Original post by ofssinfoxesI have only stayed over a night at Milan, but I have stayed in Rome, Florence, Naples, and finally, the atrociously expensive Venice... so I might be able to help.
Italy in general is very cheap, but it gets more expensive as you go North.... so I would imagine Milan is one of the more pricy part of Italy. Accommodation is always available and cheap prices.... you can even just 'land' in Milan train station and ask for one at the tourist office.... they are ususally extremely helpful, granted that they are open and not late for some appointment.
Otherwise, you can look them up online, which gives you the option of staying in hotels in hostel prices (had a 4 star hotel in Munich once for 30 euroes a night for two!) But if you're going REAL BUDGET, get those shared dorms; they are quite nice and dirt cheap. Do be careful with wallets and valuables though. And highly unrecommended if you're a gorgeous asian girl traveling alone!
During my previous eurotrips, I budged about 80 euros a day, including accommodation; that was as a student with all the student discounts, and excluding the eurail ticket price. Inclusive of the transportations, you might look at 100 euros, without shopping. But I emphasize again and again on great food (not gourmet, but GOOOOOOOOD food), so you might be able to save a lot more on food.
If you have any other questons, ask away!
PS - To ALL: Sine we're all heading to Europe, a eurotrip is highly recommended. It's expensive, granted, but it's a great experience, indulging yourself in various cultures and if you wish, drinking customs! Bar Crawls are very adventurous (especially when many americans are involved -- Barcelona, Rome, Paris, etc), but otherwise, very enjoyable!