Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Royal Oak, MI and Milan

For one person, living is cheaper in Milan: $2,560 a month against $2,697 in Royal Oak, MI, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Royal Oak, MI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

132

Cost of Living Index in Royal Oak, MI
Learn more

Royal Oak, MI Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
Learn more

Milan Living Index

Jump to prices

Royal Oak, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,697

/mo nomad

Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,697 in Royal Oak, MI versus $2,560 in Milan.

Royal Oak, MI $2,697
Milan $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Royal Oak, MI versus $3,895 in Milan.

Royal Oak, MI $4,112
Milan $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Royal Oak, MI versus $5,231 in Milan.

Royal Oak, MI $5,527
Milan $5,231

Living in Royal Oak, MI is roughly 5% more expensive than in Milan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Royal Oak, MI 99% above, Milan 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 $17.66

$22.11 €19.66

-20.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 $64.0

$88.7 €78.9

-27.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.39 $12.39

$13.22 €11.76

-6.28%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$2.08 €1.85

173.08%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$3.82 €3.40

-32.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.83 €1.63

10.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$6.87 €6.11

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.93 €6.17

12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.76 €1.56

-40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.29 €2.93

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.57 €3.18

51.82%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$5.08 €4.52

-24.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$23.34 €20.76

-42.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$14.68 €13.05

-23.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 $16.76

$22.73 €20.22

-26.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.07 €2.73

63.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.42 €2.15

-34.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.34 €2.97

25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.18 €3.72

11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.41 €2.14

19.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.95 €1.74

64.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.81 €1.61

22.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.57 €0.50

271.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.20 €6.40

39.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$9.60 €8.54

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.96 €1.74

27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.42 €2.15

42.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.52 €2.24

-2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 $70.8

$43.15 €38.38

64.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$7.92 €7.04

-65.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.30 €2.04

-31.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.79 $23.79

$64.8 €57.6

-63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.20 €1.96

-53.18%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$36.1K €32.1K

-6.84%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$37.0K €32.9K

-28.79%

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

$212 $212

$250 €223

-15.17%

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

$65.0 $65.0

$10.20 €9.08

537.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$29.45 €26.19

136.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 €75.3

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.03 €30.27

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 $12.04

$11.05 €9.83

8.96%

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

$1,110 $1,110

$846 €753

31.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$18.6K €16.5K

-0.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 $57.9

$101 €89.7

-42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 $38.65

$51.1 €45.43

-24.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$114 €102

-14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$163 €145

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 $1,526

$1,689 €1,502

-9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 $1,383

$1,165 €1,036

18.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,487 $3,487

$3,436 €3,056

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 $2,712

$2,038 €1,813

33.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,339

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,580

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,841 $5,841

$2,190 €1,948

166.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

3.18

104.09%

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

Last update for Royal Oak, MI: October 20, 2026

Last update for Milan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Royal Oak, MI

$1.4K 51.3%

Milan

$1.2K 45.5% 15.8% $218

Groceries & Markets

Royal Oak, MI

$400 14.9%

Milan

$420 16.4% 4.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Royal Oak, MI

$347 12.9%

Milan

$290 11.3% 16.4% $57

Eating Out

Royal Oak, MI

$311 11.5%

Milan

$312 12.2% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Royal Oak, MI

$140 5.2%

Milan

$193 7.6% 38.3% $54

Getting Around

Royal Oak, MI

$91 3.4%

Milan

$73 2.8% 20.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Royal Oak, MI

$24 * 0.9%

Milan

$107 4.2% 344% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Royal Oak, MI and $1,689 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Royal Oak, MI pays 167% 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: $64.0 in Royal Oak, MI vs $89.0 in Milan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $420 per month, with Royal Oak, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Royal Oak, MI

🇮🇹 Milan

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

6 h ahead of Royal Oak, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,211

1,394,798

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Royal Oak, MI Milan 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Royal Oak, MI
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

Royal Oak, MI vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 167% higher in Royal Oak, MI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Royal Oak, MI versus $1,689 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,110 in Royal Oak, MI versus $846 in Milan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Milan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Milan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Royal Oak, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Royal Oak, MI 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 Milan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Royal Oak, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.