CostTrek

✦ Compare

Dublin vs Milan

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Dublin, IE vs Milan, IT at a glance — Milan, IT is 18% cheaper than Dublin, IE overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,500/mo versus $2,200/mo. Top income tax: 43% vs 40%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Milan, IT, you'd need

$61,578 / year

Milan, IT is 18% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Milan, IT vs Dublin, IE)

  • Housing-23%
  • Food & groceries-13%
  • Transport-27%
  • Utilities-2%
  • Healthcare-25%
  • Goods & services-12%

◎ How Dublin, IE and Milan, IT compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Dublin, IEMilan, IT

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Dublin, IEMilan, IT
Cost of living
Overall cost index135111
Housing176135
Food120105
Transport11080
Utilities122120
Healthcare11082
Goods & services120106
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$2,200/mo$1,500/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,700/mo$1,150/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$4,200/mo$3,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$8,000$8,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$740$902
Inexpensive meal$20$16
Monthly transit pass$110$42
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)40%43%
VAT / sales tax23%22%
Social security (employee)4%—
Corporate tax12.5%24%
Capital gains33%26%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$3,300/mo$1,900/mo
Minimum wage$2,772/mo✓—
GDP per capita$131,592✓$43,309✓
Inflation (annual)2.2%✓1.5%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyNativeModerate
Coworking spaces5060
Time zoneUTC+0UTC+1
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)6866
Safety index5555
Healthcare index7480
Pollution index3070
Internet speed100 Mbps120 Mbps
Walkability7885
Public transport6582
Family-friendly6464
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy83 yr✓84 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+5 °C+3 °C
July avg+16 °C+24 °C
Sunny days / year70130
Rainfall / year760 mm1,000 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Ireland vs Italy. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Dublin vs Milan — in your currency

DublinMilan
1-bed rent, city centre$2,200$1,500
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,700$1,150
Inexpensive meal$20$16
Monthly transit pass$110$42
Utilities (monthly)$220$190

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Dublin

Europe's English-speaking tech HQ (Google, Meta, Stripe) — great jobs, but a genuine housing crunch.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
English, Irish
Time zone
UTC+0
Internet
100 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 5°C · ☀ 16°C · 70 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
G · 230V
Driving
Left-hand side
Popular areas
City Centre · Rathmines · Portobello

Good to know before you move to Milan

Italy's business, finance and fashion capital — the country's best job market, at its highest prices.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
Italian
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
120 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 3°C · ☀ 24°C · 130 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F/L · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Navigli · Brera · Isola

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Dublin to Milan: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Dublin to Milan, your cost of living will be roughly 18% cheaper. Milan’s cost-of-living index is 111 versus 135 for Dublin (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Dublin cheaper than Milan?

Milan is about 18% cheaper than Dublin overall — its cost-of-living index is 111 versus 135 for Dublin.

Which is more expensive, Dublin or Milan?

Dublin is more expensive than Milan. Its cost-of-living index is 135 vs 111 (US = 100) — about 22% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Dublin or Milan?

Rent is cheaper in Milan — about $1,500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,200 in Dublin.

How much do you need to earn in Milan to live like in Dublin?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Dublin is worth about $61,578 in Milan. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Dublin or Milan?

Ireland has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 43% in Italy.

◷ More comparisons from Dublin

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.