Milan vs Bologna: which is better to live in?

Cost of living: Milan or Bologna?

By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,300 a month for one person in Milan and €1,950 in Bologna, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,400 vs €3,000, and for a family of four €5,000 vs €4,100.

Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,550 in Milan against €1,000 in Bologna, while a monthly transit pass costs €39 vs -. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.

Climate and weather

Winters average highs of about 8°C (47°F) in Milan and 8°C (47°F) in Bologna. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 30°C.

Daily life

Milan is a capital / metropolis; Bologna is a mid-size city. Milan is Italy's business and design capital, with the best transit, the strongest English and the highest costs in our Italian set. A comfortable single budget runs about €2,300 a month, and a center one-bed about €1,550. It suits career movers and remote workers who want efficiency over postcard charm. Bologna is a food-obsessed university city with Italy's best rail position: Florence in about 40 minutes and Milan in about an hour. Rents are lower than Rome, Milan or Florence (the citywide average is about €16.50 per m² per month), and a comfortable single budget is about €1,950. It suits families, students and remote workers who want a real city without the tourist crush.

Living in Milan: the upsides and downsides

• Italy's deepest job market and corporate base
• Best metro and rail connections in the country
• More English spoken than in most Italian cities
• Downside: Highest rents in Italy in our set
• Downside: Foggy, cold winters and humid, hot summers

Living in Bologna: the upsides and downsides

• One of the most livable mid-size cities in Italy, with a huge student population
• Excellent food and a calm, human-scale center with miles of porticoes
• Central rail hub with fast trains to Florence, Milan, Venice and Rome
• Downside: No direct North America flights; you connect elsewhere
• Downside: Humid summers and cold, foggy winters

Visas and residency

Both cities are in Italy, so you’d use the same residence routes either way:

• Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) - Citizenship by descent, changing
• Italy Digital Nomad Visa (Remote Worker Visa) - Digital nomad visa, open, €2,125/mo income
• Italy Elective Residency Visa - Retirement visa, open, €2,583/mo income
• Italy Investor Visa (Golden Visa) - Golden visa, open, €250,000 investment

Read the full guides: living in Milan and living in Bologna.