IT flag
Bologna

Italy

vs
IT flag
Milan

Italy

Climate

Bologna logs 17 frost days a year to Milan's 24 — Bologna wins by 7. Bologna also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 1.

BolognaMilan
Sunny days
234216
Hot days
5849
Frost days
1724
Rain days
94113
Outdoor dinner months
6/125/12
Avg wind
1.7 m/s1.5 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,5202,447
Darkest month sun
93 hrs/mo105 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.47.0

Bologna

Feels-like °C

4
8
12
17
22
29
32
31
26
17
10
5

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Milan

Feels-like °C

3
7
12
17
22
29
31
30
24
16
8
3

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Bologna is $577/mo cheaper

Bologna runs about $2,030/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Milan's $2,607/mo — Bologna comes in $577 cheaper each month, roughly 28% less.

Bologna

$2,030

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,569Comfort $2,840
Top 54%in Among 217 Europe cities

Milan

$2,607

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,027Comfort $3,819
Top 82%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

On mobility, Milan scores 3.2 vs Bologna's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity. Bologna still holds an edge on walkability.

2.8/5
vs
3.2/5
BolognaMilan
WalkabilityTransitMotorbikeAirport
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeFlightsAirport
Milan leads

Culture

Milan's culture score of 4.0 sits well above Bologna's 3.5, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

3.5/5
vs
4.0/5
BolognaMilan
ArtsHistoryTheatreNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Milan leads

Nature & Outdoors

Milan's nature & outdoors score of 3.7 sits well above Bologna's 3.2, with the biggest gap on mountain access. Bologna still holds an edge on beach lifestyle.

3.2/5
vs
3.7/5
BolognaMilan
MountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSkiing
MountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing
Milan leads

Safety

Bologna's safety score is ~1.3× Milan's — in the middle of the scale, while Milan lands below average, with the biggest gap on property crime safety. Milan still holds an edge on earthquake safety.

2.9/5
vs
2.2/5
BolognaMilan
EarthquakeFlooding
Property CrimeRoad
Bologna leads

Career

Milan's career score of 4.1 sits well above Bologna's 2.4, with the biggest gap on startup ecosystem.

2.4/5
vs
4.1/5
BolognaMilan
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Milan leads

Social & Community

Bologna and Milan score neck-and-neck on social & community (2.8 vs 2.7, 0–5 scale).

2.8/5
vs
2.7/5
BolognaMilan
Expat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixUrban EnergyGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Bologna leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Milan scores 3.4 vs Bologna's 2.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

2.2/5
vs
3.4/5
BolognaMilan
Restaurants
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Milan leads

Family

On family, Milan scores 3.5 vs Bologna's 2.3 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

2.3/5
vs
3.5/5
BolognaMilan
UniversitiesPlaygroundsGroceries
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Milan leads

Healthcare

Bologna and Milan score neck-and-neck on healthcare (2.7 vs 2.7, 0–5 scale).

2.7/5
vs
2.7/5
BolognaMilan
Public Healthcare
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Bologna averages 14.7 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Milan's 19.8 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Bologna breathes ~26% cleaner air (5.1 µg/m³ lower).

Bologna

Milan

14.7µg/m³
19.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Bologna (457K) and Milan (3.1M) are 6.9x in population — Milan is the larger metro, Bologna the smaller; on land area Milan spans roughly 6.9x more ground.

6.9x

Milan is roughly 6.9x the scale of Bologna

Combined population & area comparison

IT flagMilan
6.9x
IT flagBologna
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.IT flagMilan3.1M6.9x
2.IT flagBologna457K1x
Area
1.IT flagMilan785 km²6.9x
2.IT flagBologna114 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
19 km12 km

IT flagBologna

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
35 km44 km

IT flagMilan

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Bologna vs Milan

Which is cheaper, Bologna or Milan?
Bologna is approximately $577 per month cheaper. Bologna averages $2,030/mo while Milan averages $2,607/mo.
How does the climate compare between Bologna and Milan?
Sunny days: 234 vs 216 d — Bologna higher Annual sunshine: 2,520 vs 2,447 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 93 vs 105 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 58 vs 49 d — Milan lower Frost days: 17 vs 24 d — Bologna lower Rainy days: 94 vs 113 d — Bologna lower
Is Bologna or Milan safer?
Bologna scores higher on safety. Bologna rates 2.9/5 while Milan rates 2.2/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Bologna or Milan?
Bologna and Milan are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Bologna is generally more affordable, while Milan may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Bologna and Milan stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

10 minutes, no account needed