The Best Italian Classes in Milan in 2026: 6 Options Ranked

Six ways to learn Italian in Milan, from small evening groups to the city's subsidised language centres, ranked on speaking practice, feedback, schedule, price and what you come away with.

By Echoa editorial team · Prices checked 8 November 2026

In short

The best Italian classes in Milan depend on what you need most: ELLCI for the lowest price for 12 weeks of evening classes at a private school, Echoa for daily speaking practice, the City of Milan's language centres for the lowest price per class hour, Il Centro for a course with registration and books included, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci for an 18:30 evening start, and Linguadue for the whole of A1 in four weeks. For speaking practice, Echoa is the strongest: around fifty spoken answers a lesson, each one answered, at any hour, for €39 a month.

Key takeaways

A Milan evening class means two sessions a week shared with a group: 5–12 students at ELLCI, 4–14 at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, 10–18 at the city's language centres. Choose by how much of that time is yours.
Twelve weeks of evening classes at the ranked private schools cost about €410–505, for about 35 hours in class; ELLCI has the lowest fee at €410, and Il Centro's €505 includes registration and books.
Echoa is the strongest choice for speaking practice: around fifty spoken answers in a 15-minute lesson, with a reply to each, at any hour.
Combine two: a class on the way to the A2 certificate the long-term permit asks for, and daily speaking practice so the Italian comes out when the barista is waiting.
One sentence to steal today: Buonasera. Vorrei un tavolo per due, per favore.

The best Italian classes in Milan are the ones that get you saying Italian out loud, to someone who answers, within the first fortnight. Most of the city's evening courses meet twice a week after work, from 18:30 or 19:00, and every minute of each class is shared with the rest of the group.

Milan has plenty of choice: private schools with small evening groups, a school that sells 10-week blocks you can extend, full-time daytime courses for new arrivals, and the city's own language centres, which teach a whole level for a fraction of a school's fee. Which one suits you depends on your budget, your evenings, and whether you need a certificate for a residence permit or citizenship.

This guide is for adults in Milan comparing ways to learn Italian by what each costs, when it runs, and how much speaking it actually gives you.

How we ranked them

We compared six ways to learn on the five things that matter most to someone starting out in Milan:

Speaking practice per session: how much of the time you spend saying Italian yourself. For a class, at most the session divided by the group size.
Feedback: whether someone answers or corrects what you actually said.
Schedule fit: whether it runs in the evening or at any hour, and how soon you can start.
Honest price: the published price for 12 weeks of evening classes where the school sells them, otherwise its nearest published block, from each provider's own website.
What you come away with: whether you end with a certificate, and whether it counts for a residence permit.

No option wins all five, so the order weighs them together. Prices were checked in November 2026.

1.ELLCI: best for the lowest price for 12 weeks of evening classes at a private school

CourseEvening course (Serale), twice a week, 12 weeks
Price€410, about 35 hours in class
WhenMon & Wed or Tue & Thu, 19:00–20:30, 12 weeks; next beginner starts 2 November 2026, then from January 2027 by request
Group5–12
Ideal forNewcomers with an office job who want two evenings a week in a small group, and the permit exam at the same school

Plus an €80 yearly registration fee, which covers the book.

ELLCI's evening course (Corso Serale) runs two evenings a week, Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, from 19:00 to 20:30. That is about 35 hours of class in 12 weeks, in groups of 5–12. The same course runs online for €410. ELLCI also holds the CELI exams: €87 for the CELI A2 exam for the residence permit at ELLCI, plus a required €70 three-session seminar.

Standout strength: €410 for 35 hours, about €11 an hour, the lowest price for 12 weeks of evening classes at a private school here, in a group that never passes twelve. Even with the registration fee, it is the lowest total of the three private evening courses.

The catch: the last beginner start of 2026 was on 2 November, and no 2027 evening dates are published yet. On top of the fee: €80 annual registration fee, including the entry test, a grammar book and course materials.

Price (2026): €410 for 12 weeks.

2.Echoa: best for daily speaking practice with an answer to every sentence

CourseSpeaking course, on your phone or computer; German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian
Price€39 a month; first 3 lessons free. No card needed
LessonsAbout 15 minutes, around fifty spoken answers each
GroupJust you, with Sam answering every sentence you say
Ideal forPeople who understand more Italian than they can say, and whose evenings are already spoken for

Lesson 1. By the end you say: “Buonasera. Vorrei un tavolo per due, per favore.”

