Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs Milan (2026)

Netherlands vs Italy — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Amsterdam

Milan

$2,602/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,737/mo

$15k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$20k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Regime Forfettario

VAT-free under €85k
26% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRMilan is 33% cheaper on rent ($1,737/mo vs $2,602/mo). Amsterdam scores 9.0 vs 7.6 on democracy. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Amsterdam and Milan are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇮🇹 Milan

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Rome vs Milan

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Amsterdam

Metric

Milan

$937/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$760/mo✓

$10,705

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$9,944✓

✓89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

80 / 100

0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.5 / 100k✓

✓3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

5.0 / 100k

✓74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

46 / 100

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

82°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

32°F

✓122 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

90 Mbps

✓11.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

27.9 μg/m³

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

✓9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

7.6 / 10

✓7.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.5 / 9

✓59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

25 / 100

✓76/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

29/100

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$62k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

1.0% · Practically frozen✓

✓94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

89/100 — Mostly stable

✓97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

87/100

A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In Milan: $2,350/mo under Standard employee.

$4,067/mo more in Amsterdam

🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

🎯 Milan's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,962/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$46k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$13k

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$4k

✓$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$28k/yr

$2k/mo

−$62k

🏠

Cost of living

−$48k

✓$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

−$20k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Milan

$866/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Amsterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

68°F vs 82°F summers

🗣️

English

Amsterdam

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

57% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.7h

Shortest day

Dec

8.7h

16.8h

Longest day

Jun

15.7h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech

Industries

fashionfinanceluxurytech

hub

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Easy

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Partner pathway

Not recognized

unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)

—

Retiree visa

€2,583/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

12 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

On request up to 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Civil union

Joint adoption

Adoption

Step-child only

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Amsterdam vs Milan — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than Milan?▾

Milan is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1737/month there vs $2602/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or Milan?▾

Milan is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and Milan has 0.55 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or Milan?▾

Amsterdam and Milan are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or Milan?▾

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). Milan: Italy Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Amsterdam or Milan?▾

Milan is warmer in summer (82°F vs 68°F). Amsterdam has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Amsterdam or Milan without speaking the local language?▾

Amsterdam is easier for street-level English (76/100) than Milan (29/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs Milan?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1737/month in Milan, $2602/month in Amsterdam (Numbeo). That's 33% cheaper rent in Milan.

Is Amsterdam or Milan better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 7.6/10 for Milan. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.