Milan is one of the most expensive cities in Italy, so can it be done on a budget? Check out the budget breakdown below on how much money I spent when visiting Milan and Lake Como for two days and nights.
Being Italy’s capital of fashion and business, it comes as no surprise that Milan isn’t the cheapest holiday destination in Europe. If you think of the Gucci, Prada and Dior stores that are lined up in pictures of the city, you may want to skip to somewhere cheaper like Budapest or Prague.
However, it is totally doable to go to Milan on a budget and still have a fantastic time. I flew to Milan for two nights, explored the city, ate some delicious food and even managed to fit in a day trip to Lake Como – all for under £200. And yes, that includes flights, accommodation, food, transport and activities.
To show you how I’ve done it, I’ve broken down my budget below!
Here is my exact spending for my city break to Milan (including a day trip to Lake Como).
Please note you can make a holiday as cheap or expensive as you’d like, and this one was definitely on the cheaper side. Don’t take these numbers are absolutes, every trip and traveller is different.
£20 – Return flights from Manchester to Milan (no luggage).
Flights don’t have to be expensive, but I got lucky with these. They’re probably the cheapest flights I’ve ever managed to find. While I usually use Skyscanner to find affordable tickets and destinations, I got these during a Ryanair sale.
As these flights were with Ryanair, I decided to bring as little luggage as possible. Ryanair’s extra charges for bringing a carry-on (other than a small backpack) make these “budget” flights much more expensive. And since I was only going for a couple of nights, I only brought a backpack.
I even had some space leftover, but this is what I packed:
If you’re only going to a city for a few nights and you’re staying in a hostel, you don’t need to bring that much. And if it’s going to save you £40, it’s a no-brainer!
€58 (£49*) – Two nights in Ostelzzz Milano.
To keep this trip to Milan as inexpensive as possible, I decided to stay in my very first hostel ever. I normally only stay in hotels, apartments or Airbnbs.
But since I was travelling by myself (normally, I bring my fiance) and I didn’t want to pay €100+ for a hotel room, it seemed like a great opportunity to try out the hostel life.
Since it was my first time staying in a hostel, I was a little nervous. Luckily, I found Ostelzzz Milano. You still share a room with others, but instead of only getting a bed, you get your own individual pod. Kind of similar to the capsule hotels in Japan.
The room I stayed in had eight pods and the door was locked with a special code so nobody else could enter. It also came with a shared bathroom. The pod itself only had a little curtain, but it was perfectly fine.
Honestly, it was more spacious than I expected. The mattress was comfortable and I had two great nights’ sleep there.
Check availability/prices of Ostelzzz Milano
€26 – Train to and from Milan airport (€13 each way)
€13.60 – Train to and from Varenna (for my day trip to Lake Como)
€9.20 – Boat to and from Varenna to Bellagio
€2 – Metro in Milan.
The train to and from Milan airport to the city was a bit more expensive than I expected. Maybe I could’ve taken a cheaper bus instead, but since I didn’t have much time in Italy, I didn’t want to waste it.
I also took a day trip to Lake Como during this trip. The train from Milan Central to Varenna took just under an hour and wasn’t that expensive. Even the boat to Bellagio was quite cheap.
While exploring Milan, I walked almost everywhere. I only took the metro once to get to a place that was quite far from my hostel. I didn’t do this intentionally to save money (the metro in Milan is quite cheap), but I like wandering around and seeing sights along the way.
€10.40 – Lunch in Varenna
€17 – Dinner in Bellagio
€10 – Lunch in Milan
€27.10 – Dinner in Milan
€18.10 – Extra (gelato, coffee, pastries, etc.).
Unsurprisingly, food and drinks were my biggest expense during my Milan trip. Italy has so much good food (and wine) to offer, so I didn’t want to hold back. Luckily, breakfast was included in my hostel price.
On my last evening, I also met up with some friends who live in Milan, so I spent a little more on wine that evening.
€16 – Milano Duomo rooftop tickets.
During my day in Milan, the only tourist attraction I paid for was the Milano Duomo rooftop. There are quite a few touristy things to do in the city, but there are also a lot of things to do in Milan for free.
You can go window shopping in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and Castello Sforzesco can be seen (partly) for free. Even simply wandering around Milan to enjoy the architecture is a real treat.
Flights – £20
Accommodation – €58 (£49*)
Transport – €50.80 (£43*)
Food & Drinks – €82.60 (£68*)
Activities – €16 (£13.50*)
Total – £193.50.
Obviously, I paid for most things in Euros. I converted the prices into pounds to add everything together. But less than £200 for two nights in Milan, including a day trip to Lake Como, really ain’t that bad!
I had an incredible time and didn’t feel like I had to hold back to fit a cheaper budget. I ate what I wanted, drank a few glasses of delicious wine and had an absolute blast.
Milan can be expensive, but it surely doesn’t have to be as bad as you may think.
Milan is known to be one of the more expensive places to visit in Italy. And while most things in Milan aren’t exactly cheap, you can travel here on a budget.
Especially when flying with a budget airline, picking affordable accommodation and only doing the things you want to do, Milan doesn’t have to break the bank.
I hope this breakdown of my two nights in Milan has shown you it’s very possible to visit this beautiful city and spend under £200 in total. Good luck with planning your trip and have a fantastic time!
* All currency conversions were rounded to the nearest pound and were correct at the time of travelling to Milan.
Being Italy’s capital of fashion and business, it comes as no surprise that Milan isn’t the cheapest holiday destination in Europe. If you think of the Gucci, Prada and Dior stores that are lined up in pictures of the city, you may want to skip to somewhere cheaper like Budapest or Prague.
