Cost of living · Milan · Italy · 2023

🇮🇹 Cost of living in Milan

What it costs to live in Milan — rent, groceries, utilities and getting around — in local euros, plus how the city compares with Italy and the rest of Europe.

City price index
110
Rent, 1-bed centre
€1,300
Monthly essentials
€1,469
Transit pass
€39
Rent (1-bed, outside)
€950
per month
Groceries
€275
per month
Utilities
€205
per month
Transit pass
€39
per month

Estimated monthly essentials

€1,469 / month

A single person renting a one-bedroom flat outside the centre: rent + groceries + utilities + a transit pass. This is a core-costs estimate and excludes discretionary spending such as eating out, leisure and travel.

Rent in Milan

Milan — average monthly rent (EUR)

1-bed, city centre€13001-bed, outside centre€9503-bed, city centre€2600

Source: ISTAT + Eurostat urban audit As of 2023

Average advertised monthly rents in Milan. Living outside the centre typically saves €350 a month on a one-bedroom flat.

Living costs in Milan, in context

Milan's overall city price level is index 110 on the EU-27 = 100 scale, about 15% above Italy's national average of 96. As almost everywhere, the capital-or-major-city premium is real: national figures average the whole country, so they understate what you actually pay in a country's largest and most in-demand cities, and Milan is no exception. When you compare destinations, the city figure is the one that matches the life you would actually live.

Rent is the line that dominates a city budget. In Milan a one-bedroom flat runs €1,300 in the centre and €950 outside it — a gap of €350 a month — so where in the city you live can matter as much as which city you choose. A family-sized three-bedroom flat in the centre is around €2,600, a useful benchmark if you are not moving alone.

The steadier costs fill out the rest of the budget. Groceries run about €275 a month for one person and utilities €205, while a monthly public-transit pass at €39 is almost always cheaper than running a car once fuel, parking and insurance are counted. Add those to rent and you have the core of a monthly budget; what you spend beyond it on eating out, leisure and travel is where personal lifestyle, rather than the city, takes over.

Other cities in Italy

Cities with a similar cost of living

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to live in Milan?

For a single person renting a one-bedroom flat outside the centre, core monthly essentials in Milan — rent (€950), groceries (€275), utilities (€205) and a transit pass (€39) — come to about €1,469 a month, before any discretionary spending. On the EU-27 = 100 price scale, Milan sits at index 110.

How much is rent in Milan?

A one-bedroom flat in the city centre averages €1,300 a month, €950 outside the centre. A three-bedroom flat in the centre is around €2,600. Rent is the largest part of any city budget.

Is Milan expensive compared to the rest of Italy?

Milan's city price index of 110 is about 15% above Italy's national average of 96 (EU-27 = 100). Capitals and big cities almost always cost more than the national figure.

Where does this Milan data come from?

Figures are drawn from ISTAT + Eurostat urban audit (2023). The city price index is on the same EU-27 = 100 scale used across the site; rent, grocery, utility and transit figures are local monthly amounts in euros.

Source: ISTAT + Eurostat urban audit ISTAT + Eurostat urban audit City cost-of-living figures, 2023. City price index on the EU-27 = 100 scale; rent, grocery, utility and transit figures are local monthly amounts in euros.

Important: these are average figures for general information, not personal financial advice. Real costs depend on your neighbourhood, flat and lifestyle; the monthly-essentials figure is a core-costs estimate, not a full budget. Verify current local prices before any move.