Milan is a very underrated city! I've lived there for 7 years. Unlike the rest of Italy, Milan is very international and almost everyone speaks English. It's a friendly city to expats but demands a very fast and active lifestyle. The weather is good enough most of the time, but not that good in terms of temperatures, it could be incredibly hot in August and freezing and foggy during the winter. On the bright side, there are mountains and lakes very close to the city (for example, the Dolomites and Lake Como are only 1 or 2 hours away). The city is expensive, but wages are often not as high as they should be. The lifestyle is fantastic and glamorous, however and you can find very. cheap options. There are incredible museums and galleries and beautiful cinemas and theaters (which have almost always a programme of shows in English). Everyone is very kind for commercial purposes (like in bar or restaurants), but the typical Milanese people are not as friendly as the rest of the Italians. Despite feeling so big and international, it's a relatively small city, well connected by the underground and other public transportation, so getting around is quick and easy. From a tourist point of view, Milan is worth visiting for a couple of days, but there are so many other beautiful places to see in Italy that Milan would not be my priority.
Pros
International Lifestyle
Amazing Food
Lots of things to do in and around the City
Cons
Expensive
Fast and Work-Oriented people
Weather too hot during summer but very cold and foggy during winter
7 users found this helpful
Mark
1 year ago
1 / 10
Milan is dirty, underdeveloped and dangerous
Mark
1 year ago
1 / 10
As the title says, Milan is extremely dirty, underdeveloped and dangerous. It's considered one of the worst cities in Europe in terms of lack of attractions, lack of green spaces, amount of pollution and standard of living.
Don't go to Milan. Go to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Cinque Terre but not Milan.
4 users found this helpful
Pierre
3 months ago
6 / 10
Milan is getting more unsafe and less livable
Pierre
3 months ago
6 / 10
12 years ago, I liked Milan a lots, reminding me to my family's summer home in Savoie (France), but now homicide crimes, robbery, car hijacking, etc., makes it more dangerous than Marseille. However, traditional heritage of this Lombard city is still a silver linen that makes people in love with it
Populous cities or countries usually offer better employment opportunities because of their large economies. Big cities attract companies and business investment, and are usually important cultural centers and research hubs. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
Population density shows how cramped or spread out inhabitants are. Cities or countries with high population densities can be considered overpopulated, which can be a problem if the infrastructure is underdeveloped. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
The average population growth rate reflects the annual increase or decrease in population. Currently, the world’s population is growing at a rate of approximately 1.07% per year. The higher the growth, the more dynamic society feels. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
Cities or countries with younger population have usually better development perspectives. Young societies are more dynamic and creative. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
Bigger single population indicates that living alone in the city is easier and more affordable. It's also usually connected with better night life and dating possibilities. Source: Wikipedia, 2024; city's official stats, 2024.
The percentage of Facebook users among a whole city population indicates how familiar are city’s inhabitants with web 2.0 and shows how popular the social media are. Source: Socialbakers, 2024.
The average rent of a single-bedroom apartment located in the city center. This indicates how much of your salary would be allocated to rent expenses, and the general cost of living of the city. Source: numbeo.com, 2024.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reflects the value and productivity of an economy. It measures the market value of all the final goods and services produced annually. To reflect the differences in the cost of living and inflation rates, we show the GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP). Sources: Wikipedia, CIA World Factbook, 2024.
The Gini coefficient is a measure of dispersion, in this case used to show the variation in income. A Gini coefficient of zero expresses perfect equality. A Gini coefficient of one expresses maximal inequality. Lower income inequalities indicate a more equal distribution of wealth and better opportunities for the average citizen. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
The Big Mac Index is published by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies. The Big Mac PPP exchange rate between two countries is obtained by dividing the price of a Big Mac in one country (in its currency) by the price of a Big Mac in another country (in its currency). Source: Economist, 2024.
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. High relative humidity reduces the effectiveness of sweating in cooling the body by reducing the rate of evaporation of moisture from the skin. In general, higher humidity makes climate harder to stand for people. Source: Wikipedia, 2024; WMO, 2024.
There are mountains at a distance of maximum 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the city. Mountains are considered to have an elevation of at least 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Source: Wikipedia, 2024; city's official website, 2024.
The World Heritage List includes 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. Source: UNESCO, 2024.
Cost of the monthly public transport ticket indicates affordability of public transportation for an average inhabitant. Source: Wikipedia, 2024; city's public transport website, 2024.
A cheaper single ticket will allow you to move through the city for less money. Whether you are a visitor or a resident, it will help your economy. Source: Official city's public transport website, 2024.
