Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Milan Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Milan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Varese versus $2,467 in Milan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Varese versus $3,845 in Milan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Varese versus $5,223 in Milan.

Living in Varese costs roughly 18% less than in Milan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varese 52% above, Milan 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.34

$23.53 €20.56

-25.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €69.4

$91.5 €79.9

-13.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 €12.11

$12.72 €11.12

8.96%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.77

$2.10 €1.84

-3.81%

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

$3.67 €3.20

$3.35 €2.93

9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.44 €1.26

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 €5.45

$7.02 €6.13

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.00

$5.64 €4.93

1.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.77 €1.54

-4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 €2.83

$2.84 €2.48

13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 €2.75

$3.28 €2.87

-4.27%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.64

$4.26 €3.72

-2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.10 €19.31

$19.76 €17.27

11.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.63

$12.96 €11.32

2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.93 €29.65

$24.27 €21.20

39.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.83 €2.48

-3.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$2.38 €2.08

-3.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$3.34 €2.91

-25.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.61

$3.90 €3.41

6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.54 €2.22

-12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$2.22 €1.94

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.64 €1.43

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.40

$0.70 €0.61

-34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.33 €6.41

$7.13 €6.23

2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €6.99

$9.28 €8.11

-13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.46 €2.15

-27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.29

$3.14 €2.74

-53.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.70

$2.53 €2.21

-22.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.69 €39.92

$44.83 €39.17

1.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.17

$7.97 €6.96

-25.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.91

$2.66 €2.33

-60.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.27 €36.06

$39.69 €34.68

3.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.05 €1.79

3.41%

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

$34.3K €30.0K

$34.1K €29.8K

0.80%

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

$36.2K €31.6K

$36.1K €31.6K

0.24%

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

$247 €216

$215 €188

14.86%

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

$13.58 €11.86

$11.65 €10.18

16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €30.41

$31.28 €27.33

11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.08

$76.0 €66.4

-27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.62 €21.51

$37.56 €32.81

-34.45%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 €10.93

$11.38 €9.94

9.93%

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

$744 €650

$878 €767

-15.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,713 €5,866

$16.4K €14.3K

-58.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €93.3

$112 €98.0

-4.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 €35.90

$53.4 €46.62

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €109

$115 €101

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €147

$169 €148

-0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 €830

$1,573 €1,375

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 €644

$1,124 €982

-34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,525

$3,208 €2,803

-45.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 €1,565

$2,050 €1,791

-12.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,065

$10.7K €9,311

-77.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 €1,438

$5,344 €4,669

-69.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,502 €2,186

$2,208 €1,929

13.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

3.25

42.46%

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

Last update for Varese: July 14, 2026

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Varese and $1,573 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Varese vs $91.0 in Milan. Groceries flip the comparison at $421 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

Varese vs Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varese is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Varese, 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: $950 in Varese versus $1,573 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $744 in Varese 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 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,033 in Varese versus $2,467 in Milan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varese but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Varese the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varese 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, Varese 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 Varese gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.