Cost of living in Milan — is your salary enough?
Milan median rent is around €1,600/month for a 1-bed, the highest in Italy and increasingly competitive with northern European cities. Milan is Italy's highest-income city, but rising rents have eroded the savings advantage for mid-income earners.
Rent in Milan
Other monthly costs
How different incomes stack up
At typical Milan costs (€1,600 rent)
See your personal verdict for Milan
Cost figures are estimates based on reported median rents and typical spending patterns. Savings benchmarks from Istat HBS 2022. Figures in EUR.
Frequently asked questions — Living in Milan
How much does it cost to live in Milan?+
Core monthly costs in Milan run about €2,900 — roughly €1,600 for rent and €1,300 for other living expenses (food, transport, utilities, basics). Milan median rent is around €1,600/month for a 1-bed, the highest in Italy and increasingly competitive with northern European cities.
What is the median rent in Milan?+
The median rent in Milan is around €1,600 per month. Milan is classified as a high cost cost-of-living city in Italy.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Milan?+
Using the 70%-rule (core costs ≤ 70% of gross), you need roughly €49,714 per year before tax to live comfortably in Milan. That leaves room to hit the 8% savings benchmark for Italy.
Is Milan expensive compared to the rest of Italy?+
Milan sits in the high cost tier within Italy. Milan is Italy's highest-income city, but rising rents have eroded the savings advantage for mid-income earners.
How much of your income should rent take in Milan?+
The standard rule is no more than 30% of gross income on rent. At €1,600/month in Milan, that means a gross income of at least €64,000 per year to stay under the 30% threshold.
Can you still save money living in Milan?+
Yes — the Italy benchmark for mid-income earners is 8% of gross income. In a high cost city like Milan, hitting that rate is tighter but achievable with disciplined budgeting.
Also in the Verdict suite