However, it is totally doable to go to Milan on a budget and still have a fantastic time. I flew to Milan for two nights, explored the city, ate some delicious food and even managed to fit in a day trip to Lake Como – all for under £200. And yes, that includes flights, accommodation, food, transport and activities.
To show you how I’ve done it, I’ve broken down my budget below!
How Much Does a Budget Trip to Milan cost?
Here is my exact spending for my city break to Milan (including a day trip to Lake Como).
Please note you can make a holiday as cheap or expensive as you’d like, and this one was definitely on the cheaper side. Don’t take these numbers are absolutes, every trip and traveller is different.
Flights – £20
£20 – Return flights from Manchester to Milan (no luggage).
Flights don’t have to be expensive, but I got lucky with these. They’re probably the cheapest flights I’ve ever managed to find. While I usually use Skyscanner to find affordable tickets and destinations, I got these during a Ryanair sale.
As these flights were with Ryanair, I decided to bring as little luggage as possible. Ryanair’s extra charges for bringing a carry-on (other than a small backpack) make these “budget” flights much more expensive. And since I was only going for a couple of nights, I only brought a backpack.
I even had some space leftover, but this is what I packed:
- Two outfits
- Pyjama shirt
- Underwear for three days
- Toiletries and make-up
- Phone and camera charger
- Camera
- A little handbag for money/passport etc.
- Reusable water bottle.
If you’re only going to a city for a few nights and you’re staying in a hostel, you don’t need to bring that much. And if it’s going to save you £40, it’s a no-brainer!
Accommodation – €58 (£49*)
€58 (£49*) – Two nights in Ostelzzz Milano.
To keep this trip to Milan as inexpensive as possible, I decided to stay in my very first hostel ever. I normally only stay in hotels, apartments or Airbnbs.
But since I was travelling by myself (normally, I bring my fiance) and I didn’t want to pay €100+ for a hotel room, it seemed like a great opportunity to try out the hostel life.
Since it was my first time staying in a hostel, I was a little nervous. Luckily, I found Ostelzzz Milano. You still share a room with others, but instead of only getting a bed, you get your own individual pod. Kind of similar to the capsule hotels in Japan.
The room I stayed in had eight pods and the door was locked with a special code so nobody else could enter. It also came with a shared bathroom. The pod itself only had a little curtain, but it was perfectly fine.
Honestly, it was more spacious than I expected. The mattress was comfortable and I had two great nights’ sleep there.
Check availability/prices of Ostelzzz Milano
Transport – €50.80 (£43*)
€26 – Train to and from Milan airport (€13 each way)
€13.60 – Train to and from Varenna (for my day trip to Lake Como)
€9.20 – Boat to and from Varenna to Bellagio
€2 – Metro in Milan.
The train to and from Milan airport to the city was a bit more expensive than I expected. Maybe I could’ve taken a cheaper bus instead, but since I didn’t have much time in Italy, I didn’t want to waste it.
I also took a day trip to Lake Como during this trip. The train from Milan Central to Varenna took just under an hour and wasn’t that expensive. Even the boat to Bellagio was quite cheap.
While exploring Milan, I walked almost everywhere. I only took the metro once to get to a place that was quite far from my hostel. I didn’t do this intentionally to save money (the metro in Milan is quite cheap), but I like wandering around and seeing sights along the way.
Food & Drinks – €82.60 (£68*)
€10.40 – Lunch in Varenna
€17 – Dinner in Bellagio
€10 – Lunch in Milan
€27.10 – Dinner in Milan
€18.10 – Extra (gelato, coffee, pastries, etc.).
Unsurprisingly, food and drinks were my biggest expense during my Milan trip. Italy has so much good food (and wine) to offer, so I didn’t want to hold back. Luckily, breakfast was included in my hostel price.
On my last evening, I also met up with some friends who live in Milan, so I spent a little more on wine that evening.
Activities – €16 (£13.50*)
€16 – Milano Duomo rooftop tickets.
During my day in Milan, the only tourist attraction I paid for was the Milano Duomo rooftop. There are quite a few touristy things to do in the city, but there are also a lot of things to do in Milan for free.
You can go window shopping in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and Castello Sforzesco can be seen (partly) for free. Even simply wandering around Milan to enjoy the architecture is a real treat.
Total – £193.50
Flights – £20
Accommodation – €58 (£49*)
Transport – €50.80 (£43*)
Food & Drinks – €82.60 (£68*)
Activities – €16 (£13.50*)
Total – £193.50.
Obviously, I paid for most things in Euros. I converted the prices into pounds to add everything together. But less than £200 for two nights in Milan, including a day trip to Lake Como, really ain’t that bad!
I had an incredible time and didn’t feel like I had to hold back to fit a cheaper budget. I ate what I wanted, drank a few glasses of delicious wine and had an absolute blast.
Milan can be expensive, but it surely doesn’t have to be as bad as you may think.
Is Milan Expensive to Visit?
Milan is known to be one of the more expensive places to visit in Italy. And while most things in Milan aren’t exactly cheap, you can travel here on a budget.
Especially when flying with a budget airline, picking affordable accommodation and only doing the things you want to do, Milan doesn’t have to break the bank.
I hope this breakdown of my two nights in Milan has shown you it’s very possible to visit this beautiful city and spend under £200 in total. Good luck with planning your trip and have a fantastic time!
* All currency conversions were rounded to the nearest pound and were correct at the time of travelling to Milan.