Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Milan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Milan or Rio de Janeiro?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Milan and Rio de Janeiro can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Milan or Rio de Janeiro?
Milan
Milan, known to most of the world as the capital of fashion and style, is also the heart of Italian industry and economics. Between the stock exchange, cathedrals and boutiques, this metropolis is a city-lover's dream come true. It is an escape from the stresses of the real world, and provides a playground for all the world's most lavish luxuries.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Italy, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Italy, The Best 10-Day Tours in Brazil, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Brazil.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMilan €166Rio de Janeiro €98
The average daily cost (per person) in Milan is €166, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is €98. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Milan and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMilan €96Rio de Janeiro €62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMilan €192Rio de Janeiro €124
Compare Hotels in Milan and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Milan or Rio de Janeiro? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Milan Hotel Prices and Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Milan €35Rio de Janeiro €7.43
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Milan:
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Train to Airport€7.00
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Malpensa Airport Train (for Two)€22
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Taxi From Airport€90
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Public Transit Day Pass€4.50
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Short Taxi Ride€7.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Milan
Also for Milan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Milan to Bergamo Airport (BGY) - Departure Private Transfer : $46
- Milan to Como hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer : $107
- Airport Transfer: Malpensa Airport MXP to Milan by Luxury Van: $148
- Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Car LIN airport to Milan: $102
- Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Van LIN airport to Milan: $82
- Arrival Private Transfer: Malpensa Airport MXP to Milan in Luxury Van: $148
- Arrival Private Transfer: Milan MXP Airport to Milan City by Luxury Car: $205
- Arrival Private Transfer: Toulouse Airport TLS to Toulouse in Luxury Van: $92
- BELLAGIO:TRANSFER FROM/TO MILAN MALPENSA AIRPORT TO LEZZENO: $376
- BERGAMO ORIO AL SERIO - MILANO airport transfer: $192
- BERGAMO ORIO AL SERIO - Milano airport transfer with private Luxury Van: $186
- Basel : Private Transfer to/from Milan Malpensa Airport: $1,022
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride€2.73
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Private transfer to Ilha Grande.: $930
- From Private Transfer to São Paulo: $650
- Rio: Sambadrome Carnival Parade + transfer 2025 Sector 7: $471
- 2025: Rio Carnival Parade at Sapucaí with Transfer Sector 7: $471
- Rio Carnival 2025: Sambadrome Parade + Transfer Sector 5: $471
- 2025 Sambadrome Carnival Parade: Transfer Included Sector 5: $471
- Rio's 2025 Carnival Parade at Sapucaí + Transfer Sector 5: $471
- Rio Carnival 2025: Sambadrome Parade + Transfer (Sector 7): $471
- Helicopter Ride for 25 to 30min with Transfer service: $300
- All Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro to Ilha Grande: $275
- TRANSFER VAN Rio de Janeiro x Búzios/Arraial/Cabo Frio/Angra: $272
- From Private Transfer to Vila do Abraão: $246
Is it cheaper to fly into Milan or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Milan change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayMilan €39Rio de Janeiro €19
Typical Food Prices in Milan
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Milan:
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Snack at Train Station€8.60
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Restaurant Pizza€6.60
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Casual Cafe Lunch (for Two)€27
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Three Course Dinner (for Two)€64
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Cappuccino€1.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Milan
For Milan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- PYT Milano Dinner Show with Live Music and DJ Set: $22
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $29
- Milan Gourmet Food Tour and Sightseeing with Local Guide: $38
- Gourmet Street Food Tour with Sightseeing and Tasting: $45
- Eating Milan Street Food Tour with Guided Tasting and Sightseeing: $46
- Tasty Milan Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $46
- Delicious Milan Street Food Tour Tasting and Sightseeing with Local Guide: $46
- Devour Milan Street Food Tour and Sightseeing: $46
- NO DIET CLUB - Best Food Tour in Milan !: $59
- 2-Hour Cooking Course of Delicious Desserts for Families in Milan: $65
- Mamma Mia - Make Your own Italian Pizza: $69
- Local Market and Cooking Class with an Italian Chef: $70
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn€0.55
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Corn on the Cob€0.73
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Hamburger€0.91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Waterfront Dinner & Live Music Experience: $46
- Barra da Tijuca Food Tour with Drinks: $73
- THE BEST FOOD TOUR: $80
- Dinner & Rio Scenarium Nightclub Admission with Transfer: $85
- 9-Recipe Boozy Brazilian Cooking Class: $85
- Brazilian Meats and Snacks + South American Wines Guided Dinner: $89
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar: $106
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local: $113
- Rio Scenarium: Fast Track Entrance, Dinner & Open Bar: $115
- Brazilian Cooking Class: $129
- Samba Show Admission & Transfer with Dinner Option: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Milan €31Rio de Janeiro €20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Milan
For Milan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Stairs to Duomo Rooftop€7.00
Tours and Activities in Milan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Milan.
