00 €1.79

-19.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.78 €1.60

-25.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.61 €0.55

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.31

$7.25 €6.50

-3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.03

$9.77 €8.76

-42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.93 €1.73

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.38 €2.14

5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.45 €2.20

-33.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.51

$43.45 €38.97

-8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.07

$7.62 €6.84

-11.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.29 €2.06

-27.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.52

$65.1 €58.4

-47.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.20 €1.97

-1.36%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

$36.3K €32.6K

-2.69%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$37.4K €33.6K

-2.21%

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

$210 €188

$248 €222

-15.38%

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

$11.53 €10.34

$10.29 €9.23

12.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.99

$29.70 €26.64

8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.3

$82.9 €74.3

-21.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.11

$33.55 €30.09

-29.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.16

$11.38 €10.21

-0.53%

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

$488 €438

$939 €842

-48.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$18.8K €16.8K

-11.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.8

$101 €90.8

-29.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.04

$49.50 €44.40

-25.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.6

$116 €104

-26.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$164 €147

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,163

$1,764 €1,583

-26.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €785

$1,164 €1,044

-24.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,318

$3,429 €3,076

-24.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,560

$1,975 €1,771

-11.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,604

$10.6K €9,485

-19.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,905

$5,220 €4,682

-37.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,748

$2,162 €1,939

-9.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.18

10.69%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Milan

$1.2K 45.6% 33% $289

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Milan

$419 16.4% 28.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Milan

$288 11.3% 13.5% $34

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Milan

$313 12.3% 25.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Milan

$194 7.6% 33.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Milan

$106 4.1% 20.5% $18

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Milan

$72 2.8% 18.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $1,764 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 11% 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: $68 in Rome vs $89 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $419 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

1,394,798

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rome Milan 480 km

From you

Rome
Milan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Rome vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Rome. 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: $1,297 in Rome versus $1,764 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $488 in Rome 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 29% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

For families, Rome 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, Rome 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.