✦ Compare
Lugano 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.
Lugano, CH vs Milan, IT at a glance — Milan, IT is 25% cheaper than Lugano, CH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,500/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 43% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Milan, IT, you'd need
$56,438 / year
Milan, IT is 25% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Milan, IT vs Lugano, CH)
- Housing-16%
- Food & groceries-30%
- Transport-30%
- Utilities-2%
- Healthcare-41%
- Goods & services-32%
◎ How Lugano, CH and Milan, IT compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lugano, CH | Milan, IT | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 147 | 111 |
| Housing | 160 | 135 |
| Food | 150 | 105 |
| Transport | 115 | 80 |
| Utilities | 122 | 120 |
| Healthcare | 140 | 82 |
| Goods & services | 155 | 106 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,800/mo | $1,500/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | — | $1,150/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | — | $3,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | — | $8,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $679 | $902 |
| Inexpensive meal | — | $16 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $42 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 43% |
| VAT / sales tax | 8.1% | 22% |
| Corporate tax | 15% | 24% |
| Capital gains | 0% | 26% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $6,000/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | — | $53,864✓ |
| GDP per capita | $114,769✓ | $43,309✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.2%✓ | 1.5%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | — | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | — | 60 |
| Time zone | — | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | — | 66 |
| Safety index | — | 55 |
| Healthcare index | — | 80 |
| Pollution index | — | 70 |
| Internet speed | — | 120 Mbps |
| Walkability | — | 85 |
| Public transport | — | 82 |
| Family-friendly | — | 64 |
| Tap water | — | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | — | +3 °C |
| July avg | — | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | — | 130 |
| Rainfall / year | — | 1,000 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | — | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Switzerland vs Italy. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lugano vs Milan — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
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
Plan your move to Lugano
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
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Plan your move to Milan
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lugano to Milan: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lugano to Milan, your cost of living will be roughly 25% cheaper. Milan’s cost-of-living index is 111 versus 147 for Lugano (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Lugano cheaper than Milan?
Milan is about 25% cheaper than Lugano overall — its cost-of-living index is 111 versus 147 for Lugano.
Which is more expensive, Lugano or Milan?
Lugano is more expensive than Milan. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 111 (US = 100) — about 32% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lugano or Milan?
Rent is cheaper in Milan — about $1,500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Milan to live like in Lugano?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lugano is worth about $56,438 in Milan. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lugano or Milan?
Switzerland has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 43% in Italy.
◷ More comparisons from Lugano
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.