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Milan vs Rome cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐น Milan
๐ฎ๐น Rome
At a glance
- Where Rome is clearly cheaper: SIM card (35%โ), Transit (32%โ), Cocktail & wine (25%โ)
- Where Milan is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (64%โ), Coffee (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Milan is easier to travel (1.8 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Milan 2 vs Rome 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Milan | Rome | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 17$19.8 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Rome โ12% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 7.7$8.95 | โฌ 6.8$7.91 | Rome โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 38$44.2 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Rome โ21% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Milan โ17% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 6$6.98 | โฌ 6$6.98 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Rome โ25% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.9$1.05 | โฌ 1$1.16 | Milan โ10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 14$16.3 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 9$10.5 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Rome โ32% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Milan โ64% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 150$174 | โฌ 130$151 | Rome โ13% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | โฌ 1,050$1,221 | Rome โ16% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 20$23.3 | โฌ 13$15.1 | Rome โ35% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Rome โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 65$75.6 | โฌ 55$64 | Rome โ15% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 45$52.3 | Milan โ11% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 15$17.4 | similar |
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 Rome?
Rome is 13% cheaper than Milan. Daily budget $332 vs $290; a month $5,590 vs $4,804.
Which is easier to travel, Milan or Rome?
Milan is easier: Milan 1.8/5 vs Rome 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Milan and Rome?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Milan is about $5,590 and Rome about $4,804 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.