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Bologna vs Milan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐น Bologna
๐ฎ๐น Milan
At a glance
- Where Milan is clearly cheaper: Laundry (56%โ)
- Where Bologna is clearly cheaper: Street food (35%โ), Cocktail & wine (33%โ), Studio rent (month) (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bologna 1 vs Milan 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bologna | Milan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 17$19.8 | Bologna โ6% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 7.7$8.95 | Bologna โ35% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 38$44.2 | Bologna โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.7$1.98 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Milan โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 5.5$6.4 | โฌ 6$6.98 | Bologna โ8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 12$14 | Bologna โ33% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.7$0.81 | โฌ 0.9$1.05 | Bologna โ22% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Bologna โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Bologna โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Bologna โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.3$2.67 | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Bologna โ17% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 110$128 | โฌ 150$174 | Bologna โ27% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 850$988 | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | Bologna โ32% |
| Laundry | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | Milan โ56% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 20$23.3 | โฌ 20$23.3 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Bologna โ27% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 55$64 | โฌ 65$75.6 | Bologna โ15% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 40$46.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Bologna โ20% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bologna or Milan?
Bologna is 16% cheaper than Milan. Daily budget $271 vs $332; a month $4,782 vs $5,590.
Which is easier to travel, Bologna or Milan?
About the same: Bologna 2.0/5, Milan 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bologna and Milan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bologna is about $4,782 and Milan about $5,590 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.