Echoa is a speaking course on your phone or computer. Each lesson takes about 15 minutes: you hear an English cue, build the Italian sentence and say it out loud, and Sam, Echoa's AI teacher, answers what you actually said. The course teaches standard Italian, as spoken in Italy, and runs from a restaurant first, then meeting people, making plans, saying what happened, sorting things out and having friends round, which brings you to A2. Here is the sentence lessons 1, 4 and 40 each build to:

Lesson 1: Buonasera. Vorrei un tavolo per due, per favore.
Lesson 4: Parlo un po' d'italiano, ma non capisco tutto. Può parlare più lentamente, per favore?
Lesson 40: Quando ero piccolo, abitavo a Londra.

It lands at number two because it is not a class and gives no certificate, which many people in Milan need for a residence permit or citizenship. For anyone whose problem is speaking, it is number one.

Standout strength: around fifty spoken answers in about 15 minutes, every one of them yours and every one answered. Your own speaking practice, at any hour: before work, on the metro, or after the children are in bed.

The catch: no classroom and no classmates, and nobody notices if you skip a week. Echoa gives no certificate; for the long-term permit you still need the state test or a recognised A2 certificate, and for citizenship a recognised B1 certificate.

Price (2026): €39 a month for every language course, a little over an hour with a private tutor at Preply's Milan average. The first 3 lessons are free.

€39/mo

Echoa, every language. The other options here priced for 12 weeks of evening group classes cost about €410–505.

Start lesson 1 free

3.City of Milan language centres (Lingue in Comune): best for the lowest price per class hour, with most of the cost paid by the city

CourseItalian for foreigners, A1 module of 60 hours
Price€110 a 60-hour module
When4 hours a week for 15 weeks or 6 hours a week for 10 weeks; evening slots such as 18:00–20:00 or 19:30–21:30; most courses start late September
Group10–18
Ideal forResidents on a tight budget who can plan a year ahead and join the September intake

Subsidised by the city: 60 hours for about €110, which the city says completes A1. Non-EU learners need a residence permit, a permit application or a visa; the yearly entry test opens at the end of August.

The city of Milan's language centres teach the 60-hour A1 level for about €110, most of the cost paid by the city; the state adult-education centres (CPIA) run free Italian courses. A module at the city's centres (Lingue in Comune) runs 4 hours a week for 15 weeks or 6 hours a week for 10 weeks; evening slots such as 18:00–20:00 or 19:30–21:30; most courses start late September. Groups are 10–18 students.

Standout strength: €110 for 60 hours, about €2 an hour, the lowest price per class hour of anything here, and a module the city says completes A1.

The catch: the yearly intake fills from an entry test at the end of August, and most courses start in late September, so someone who arrives in November may wait until the autumn. Groups of up to eighteen are the largest here, and the city's own guide says its certificates cannot be used for the long-term residence permit. On top of the fee: textbook about €20–30.

Price (2026): €110 for a 60-hour module.

4.Il Centro: best for registration and books included, and a B1 citizenship course at the same school

CourseEvening course, twice a week, 10 weeks plus 2 extra weeks
Price€505, about 35 hours in class
WhenTwo evenings a week, 19:00–20:30; beginners start on set dates (next 11–12 or 18–19 January 2027)
Ideal forLearners who want one price with nothing added, and a route on to the citizenship exam

The 10-week course plus two extra weeks, added up; registration and books are included.

Il Centro sells its evening course in 10-week blocks, two evenings a week from 19:00 to 20:30. With two extra weeks added, that is 35 hours of class in 12 weeks, in hour-long lessons. The school also runs a short citizenship course: €200 for Il Centro's 4-week B1 citizenship preparation evening course in Milan, €150 online.

Standout strength: one price with nothing added: registration and books are included, at about €14 an hour, and the B1 citizenship course is there when you need it.

The catch: the school publishes no group size, only "small classes", and absolute beginners must join on a set start date, the next in January 2027.

Price (2026): €505 for 12 weeks (10 weeks plus two extra weeks).

5.Scuola Leonardo da Vinci: best for an evening course that starts at 18:30, from beginner to advanced

CoursePart-time evening course, twice a week, 12 weeks
Price€480, about 35 hours in class
WhenMon & Wed or Tue & Thu, 18:30–20:00; beginner, intermediate or advanced; start dates from the school
Group4–14
Ideal forLearners who finish work early enough for an 18:30 class and want to carry on to an advanced level

Plus an €80 enrolment fee. Levels are beginner, intermediate and advanced; how long the school takes for A1 is not stated.

Scuola Leonardo da Vinci's part-time evening course runs Mon & Wed or Tue & Thu, 18:30–20:00; beginner, intermediate or advanced; start dates from the school. That is 48 lessons, about 35 hours of class in 12 weeks, in groups of 4–14. The school also teaches online: €320 for 8 weeks.

Standout strength: an 18:30 start, half an hour earlier than ELLCI and Il Centro, at about €13 an hour, with levels from beginner to advanced.

