8 Must-Have Apps for Expats in Milan to Live Like a Local
Moving to Milan? Discover 8 essential apps for expats to navigate the city, find the best food, learn Italian, and connect with locals effortlessly. Plus, tips on keeping your…

TL;DR: Moving to Milan can be exciting, but staying connected is key. To make living in Milan easy, download these 9 essential apps for expats in Milan: Musement for activities, The Fork for restaurants, CityMapper for navigation, Memrise to learn Italian, Spotted by Locals for insider tips, Foodora for Milan food delivery, Car2Go for car sharing Milan, and Subito for a buy and sell app Italy. These apps will help you handle everything from daily tasks to exploring new places.
Imagine you’ve just moved to Milan, one of Italy’s most exciting cities, famous for its fashion, football, and rich history. You’re trying to set up your new life, but you also need to stay in touch with your old one. Maybe you’re worried about missing important calls from your bank back home, or perhaps you want to make sure your family can always reach you on the number they know. While these apps will help you navigate your new city, keeping your home phone number active and accessible while living abroad is a crucial step for staying connected and managing your life seamlessly across borders. Milan is a vibrant city with a large international community, and these tools will help you make the most of “la dolce vita” – the sweet life – whether you’re finding your way around, trying new foods, or connecting with locals.
What are the best apps for finding things to do in Milan?
Milan has amazing art and many fun activities. If you want to find the best museum tours, sports events, or special city walks, Musement is the app you need. This app was started in Milan and helps you discover a wide range of things to do. For example, if you want to see famous art by Leonardo Da Vinci, Musement can help you skip long lines and get right to the experience. It is a must-have for anyone who loves culture and exploring.
You can get the Musement app on iOS or Android devices.
Find hidden gems with local tips
When you live in a new city, it is great to discover places that most guidebooks miss. Spotted by Locals is an app that gives you special tips from people who actually live in Milan. This means you can find unique spots and experience the city like a true local. The app lets you save your favourite tips on an offline map, so you can check them later even without internet. Plus, new tips and information are added often, so you will always find fresh ideas for things to do in Milan.
Spotted by Locals is ready for you on iOS or Android.

How can I find great food and restaurants in Milan?
Milan is famous for its delicious food. To find the best places to eat and even get discounts, The Fork is a great app to have. This app, part of TripAdvisor, shows you reviews of many eateries. You can also book a table right from the app, which is super helpful if you are still working on your Italian language skills. Many restaurants offer discounts through The Fork, making it easy to enjoy Milan’s food scene without spending too much.
You can download The Fork for iOS and Android.
Which apps offer Milan food delivery?
If you want to enjoy delicious food from Milan’s best restaurants without leaving your home, Foodora is the app for you. This Milan food delivery app promises to bring your meal quickly, often within 35 minutes. You can order from a huge number of restaurants, even ones that usually do not offer takeaway. Foodora is a popular choice for food lovers in Milan because it brings fine dining right to your door.
Get Foodora for iOS or Android.
Which Milan navigation app helps you get around?
Finding your way in a new city can be tricky. CityMapper is the top Milan navigation app that helps you travel easily. No matter how you choose to get around – by bus, train, or even walking – CityMapper gives you the most up-to-date information. It shows you the quickest routes and how much they will cost. You can also save places you go often, making it simple to plan your trips. This app is especially helpful if you have just moved and are learning about your new surroundings.
Download CityMapper on iOS or Android.

What is the best app to learn Italian?
Learning a new language is key when you live in a different country. Memrise makes it fun and easy to learn Italian well. This language learning app is perfect for practicing how words sound and learning common phrases. Memrise uses games and methods that are proven to help you remember new words and rules. It also offers videos, audio, and text to help you understand Italian completely. Many expats use apps like Memrise to quickly pick up the local language, which is vital for daily life.
You can find Memrise on iOS or Android.
How can I use car sharing in Milan?
If you need to drive around Milan without owning a car, Car2Go is the car sharing Milan app for you. This app lets you order a car using your smartphone, which then acts as your key. Car2Go is great for one-way trips because you do not have to return the car to where you picked it up. You just park it when you are done. This app is ideal for simple, private travel by car without any hassle.
While apps like Car2Go simplify moving around Milan, managing your phone number is another important aspect of modern life. For expats, keeping their home number active is essential for banking, online services, and staying in touch. Just as you can easily share a car, there are simple ways to keep your number working abroad. For example, if you are from the UK, you might want to learn how to keep your UK number while you live in Italy.
Get Car2Go on iOS or Android.

What is the best buy and sell app in Italy?
Moving to a new place often means you have things you do not need, and you also need to buy new essentials. Subito is Italy’s online marketplace app where you can buy and sell app Italy items. The app is easy to use for searching for things and agreeing on prices with other users. It is especially useful in Milan because you can search for items by location and find people nearby. This is perfect whether you are adding the final touches to your new home or just clearing out clutter.
Subito is available on iOS or Android.
| App Name | Main Use |
|---|---|
| Musement | Finding tours and activities |
| The Fork | Restaurant reviews and bookings |
| CityMapper | Public transport and navigation |
| Memrise | Learning Italian language |
| Spotted by Locals | Local tips and hidden gems |
| Foodora | Food delivery from restaurants |
| Car2Go | Car sharing for travel |
| Subito | Buying and selling second-hand items |
These 8 essential apps cover many parts of daily life in Milan. They help you explore the city, enjoy its food, communicate better, and manage your belongings. For instance, Musement helps you find fun things to do, while Subito lets you buy and sell items easily. CityMapper is crucial for getting around, and Memrise speeds up your language learning.
To truly make your life smooth when splitting time between countries, remembering to manage your home phone number is just as vital as these local apps. Many expats find it useful to keep their original number for things like banking or staying in touch with family. If you are from the US, for instance, there are ways to keep your US number active even when you are in Milan. Similarly, for those from Australia, understanding how to keep an Australian number can save a lot of hassle. Exploring options like Google Voice vs. other services can help you decide the best way to stay connected globally.
Sources
| # | Source | Website |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | iOS | itunes.apple.com |
| 2 | Android | play.google.com |
| 3 | iOS | itunes.apple.com |
| 4 | Android | play.google.com |
| 5 | iOS | itunes.apple.com |
| 6 | Android | play.google.com |
