Florence vs Milan for couples

Florence and Milan are both in Italy, about 248 km apart. Every figure below comes from the data behind our city pages: an estimated monthly cost for a couple, tax tier, annual climate, safety, healthcare, internet speed, language and residency rules. Florence leads on cost.

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Side by side

FactorFlorenceMilan
CountryItalyItaly
SizeMid-sized: 250,000 to 1 million peopleLarge: 1 to 5 million people
SettingNear the coastNear the coast
Est. cost for a couple€3,313 a month€3,494 a month
Tax tierHigh taxHigh tax
Average temperature16°C14°C
Rainfall798 mm a year1,007 mm a year
Safety57 / 10057 / 100
Healthcare76 / 10076 / 100
Internet (median fixed)~70 Mbps~70 Mbps
Main languagesItalianItalian
EnglishLimited EnglishLimited English
Long-term residencyComparatively openComparatively open
Self-funded income routeFrom $2,718 a monthFrom $2,718 a month
Visa-free short visits93 of 198 passports93 of 198 passports

Source: the datasets behind our city pages. Cost is our model estimate (a country-level cost index scaled for city size); tax tiers are assigned by hand from each country's top marginal income tax rate and overall tax reputation; temperature from the Open-Meteo archive (2019 to 2023 averages); rainfall from TerraClimate (1991 to 2020 normals); safety and healthcare are our own country-level estimates; internet from the Ookla Speedtest Global Index; English from the EF English Proficiency Index; residency from our hand-reviewed residency dataset (not legal advice); short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset.

Factor by factor

Cost of living

Florence is cheaper: we estimate about €3,313 a month for a couple living centrally, against €3,494 in Milan. That is €181 a month, or 5%, less.

Taxes

Same country, same tax: Italy is in our high tax tier.

Climate

Florence is 2°C warmer on average over the year: 16°C against 14°C in Milan. Florence is drier, with about 798 mm of rain a year against 1,007 mm in Milan (21% less).

Safety

Our safety score is country-level, so both cities get the same 57 out of 100.

Healthcare

Our healthcare score is country-level, so both cities get the same 76 out of 100.

Internet

Our broadband figure is country-level: about 70 Mbps median fixed download in both.

Language

Main languages in both: Italian. English proficiency is rated the same in both: limited English.

Residency and visas

Same country, same rules: long-term residency in Italy is rated comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $2,718 a month in income.

Which one fits a couple

On the factors we measure, Florence leads on cost (€3,313 against €3,494 a month), and Milan leads on none of them. What our data does not cover can still tip it toward Milan: jobs, family nearby, or simply which one each of you prefers after a visit.

Climate can pull the two of you apart too: a partner who wants warmth leans toward Florence (16°C on average), while one who minds the heat leans toward Milan (14°C).

Size differs too: Florence is a mid-sized city (250,000 to 1 million people) and Milan a large one (1 to 5 million people).

OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Florence, Milan and 913 other cities for both of you at once.

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