Cities with shorter average commuting time have usually better organized public transportation system which allows citizens to waste less time in a traffic. Source: Wikipedia, 2024; city's official stats, 2024.
A bike-sharing system makes a city more eco-friendly, shows the city’s pro cycling attitude, and provides new touristic opportunities. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
The presence and number of airports shows how good is connection of city with different international destinations and its international accessibility. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
The subway rate or number of kilometers of subway per number of inhabitants indicates how well developed the subway network is. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
The Commuter Pain Index is comprised of 10 issues: 1) commuting time, 2) time stuck in traffic, agreement that: 3) price of gas is already too high, 4) traffic has gotten worse, 5) start-‐stop traffic is a problem, 6) driving causes stress, 7) driving causes anger, 8) traffic affects work, 9) traffic so bad driving stopped, and 10) decided not to make trip due to traffic. Source: IBM, 2024.
A city located near to the country capital may provide more possibilities. Some people love to visit or live in a quiet city, but also want to enjoy the variety of entertainment options or job opportunities that a capital city may offer.
A city founded a longer time ago has more history, which can give extra cultural richness for visitors and residents. Source: city's official stats, 2024.
More arrivals per year shows how important the city is viewed internationally, and may indicate better infrastructure, such as airports, public transport, hotels, etc. Tourism is usually a major source of income of a city. Source: World Tourism Organization, 2024.
Cities with stock exchanges are usually important financial centers influencing international or national’s financial markets. Source: Wikipedia, 2024.
In general, cities with possibility of drinking alcohol in public places have more thriving nightlife. It's easier to organize parties in public places. Source: Wikipedia, 2024; city's official website, 2024.
The Global Cities Index is unique in that it measures global engagement of cities across five dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement. Source: ATKearney, 2024.
The number of international embassies indicates the importance of a city for political, diplomatic and lobbying issues. Source: city's official website, 2024.
An indicator of how safe people feel walking alone in the city during the night, with 1 being very unsafe and 10 being very safe. Source: numbeo.com, 2024
An indicator of how safe people feel walking alone in the city during the day, with 1 being very unsafe and 10 being very safe. Source: numbeo.com, 2024
An indicator of how worried people are about having things stolen from their car, with 1 being not worried and 10 being very worried. Source: numbeo.com, 2024
An indicator of how worried people are about having their home broken into, with 1 being not worried and 10 being very worried. Source: numbeo.com, 2024
The average rent of a three-bedroom apartment located in the city center. This indicates how much of your salary would be allocated to rent expenses, and the general cost of living of the city. Source: numbeo.com, 2024.
Comments
Matteo
2 years ago
10 / 10
Milan is the true capital of contemporary Italy!
Matteo
2 years ago
10 / 10
Milan is a very underrated city! I've lived there for 7 years. Unlike the rest of Italy, Milan is very international and almost everyone speaks English. It's a friendly city to expats but demands a very fast and active lifestyle. The weather is good enough most of the time, but not that good in terms of temperatures, it could be incredibly hot in August and freezing and foggy during the winter. On the bright side, there are mountains and lakes very close to the city (for example, the Dolomites and Lake Como are only 1 or 2 hours away). The city is expensive, but wages are often not as high as they should be. The lifestyle is fantastic and glamorous, however and you can find very. cheap options. There are incredible museums and galleries and beautiful cinemas and theaters (which have almost always a programme of shows in English). Everyone is very kind for commercial purposes (like in bar or restaurants), but the typical Milanese people are not as friendly as the rest of the Italians. Despite feeling so big and international, it's a relatively small city, well connected by the underground and other public transportation, so getting around is quick and easy. From a tourist point of view, Milan is worth visiting for a couple of days, but there are so many other beautiful places to see in Italy that Milan would not be my priority.
Pros
Cons
Mark
1 year ago
1 / 10
Milan is dirty, underdeveloped and dangerous
Mark
1 year ago
1 / 10
As the title says, Milan is extremely dirty, underdeveloped and dangerous. It's considered one of the worst cities in Europe in terms of lack of attractions, lack of green spaces, amount of pollution and standard of living. Don't go to Milan. Go to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Cinque Terre but not Milan.
Pierre
3 months ago
6 / 10
Milan is getting more unsafe and less livable
Pierre
3 months ago
6 / 10
12 years ago, I liked Milan a lots, reminding me to my family's summer home in Savoie (France), but now homicide crimes, robbery, car hijacking, etc., makes it more dangerous than Marseille. However, traditional heritage of this Lombard city is still a silver linen that makes people in love with it