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Milan vs Paris cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐น Milan
๐ซ๐ท Paris
At a glance
- Where Paris is clearly cheaper: SIM card (25%โ)
- Where Milan is clearly cheaper: Coffee (67%โ), Bottled water (40%โ), Entry ticket (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Milan 2 vs Paris 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Milan | Paris | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 17$19.8 | โฌ 17$19.8 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 7.7$8.95 | โฌ 8$9.3 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 38$44.2 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Paris โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | Milan โ67% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 6$6.98 | โฌ 7.5$8.72 | Milan โ20% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 13$15.1 | Milan โ8% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.9$1.05 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Milan โ40% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Milan โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Milan โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 9$10.5 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | โฌ 2.55$2.97 | Milan โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 19$22.1 | Milan โ5% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 150$174 | โฌ 160$186 | Milan โ6% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | โฌ 1,350$1,570 | Milan โ7% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 20$23.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Paris โ25% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 25$29.1 | Milan โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 65$75.6 | โฌ 75$87.2 | Milan โ13% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 40$46.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Milan โ25% |
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, Milan or Paris?
Milan is 5% cheaper than Paris. Daily budget $332 vs $347; a month $5,590 vs $5,975.
Which is easier to travel, Milan or Paris?
About the same: Milan 1.8/5, Paris 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Milan and Paris?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Milan is about $5,590 and Paris about $5,975 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.