# Venice or Milan: which city charges more per night

> A 5-star costs 12.00 euro a night per person in Milan and 5.00 in Venice's historic center. Milan's 2026 rates are higher in every hotel category.

URL: https://myitalia.it/compare/venice-vs-milan-tourist-tax
Last updated: 2026-09-11

Milan charges more in every hotel category, 12.00 euro per person a night in a 5-star against 5.00 euro in Venice's historic center, and Venice is the one that lowers its rates by zone and season; the city famous for overtourism has the gentler table.

## The two tables side by side

| Per person, per night | Venice, historic center, high season | Milan, from April 1, 2026 |
|---|---:|---:|
| 1-star hotel | 1.00 euro | 3.00 euro |
| 2-star hotel | 2.00 euro | 4.00 euro |
| 3-star hotel | 3.50 euro | 7.00 euro |
| 4-star hotel | 4.50 euro | 10.00 euro |
| 5-star hotel | 5.00 euro | 12.00 euro |
| B&B, holiday home, short let | 2.00 to 5.00 euro by grade | 9.50 euro |
| Maximum nights | 5 | not in our sources |
| Lower rates by zone or season | yes | no |

Milan is at least double Venice in every hotel category, and more than double at 1, 4 and 5 stars.

## Venice has three zones and two seasons

Venice charges the full rate in the historic center, the Giudecca and the islands used mainly for hotels, 20% less on the Lido and the lagoon islands such as Murano and Burano, and 30% less on the mainland. From February 1 to December 31 is high season; in January the base rates fall by 30%.

The zone discount doesn't apply to tourist rentals. For everything else, the table rewards staying outside the center and coming in winter, and it caps the charge at 5 consecutive nights.

## Milan has one table for the whole city

Milan's rates, in force since April 1, 2026, run from 3.00 euro for 1-star hotels, hostels and campsites to 12.00 euro for 5-star hotels, with 9.50 euro for B&Bs, holiday homes, rooms for rent and short-term rentals. There's no zone and no season.

The flat 9.50 euro for non-hotel stays is the figure that stands out. In Venice a B&B pays between 2.00 and 5.00 euro depending on its grade; in Milan it pays nearly as much as a 4-star hotel.

Two things we couldn't verify. From January 1 to March 31, 2026 some Milan categories paid different, higher rates linked to a surcharge allowed for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and we have no primary source for that table. We also don't know Milan's maximum number of taxable nights.

## Both cities sit on the same law

Every Italian tourist tax rests on article 4 of legislative decree no. 23 of March 14, 2011, which sets an ordinary ceiling of 5 euro a night and allows it to be raised for municipalities where tourist presences far exceed residents. Venice's top rate is exactly 5.00 euro; Milan's rates go well above it.

So the difference isn't one of rules but of choice. Both cities could charge more than 5 euro, and only one of them does.

## What a short stay costs

For one person in a 4-star, 3 nights cost 13.50 euro in Venice's historic center and 30.00 euro in Milan. In a B&B graded three lions, 3 nights in Venice cost 9.00 euro; in a Milan B&B, 28.50 euro. That's our arithmetic from the two published tables.

Venice's lower tax is not the whole Venice bill. The day-visitor access fee is a separate charge, and it has not applied since July 27, 2026; the details are on [Venice access fee or tourist tax](/compare/venice-access-fee-vs-tourist-tax).

## Pick which

The tax won't decide between two cities this different, but if you're choosing where to spend the extra nights of a northern trip, Venice's table is kinder, especially off the historic center and in January.

For the rules city by city, see [the tourist tax in Italy](/themes/tourist-tax), and for where to sleep, [where to stay in Venice](/towns/venezia/where-to-stay) and [where to stay in Milan](/towns/milano/where-to-stay).

