Milan is the fashion capital of the world and the business capital of Italy… so it’s not quite a top destination for budget travelers—which is why there are only a handful of Milan hostels. That’s why we’ve sorted through the city’s approximately 25 hostels to find the best hostels in Milan.
Average Milan Hostel Prices
A bed in a highly-rated hotel will cost anywhere from about €20-€50/night with an average of around €30/night. The cheapest hostel you’ll find will cost around €12/night but the quality most likely won’t be great.
NOTE: These are “high-season” prices — off-season prices will be 20%-30% cheaper. Also, prices are often a little more expensive on Friday and Saturday nights than on weeknights.
Check Hostelworld to get exact prices for your dates.
Quick Facts About Milan Hostels
- Cheap Beds & Good Hostels Go Early: Hostel prices are fairly standardized in Milan but the quality can vary quite a bit. The best options do get booked up quickly — especially in the summer.
- Check Location: Most hostels in Milan are centrally located but there are a few located outside the city. Milan does have a good subway and tram system to help you get around quickly.
- Private Rooms: Private rooms in hostels can be expensive. In fact, they’re sometimes as expensive as a hotel room.
- Weekend Rates: Expect to pay an extra on Friday and Saturday nights.
- City Tax: The City of Milan requires that all travelers over 30 must pay €2/night for a city tourism tax. But don’t let them charge you if you’re under 30 (some hostels are sneaky).
- Check-In Times and Cleaning Times: Many hostels have late check-in times (around 2 pm-4 pm) but nearly all will let you store your bags if you arrive before check-in.
New To Hostels? Check out our Hostels 101 Guide to learn everything you need to know about finding the perfect hostel.
Our Picks For The Best Hostels in Milan
Our Hostel Ranking Criteria
- Overall Quality: We take a holistic look at the hostel to see the positives and negatives. Our goal is to find amazing hostels that are still affordable.
- Location: Most hostels we list will be centrally located.
- Price: We try to filter out the super-expensive hostels to help find the best price-to-quality ratio.
- Vibe/Atmosphere: Every hostel has a personality. Some are party hostels and some are quiet. We try to note the atmosphere so you can find a place to stay that matches your travel style.
- Past Guest Reviews: Every guest has a different experience so we look at the good and the bad. We suggest you take a few minutes to read prior reviews.
We encourage you to check out Hostelworld to do a bit of searching for yourself.
Ostello Bello Grande Hostel Milan
Ostello Bello Grande won the Best Large Hostel award in 2017 and it receives a ton of amazing praise from past travelers. It’s easy to see why people love it here — the staff is great, the atmosphere is lively and great for meeting other travelers.
Ostello Bello Grande is modern, clean, and there is plenty of indoor and outdoor places to hang out. They have a big kitchen. They even provide free breakfast, free dinner, a free welcome drink, free towels, free city tours… you get the picture.
- Price: Starts around €33/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Ostello Bello Hostel Milan
Ostello Bello is the slightly smaller sister hostel to Ostello Bello Grand and it’s another world-class hostel that receives rave reviews. You can’t go wrong staying here.
It has all the same features as the other hostel (great staff, lively atmosphere that’s great for meeting other travelers, plenty of indoor and outdoor places to hang out, a big kitchen, free breakfast, free dinner, a free welcome drink, free towels, and free city tours.) As an added bonus, the property is literally in the center of Milan so the location can’t be beaten.
- Price: Starts around €44/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Madama Hostel & Bistrot
Madama Hostel & Bistrot is a great hostel with a friendly atmosphere. They offer free breakfast and supper. The hostel is clean and the beds are comfortable.
They also have a bar/bistro that’s very popular with locals — the neighborhood isn’t touristy so you’re definitely surrounded by Milan citizens. It’s a quick subway or tram ride into the center of town or you can walk (about 30 minutes).
However, the bar and neighboring nightclub can be loud at night so you’ll want earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.
- Price: Starts around €31/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Queen Hostel Milan
Queen Hostel gets great reviews about the friendly staff and the fun atmosphere — there is also a bar on-site with cheap drinks. It’s located in a non-touristy neighborhood that’s only about a 15 to 20-minute walk to the center of town.
Ohh, and there is a free simple breakfast every morning.
- Price: Starts around €33/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Yellow Square Milan Hostel
Yellow Square Milan is a new hostel located in the center of Milan and it’s a hub for travelers seeking both shared bunk-style rooms and private accommodations. This hostel has geared towards “flashpackers” so it attracts creative professionals and digital nomads (along with typical backpackers) who want a hostel with modern amenities.