The catch: groups of up to fourteen are the largest of the private evening courses here, start dates are only given on request, and there is more to pay on top: €80 enrolment fee, valid 12 months. With it, the total is more than Il Centro's, which includes registration and books.

Price (2026): €480 for 12 weeks.

6.Linguadue (Linguaviva): best for the whole of A1 in four weeks, full time

CourseStandard course, 20 lessons a week, A1 in 4 weeks
Price€880 4 weeks
WhenWeekdays, 4 lessons a day; times not published; beginners start on set Mondays
Groupup to 14
Ideal forNew arrivals who are not working yet and want A1 done within a month

A full-time daytime course, the whole of A1 in four weeks; textbook extra.

Linguadue, part of the Linguaviva group, runs a full-time standard course: 20 lessons a week, about 60 hours of class in 4 weeks, in groups of up to 14 students. The school says each level can be completed in four weeks.

Standout strength: the whole of A1 in a month, the fastest route to a level of any option here, at about €15 an hour.

The catch: it runs on weekdays, four lessons a day, so it does not fit round a job, and the Milan school publishes no evening course. The textbook is extra.

Price (2026): €880 for 4 weeks.

The 2026 comparison at a glance

Prices are for 12 weeks of evening group classes, unless the row says what else they buy. Echoa is priced by the month.

ELLCIBest for the lowest price for 12 weeks of evening classes at a private schoolGroup classes, groups of 5–12€410 · Speaking: at most 5–12 min an hour, by group size
EchoaBest for daily speaking practice with an answer to every sentenceSpeaking course, on your phone or computer€39 a month · Speaking: around fifty spoken answers in 15 min, each one answered
City of Milan language centres (Lingue in Comune)Best for the lowest price per class hour, with most of the cost paid by the cityPublic course, groups of 10–18€110 a 60-hour module · Speaking: at most 3–6 min an hour, by group size
Il CentroBest for registration and books included, and a B1 citizenship course at the same schoolGroup classes€505 · Speaking: group size not published
Scuola Leonardo da VinciBest for an evening course that starts at 18:30, from beginner to advancedGroup classes, groups of 4–14€480 · Speaking: at most 4–15 min an hour, by group size
Linguadue (Linguaviva)Best for the whole of A1 in four weeks, full timeGroup classes, groups of up to 14€880 4 weeks · Speaking: at most 4 min an hour

12 weeks of evening group classes: best for, format, price and speaking time
Course	Best for	Format	Typical pricing	Speaking
ELLCI	the lowest price for 12 weeks of evening classes at a private school	Group classes, groups of 5–12	€410	at most 5–12 min an hour, by group size
Echoa	daily speaking practice with an answer to every sentence	Speaking course, on your phone or computer	€39 a month	around fifty spoken answers in 15 min, each one answered
City of Milan language centres (Lingue in Comune)	the lowest price per class hour, with most of the cost paid by the city	Public course, groups of 10–18	€110 a 60-hour module	at most 3–6 min an hour, by group size
Il Centro	registration and books included, and a B1 citizenship course at the same school	Group classes	€505	group size not published
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci	an evening course that starts at 18:30, from beginner to advanced	Group classes, groups of 4–14	€480	at most 4–15 min an hour, by group size
Linguadue (Linguaviva)	the whole of A1 in four weeks, full time	Group classes, groups of up to 14	€880 4 weeks	at most 4 min an hour

Prices are rounded; each source linked below has the exact prices. Speaking for a group class is 60 minutes divided by the group size the school states, from a full class to the smallest: the most each learner could speak, before the teacher says anything.

Should you use more than one?

Yes, and it costs less than adding a weekly tutor. A Milan class gives you a routine, a teacher in the room and, at a school that holds the CELI exams, a route to the A2 certificate the long-term permit asks for. What it can't give you is much time talking: a 90-minute class at ELLCI, shared by up to twelve, leaves each of you about seven minutes at most when the class is full, before the teacher says anything. Daily speaking practice fills that gap: 15 minutes a day of saying it yourself is what lets you order at the bar without rehearsing first.

When to upgrade from your first pick

Most learners in Milan hit the same wall: they follow the class, then go blank when a colleague turns to them at the aperitivo and asks a question. That is the moment for one-to-one time: a private tutor in Milan costs about €28–31 an hour on average on Preply.

The other upgrade is the exam. For the EU long-term residence permit you need A2 (DM 4 June 2010, art. 2 (1)), shown by the state test or a recognised certificate such as the CELI A2 at ELLCI. For citizenship you need B1 (Law 91/1992, art. 9.1): the fee is €87 for the CELI B1 citizenship exam at ELLCI, plus the €70 seminar, and Il Centro runs a four-week preparation course. Our guide to CILS B1 Cittadinanza preparation compares ways to prepare for another exam that proves it.

