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Los Angeles 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.

Los Angeles, CA vs Milan, IT at a glance — Milan, IT is 4% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,500/mo versus $2,400/mo. Top income tax: 43% vs 37%.

$/ year

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

$72,207 / year

Milan, IT is 4% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Milan, IT vs Los Angeles, CA)

  • Housing-11%
  • Food & groceries+11%
  • Transport-30%
  • Utilities+36%
  • Healthcare-12%
  • Goods & services+6%

◎ How Los Angeles, CA and Milan, IT compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Los Angeles, CAMilan, IT

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

▤ Full comparison

Los Angeles, CAMilan, IT
Cost of living
Overall cost index115111
Housing152135
Food95105
Transport11480
Utilities88120
Healthcare9382
Goods & services100106
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$2,400/mo$1,500/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,800/mo$1,150/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$4,800/mo$3,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$9,500$8,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$868$902
Inexpensive meal$20$16
Monthly transit pass$100$42
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%43%
VAT / sales tax0%22%
Social security (employee)7.7%—
Corporate tax21%24%
Capital gains20%26%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$1,900/mo
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓—
GDP per capita$90,027✓$43,309✓
Inflation (annual)—1.5%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyNativeModerate
Coworking spaces12060
Time zoneUTC-8UTC+1
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)6166
Safety index4255
Healthcare index7880
Pollution index6070
Internet speed200 Mbps120 Mbps
Walkability6885
Public transport5582
Family-friendly5564
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$480/mo—
Life expectancy79 yr✓84 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+15 °C+3 °C
July avg+23 °C+24 °C
Sunny days / year284130
Rainfall / year380 mm1,000 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

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

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

Cost of living: Los Angeles vs Milan — in your currency

Los AngelesMilan
1-bed rent, city centre$2,400$1,500
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,800$1,150
Inexpensive meal$20$16
Monthly transit pass$100$42
Utilities (monthly)$160$190

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

Good to know before you move to Los Angeles

Endless sun, entertainment and sprawl — you'll want a car, and traffic is a way of life.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-8
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
42/100
Climate
❄ 15°C · ☀ 23°C · 284 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Silver Lake · Santa Monica · DTLA

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 Los Angeles to Milan: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Los Angeles to Milan, your cost of living will be roughly 4% cheaper. Milan’s cost-of-living index is 111 versus 115 for Los Angeles (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Los Angeles cheaper than Milan?

Milan is about 4% cheaper than Los Angeles overall — its cost-of-living index is 111 versus 115 for Los Angeles.

Which is more expensive, Los Angeles or Milan?

Los Angeles is more expensive than Milan. Its cost-of-living index is 115 vs 111 (US = 100) — about 4% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Los Angeles or Milan?

Rent is cheaper in Milan — about $1,500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,400 in Los Angeles.

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

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Los Angeles is worth about $72,207 in Milan. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Los Angeles or Milan?

United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 43% in Italy.

◷ More comparisons from Los Angeles

How we calculate these figures →

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