Yellow Square Milan has a bar with food available all day, a nice patio, a space for concert and yoga classes, co-working spaces, meeting rooms, tours, activities, and more. They also have a large kitchen. Yellow Square is about average in terms of having a social atmosphere so it has a nice mix of being social without being a party destination.
- Price: Starts around €33/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
MEININGER Milano Garibaldi Hostel
Meiniger Milano Garibaldi is a new modern hostel with excellent amenities. The beds are comfortable, the hostel is super clean, the rooms are roomy, there is a bar and there’s a self-catering kitchen.
That said, this isn’t a very sociable hostel so it’s most likely not the place to meet other travelers. But it’s a great choice if you want a clean, comfortable, quiet, and inexpensive place to sleep.
Also, the hostel is a bit outside the city center but the subway is right outside the door so you’re in the center of town in just 10 minutes.
- Price: Starts around €30/night during the week and €22/night on the weekend (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Hostel Colours
Hostel Colours gets overall average reviews but we mainly put it here because it has a few beds that go for about €22 a night. It wouldn’t be our first pick but it’s a good deal if you can score one of the cheap beds. Koala Hostel is another fairly cheap but kind of run-down hostel if you’re pinching pennies.
- Price: Starts around €21/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Atmos Luxe Navigli Hostel
Atmos Luxe Navigli is a new hostel that’s already getting a lot of love for its almost “boutique hotel” vibe. The facilities are nice (great showers, compatible beds, and a kitchen) and the staff really takes care of you.
It’s in a fun neighborhood that’s outside the touristy part of town. The hostel is quiet so it’s not very social, but it’s a good place if you want a nice rest.
- Price: Starts around €41/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Babila Hostel
Babila Hostel is a modern hostel that’s smack dab in heart of Milan. The staff is super friendly and they offer you a free drink on arrival. The beds are comfortable, the showers are nice, there is a rooftop lounge, a small gym, and there is an excellent free breakfast.
- Price: Starts around €35/night (via Hostelworld):
- See on Google Maps
- Read More Reviews at Hostelworld
Credits: Ostello Bello, Madama Hostel & Bistrot, queen hostel, Meinniger Milano Garibaldi, Hostel Colours, Atmos Luxe Navigli, Babila Hostel,
Hostel Packing Advice
Staying in hostels poses a few unique packing challenges so I’m here to help by recommending a few of my must-have items. Check out my Hostel Packing List for the full list but below are the absolute necessities:
- Padlock For Your Hostel Locker: Master Lock 1505D, Master Lock 1535DWD, & Master Lock 1500iD are all affordable options on Amazon.
- Hanging Toiletry Case For Tiny Hostel Bathrooms: AmazonBasics Hanging Travel Toiletry Kit Bag and emissary Large Hanging Toiletry Bag are two cheap options on Amazon.
- Quick Drying Travel Towel: I like the Sea to Summit Drylite Towel & Rainleaf Microfiber Towel because they’re only around $25.
- Eyemasks and Earplugs for Loud Roommates: These Flents Protechs Sleep Ear Plugs are designed for sleep.
- Prepaid SIM Card W/ Mobile Data: Having high-speed mobile data is a requirement these days, so I recommend buying a SIM card before arriving in Europe. Here’s my guide to the best Prepaid SIM Cards for Europe and the Best eSIM Data Plans for Europe.
MORE HELPFUL BUDGET-TRAVEL ADVICE
Here are some helpful links to articles that we think you’ll find interesting if you’re staying in hostels and traveling around Europe on a budget.
- Milan Travel Guide: Everything you need to visit Milan.
- Things To Do In Milan: The best of Milan!
- Milan City Price Guide: How much to budget to visit Milan.
- Guide to Hostels in Europe: Tips and advice for finding the best hostels in Europe
- Hostel Etiquette: The unwritten rules about staying in a hostel.
- Backpacking Europe Packing List: What you should (and shouldn’t) pack when traveling to Europe.
- Choosing Travel Insurance: Tips for picking the right travel insurance.
- The Best Travel Shoes: Finding comfortable and stylish shoes for travel.
- The Best Travel Backpacks: Our favorite backpacks designed for traveling Europe.
- How To Buy Train Tickets in France | Guide To Buying French Train Tickets - July 26, 2024
- France Train Guide — How To Travel France By Train - July 25, 2024
- Best Prepaid USA eSIM Data Plans For Travelers | eSIM Buyer’s Guide - July 3, 2024
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