Which one should you choose?

Pick the one that fixes where you get stuck.

You want two evenings a week in a small class for the lowest fee among the private schools: ELLCI.
You understand Italian but freeze when you have to speak: Echoa, every day, for €39 a month.
You live in Milan, money is tight and you can wait for the September intake: the City of Milan's language centres.
You want one price with registration and books included, and the citizenship exam in view: Il Centro.
You finish work early and want an 18:30 class: Scuola Leonardo da Vinci.
You have just arrived, are not working yet and want A1 within a month: Linguadue.

Most people will want a class and one other thing. If speaking is the part that worries you, make it Echoa: lesson 1 takes about 15 minutes and ends with you booking a table for two, out loud, in Italian. The first 3 lessons are free. No card needed.

Start lesson 1 free

Frequently asked questions

How much do Italian classes in Milan cost?

Twelve weeks of evening group classes cost about €410–505 at the ranked private schools, for about 35 hours in class. ELLCI charges €410 and Scuola Leonardo da Vinci €480, each with a fee on top (ELLCI: €80 annual registration fee, including the entry test, a grammar book and course materials; Scuola Leonardo da Vinci: €80 enrolment fee, valid 12 months), while Il Centro's €505 includes registration and books. Accademia di Italiano's daytime part-time course is €620 for 12 weeks; Berlitz Milano gives its prices only on request. A private tutor costs about €28–31 an hour on average on Preply. Echoa is €39 a month for every language course, with the first 3 lessons free.

Are there free or cheap Italian classes in Milan?

Yes. The city of Milan's language centres teach the 60-hour A1 level for about €110, most of the cost paid by the city; the state adult-education centres (CPIA) run free Italian courses. The city's courses fill from an entry test at the end of August, and non-EU learners need a residence permit, a permit application or a visa to enrol.

What level of Italian do I need for a residence permit or citizenship?

A2 for the EU long-term residence permit (DM 4 June 2010, art. 2 (1)), and a spoken A2 is the aim of the integration agreement you sign with your first permit (DPR 179/2011, art. 2 (4)(a)). For citizenship by naturalisation or marriage, B1 (Law 91/1992, art. 9.1). An A2 certificate from a body the decree recognises replaces the long-term permit language test. If citizenship is the reason, read what the CILS B1 Cittadinanza asks before you book.

How long does it take to finish A1?

At the City of Milan's language centres, one module of 60 hours, which the city says completes A1. At Linguadue, four weeks full time. The evening schools sell terms by level rather than a whole A1, so ask the school how many terms make A1.

Can I take Italian classes in the evening?

Yes. ELLCI, Il Centro and Scuola Leonardo da Vinci all run evening groups twice a week, and the city's centres have evening slots. Accademia di Italiano is the exception: its part-time course runs by day, between 09:00 and 16:45. We compare evening classes the same way in Italian classes in Rome.

Do I need a laptop, or is the phone enough?

For Echoa, the phone is enough: it works on your phone or computer. For the classes, you need to be in Milan on the evenings they meet, or online for ELLCI's and Scuola Leonardo da Vinci's online courses. If you are comparing language apps, Babbel vs Pimsleur for Italian sets the two side by side.

About Echoa

Italian. Accelerated. Echoa is a speaking course on your phone or computer, in German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian. In each 15-minute lesson you build sentences and say them out loud, and Sam answers every one. Real conversations in 20 hours. A2 in weeks, not years. It costs €39 a month for every language course, and the first 3 lessons are free. We compare classes the same way in other cities: German courses in Zurich, Spanish classes in Madrid, French classes in Paris, Portuguese classes in Lisbon and Dutch courses in Amsterdam.

How we compared

This page is published by Echoa, one of the options compared. Every price comes from the source linked for it below, the provider’s own website unless named otherwise, on the date shown. The page is drafted with AI from those sources, then checked against them before it is published. Prices are compared on one basis, 12 weeks of evening group classes; Echoa is priced by the month, and any other option priced differently says on its card what its price buys. Options under “also checked” were looked at too and are not compared here, because they are priced on another basis or weren’t picked. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

ELLCI, checked 2026-11-08
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, checked 2026-11-08
Il Centro, checked 2026-11-08
Linguadue (Linguaviva), checked 2026-11-08
City of Milan language centres (Lingue in Comune), checked 2026-11-08

Also checked, not picked here: Accademia di Italiano, ELLCI online, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci online, Berlitz Milano.

Other sources: preply.com, comune.milano.it, ellci.it, ilcentro.net, prefettura.interno.gov.it.