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- The City Storytelling Experience: Art, History and Myths Come Together: $3.28
- Milano Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide by a Local: $4.19
- Self-Guided Audio Tour Exploring Age-Old Plants: $4.63
- Self-Guided Audio Tour Exploring the Famous Five Days: $4.63
- Unique Self-Guided Audio Tour on Alessandro Manzoni: $4.63
- Giuseppe Verdi in Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.63
- From Italy eSIM Tourist Roaming Data Plan: $4.84
- 3 Hours Private Walking Tour in Milan: $5.48
- Stories of the Fashion Capital: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Milan: $5.49
- The Best of A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Ilha Grande Tour Full day - Rio de Janeiro by Rio Eco Trip: $105
- 10-hour Private Tour Rio In One Day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Selarón, Downtown: $260
- 14 - Guided Tour to Quadra Do Salgueiro with Samba Show: $75
- 15 - Guided Tour to Santa Marta Favela: $150
- 16 - Guided Tour to Favela da Rocinha: $75
- 19 - Guided Tour to the Museum of Tomorrow and Olympic Boulevard: $90
- 2 Days in Rio: Tijuca Forest & Two Brothers Hiking Tours: $276
- 2 hours Hang Gliding Paragliding Full Package experience in Rio : $177
- 21 - Guided Tour to the Imperial City of Petrópolis with Lunch: $80
- 25 - Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande: $80
- 27 -Guided Tour to Christ the Redeemer and City in Rio de Janeiro: $75
- 3 Hour Boat Tour in Rio de Janeiro: $68
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMilan €24Rio de Janeiro €11
Typical Alcohol Prices in Milan
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Milan:
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Cocktail at a Bar€8.40
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Beer€3.35
Sample the Local Flavors in Milan
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Milan:
- Wine Tasting Experience in the City Centre: $43
- Wine Tasting Experience in Milan city centre: $44
- Milan Wine Tasting Experience: $53
- Italian Wine Tasting in Milan: $54
- Milan Wine Tasting Aperitivo: $56
- Milan Wine Tasting with Italian Sommelier: $86
- Private Food and Wine Tasting Experience in the Center of Milan: $87
- Wine Tasting with an Italian Sommelier: $94
- Best of Guided Tour with Duomo, Food & Wine Tasting: $160
- Food and Wine Tasting enjoying the New Milan: $165
- Brescia & Franciacorta Guided Tour with Wine Tasting: $182
- Brescia and Franciacorta winery area. Cultural and wine tasting small group tour: $185
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba: $33
- Pub Crawl in Lapa: $34
- Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district): $35
- Petropolis City Tour with Imperial Museum and Optional Lunch & Bohemia Brewery: $40
- Petropolis Bohemia: Historic tour and visit to the Bohemian Brewery: $60
- Walking tour + Pub crawl + Samba in Lapa: $65
- Petropolis City Tour + Bohemia Brewery + Lunch: $77
- Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains: $110
- Brazilian Wine Tasting Evening: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $132
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Milan and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Milan is more expensive. And not only is Rio de Janeiro much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Milan is in Europe and Rio de Janeiro is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Rio de Janeiro would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rio de Janeiro and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Milan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Milan than you might in Rio de Janeiro.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Milan Expensive? and Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Milan or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Milan. When comparing the sizes of Milan and Rio de Janeiro, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Milan or Rio de Janeiro?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Rio de Janeiro is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Milan has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Milan or Rio de Janeiro in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Milan as well as Rio de Janeiro. The summer months attract visitors to Milan because of the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
Milan is cooler than Rio de Janeiro in the summer. The daily temperature in Milan averages around 23°C (73°F) in July, and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 26°C (79°F)in January.
It's quite rainy in Rio de Janeiro. Milan usually gets less rain in July than Rio de Janeiroin January. Milan gets 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 114 mm (4.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryMilan 23°C (73°F)Rio de Janeiro 26°C (79°F)
Should I visit Milan or Rio de Janeiro in the Autumn?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Milan are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Milan this time of year.
In the autumn, Milan is much colder than Rio de Janeiro. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Milan in October average around 15°C (58°F), and Rio de Janeiro averages at about 25°C (77°F)in April.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Rio de Janeiro. It's quite rainy in Milan. In October, Milan usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin April. Milan gets 103 mm (4 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 137 mm (5.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilMilan 15°C (58°F)Rio de Janeiro 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Milan or Rio de Janeiro in the Winter?
Both Rio de Janeiro and Milan during the winter are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Milan for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Milan. In January, Milan is generally much colder than Rio de Janeiroin July. Daily temperatures in Milan average around 5°C (41°F), and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
Milan usually gets more rain in January than Rio de Janeiroin July. Milan gets 68 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 56 mm (2.2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyMilan 5°C (41°F)Rio de Janeiro 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Milan or Rio de Janeiro in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Milan and Rio de Janeiro. Many visitors come to Milan in the spring for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
Milan is much colder than Rio de Janeiro in the spring. The daily temperature in Milan averages around 13°C (55°F) in April, and Rio de Janeiro fluctuates around 23°C (73°F)in October.
In April, Milan usually receives less rain than Rio de Janeiroin October. Milan gets 76 mm (3 in) of rain, while Rio de Janeiro receives 88 mm (3.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberMilan 13°C (55°F)Rio de Janeiro 23°C (73°F)
Typical Weather for Rio de Janeiro and Milan
| Milan | Rio de Janeiro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 5°C (41°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) |
| Feb | 6°C (44°F) | 60 mm (2.3 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Mar | 10°C (49°F) | 85 mm (3.4 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
| Apr | 13°C (55°F) | 76 mm (3 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 137 mm (5.4 in) |
| May | 17°C (62°F) | 102 mm (4 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jun | 20°C (69°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
| Aug | 22°C (72°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Sep | 19°C (67°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Oct | 15°C (58°F) | 103 mm (4 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Nov | 9°C (49°F) | 102 mm (4 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) |
| Dec | 6°C (42°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 169 mm (6.7 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.