City comparison
Milan vs Paris: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Milan is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €200 a month less than Paris, mostly because of rent. They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too: see below.
Choose Milan for
- Mountains nearby
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- English-friendliness
- Lower living costs
Choose Paris for
- Walkability
- Culture
- Expat community
- Flights home
Milan vs Paris at a glance
| Milan | Paris | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | France |
| Single budget / month | €2,300 | €2,500 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,400 | €3,700 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,550 | €1,550 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 8°C / 47°F | 8°C / 47°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 30°C / 85°F | 25°C / 77°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,217 | 1,717 |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | No | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Milan or Paris?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,300 a month for one person in Milan and €2,500 in Paris, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,400 vs €3,700, and for a family of four €5,000 vs €5,200.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,550 in Milan against €1,550 in Paris, while a monthly transit pass costs €39 vs €91. 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 Paris. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 25°C. Milan gets about 2,217 hours of sunshine a year and Paris about 1,717.
2,217 hours of sunshine a year · 752 mm of rain a year · Source: Linate station, 1991-2020 normals via NOAA NCEI, as tabulated on Wikipedia (Milan)
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7°C / 45°F | -0°C / 31°F |
| Feb | 10°C / 50°F | 1°C / 33°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 60°F | 4°C / 40°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 67°F | 8°C / 47°F |
| May | 24°C / 75°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 83°F | 17°C / 63°F |
| Jul | 31°C / 87°F | 19°C / 67°F |
| Aug | 30°C / 86°F | 19°C / 66°F |
| Sep | 26°C / 78°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Oct | 19°C / 66°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Nov | 12°C / 54°F | 5°C / 42°F |
| Dec | 7°C / 45°F | 1°C / 33°F |
1,717 hours of sunshine a year · 634 mm of rain a year · Source: Paris-Montsouris station, 1991-2020 normals, as tabulated on Wikipedia (Paris); the page cites Météo-France and others
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8°C / 46°F | 3°C / 38°F |
| Feb | 9°C / 48°F | 3°C / 38°F |
| Mar | 13°C / 55°F | 6°C / 42°F |
| Apr | 17°C / 62°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| May | 20°C / 68°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Jun | 23°C / 74°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Jul | 26°C / 78°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Aug | 26°C / 78°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Sep | 22°C / 71°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Oct | 17°C / 62°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Nov | 11°C / 52°F | 6°C / 43°F |
| Dec | 8°C / 46°F | 4°C / 39°F |
Daily life
Milan is a capital / metropolis; Paris is a capital / metropolis. 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. Paris offers the best transit, culture and international community in our France set, and the highest costs. A center one-bed runs about €1,550 a month, a comfortable single budget about €2,500, and the Navigo pass is €91 a month. Best for career movers, culture lovers and anyone who can handle small flats and gray winters.
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 Paris: the upsides and downsides
- Metro, RER and trains reach almost everywhere for a flat €91 a month
- Unmatched museums, food, theater and events
- Most international schools, employers and English-speaking services in France
- Downside: Highest rents in our set; flats are small
- Downside: Gray, damp winters and very little sunshine
Visas and residency
Milan is in Italy and Paris is in France. The main routes for each:
- 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
- France Freelance and Entrepreneur Visa (Profession Libérale) - Freelance visa, open, €1,867/mo income
- France Long-Stay Visitor Visa (VLS-TS Visiteur) - Retirement visa, open, €1,478/mo income
- France Talent Passport (Passeport Talent) - Work permit, open, €3,299/mo income
Read the full guides: living in Milan and living in Paris.
Related comparisons
- Paris vs Lyon
- Rome vs Milan
- Rome vs Paris
- Milan vs Florence
- Milan vs Bologna
- Paris vs Nice
- Paris vs Bordeaux
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.