City comparison
Rome vs Milan: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Rome is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €200 a month less than Milan, mostly because of rent. Rome has the milder winter (about 13°C vs 8°C average highs in Dec to Feb). Both are in Italy, so the visa rules, taxes and healthcare system are the same: the choice comes down to cost, climate and lifestyle.
Choose Rome for
- Beach life
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- Culture
- Lower living costs
Choose Milan for
- Public transport
- Mountains nearby
- English-friendliness
- Nightlife
Rome vs Milan at a glance
| Rome | Milan | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Single budget / month | €2,100 | €2,300 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,200 | €3,400 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,300 | €1,550 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 13°C / 55°F | 8°C / 47°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 30°C / 86°F | 30°C / 85°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,724 | 2,217 |
| 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: Rome or Milan?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,100 a month for one person in Rome and €2,300 in Milan, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,200 vs €3,400, and for a family of four €4,600 vs €5,000.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,300 in Rome against €1,550 in Milan, while a monthly transit pass costs €35 vs €39. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 13°C (55°F) in Rome and 8°C (47°F) in Milan. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 30°C. Rome gets about 2,724 hours of sunshine a year and Milan about 2,217.
2,724 hours of sunshine a year · 752 mm of rain a year · Source: Ciampino station, 1991-2020 normals via NOAA, as tabulated on Wikipedia (Rome). Ciampino is an airport station south-east of the center, so nights run cooler than in the historic center.
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12°C / 54°F | 3°C / 38°F |
| Feb | 13°C / 55°F | 3°C / 38°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 60°F | 6°C / 43°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 66°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| May | 22°C / 72°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 83°F | 17°C / 62°F |
| Jul | 31°C / 88°F | 19°C / 67°F |
| Aug | 32°C / 89°F | 20°C / 68°F |
| Sep | 27°C / 80°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Oct | 22°C / 72°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Nov | 17°C / 62°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Dec | 13°C / 55°F | 5°C / 40°F |
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 |
Daily life
Rome is a capital / metropolis; Milan is a capital / metropolis. Rome is the Italian city with the biggest expat community and the most direct flights home, and it is heavy on history and light on efficiency. Expect a one-bed in the center to run about €1,300 a month, a comfortable single budget of about €2,100, and plenty of bureaucracy. Best for people who want big-city Italy more than ease. 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.
Living in Rome: the upsides and downsides
- Largest international community in Italy and many English-friendly services
- Direct flights to the US and Canada from Fiumicino
- World-class museums, food and neighborhood markets at every turn
- Downside: Rome's hot August, plus crowds year-round in the center
- Downside: Patchy public transit with only three metro lines
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
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 Rome and living in Milan.
Related comparisons
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.