## FAQ

### Is the tourist tax higher in Milan or Venice?

Milan, in every hotel category. A 5-star costs 12.00 euro per person per night in Milan against 5.00 euro in Venice's historic center; a 3-star 7.00 against 3.50; a 1-star 3.00 against 1.00. Venice also offers lower rates by zone and in January.

### How much is the tourist tax in Milan in 2026?

Since April 1, 2026, from 3.00 euro per person per night for 1-star hotels, hostels and campsites to 12.00 euro for 5-star hotels. B&Bs, holiday homes, rooms for rent and short-term rentals pay 9.50 euro. A 4-star costs 10.00 euro.

### Why did Milan's tourist tax change in 2026?

The current table applies from April 1, 2026. From January 1 to March 31, 2026 some categories paid different, higher rates linked to a surcharge allowed for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which we could not verify on a primary source.

### How many nights do you pay the tourist tax in Venice?

At most 5 consecutive nights, at rates in force since April 1, 2025. Milan's maximum number of nights is not in the documents we could verify, so check with your accommodation before a long stay there.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Venezia l'imposta di soggiorno e' articolata per zona, stagione, tipologia e classificazione della struttura: nel centro storico in alta stagione (1 febbraio - 31 dicembre) va da 1,00 euro a persona per notte per gli alberghi a 1 stella a 5,00 euro per gli alberghi a 5 stelle, si applica per un massimo di 5 pernottamenti consecutivi e in bassa stagione (gennaio) le tariffe base sono ridotte del 30% (tariffe valide dal 1 aprile 2025). | [Comune di Venezia - Settore Tributi](https://www.comune.venezia.it/sites/comune.venezia.it/files/documenti/Tributi/ids/TARIFFE%20IDS%20-%20STRUTTURE%20con%20classificazione%20L.R.%2011_2013_valide%20dal%2001.04.2025.pdf); [Comune di Venezia](https://www.comune.venezia.it/it/content/tariffe-ids-dal-19052020) | high | 2027-04-30 |
| A Milano l'imposta di soggiorno in vigore dal 1 aprile 2026 va da 3,00 euro a persona per notte per alberghi a 1 stella, ostelli e strutture all'aria aperta a 12,00 euro per gli alberghi a 5 stelle, con 9,50 euro per B&B, case e appartamenti per vacanze, affittacamere e locazioni brevi. | [Comune di Milano](https://www.comune.milano.it/documents/20118/1016509/Tariffe+2026+decorrenza+1%C2%B0aprile+2026.pdf) | medium | 2027-04-30 |
| L'imposta di soggiorno italiana e' istituita dall'articolo 4 del d.lgs. 14 marzo 2011 n. 23, che consente ai comuni capoluogo di provincia, alle unioni di comuni e ai comuni turistici di applicarla in modo graduale e proporzionato al prezzo, fino a un tetto ordinario di 5 euro a pernottamento, tetto elevabile per i comuni con presenze turistiche molto superiori alla popolazione residente. | [Comune di Firenze - Deliberazione di Giunta DG/2024/00535](https://servizi.comune.fi.it/sites/www.comune.fi.it/files/deliberazione_di_giunta_completa-dg_2024_00599_00535-1.pdf); [Comune di Firenze](https://servizi.comune.fi.it/servizi/imposta-di-soggiorno-informati) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| Il contributo di accesso di Venezia e' una tariffa per i visitatori giornalieri del centro storico: la sperimentazione 2026 si e' svolta dal 3 aprile al 26 luglio 2026 per 60 giorni non consecutivi e si e' conclusa, per cui dal 27 luglio 2026 il contributo non si applica; la reintroduzione negli anni successivi e' rimessa all'amministrazione comunale. | [Comune di Venezia - portale Contributo di Accesso](https://cda.ve.it/it/); [Comune di Venezia](https://www.comune.venezia.it/it/cda-info) | high | 2027-03-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.venezia.v2.1600.jpg
Author: kallerna. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ponte_di_Rialto_Venice_1.jpg

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