Cost of living in Italy in 2026: Monthly averages for a single person and comparison to the US

Is it expensive to live in Italy?

The cost of living in Italy depends on many factors, and like everywhere — unless you definitely live in a very expensive country like Switzerland — you can live within a modest budget or have a lavish lifestyle with a corresponding price tag.

What does the data tell us? Every few years, the World Bank publishes the latest International Comparison Program (ICP) data, including the price level index (PLI), which compares the price levels of countries’ economies with a global baseline of 100. A country’s PLI being above 100 means that the price level is above the global average. For example, the US’ PLI was 158 in 2021, while Italy’s PLI was 116, indicating that it is, in fact, cheaper to live in Italy than in the US. When compared to other major economies in Europe, Italy was ranked below France’s PLI (129) and Germany’s PLI (132), but above Spain’s cost of living index, which was at 111.

Overall, the cost of living in Italy will be different for everybody, depending mainly on whether you’re planning to buy a house or rent, the location you’re going to live in, and your lifestyle. Italy’s cost of living is generally lower than in other Western European countries, Canada, or the US, but it is ahead of some Eastern European countries. We have to reiterate — your living expenses directly correlate to your lifestyle.

Looking for an eSIM for Italy to stay connected as you travel the country? Download the Saily eSIM app and purchase an Italy data plan for as low as US$3.99 to save money on mobile data.

What is the cost of living in Italy for a single person?

The annual cost of living — the nominal expenditure per inhabitant — in Italy for a single person was €21,854 (US$24,989) in 2025, slightly more than in 2024, according to data from Eurostat. How does that compare to the US, you ask? Well, in 2025, the personal consumption expenditure per capita was US$61,281, per the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Much like in the US, where the cost of living differs between states, there can be stark contrasts to the average living expenses in Italy as well. Data from the Italian national institute of statistics (ISTAT) shows that in Lombardy, where cities like Milan, Monza, Como, and others are located, the average monthly household expenditure was €3,162 (US$3,616) in 2024. In Sicily, that number was significantly lower — €2,366 (US$2,705). Italy’s national average monthly household expenditure was €2,755 (US$3,149). While quite steep, it does include regular expenses like rent or utilities, so your trip to Italy costs should be lower, unless you’re planning an overly extravagant vacation.

The table below compares average monthly household expenditures in Italian regions in 2024, from the regions with the highest cost of living to the lowest:

What affects the cost of living in Italy?

Like anywhere else, the cost of living in Italy is affected by many factors, such as whether you’re using a car or public transportation, rent or have a mortgage, or have private health insurance or you’re only using the country’s national health service, Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN).

Living costs vary between regions as well and even between cities and smaller metropolitan areas, as ISTAT’s data shows. It all comes down to the magic word that is lifestyle — and the location in Italy where you’re living that lifestyle. We’ll go through the main factors you’ll have to spend money on while residing in Italy in the sections below:

Cost of housing in Italy

Naturally, housing will be one of the — if not the number one — biggest living expenses while living in Italy. Rent levels aren’t universal across Italy, and with the country dealing with typical issues of a developed country related to housing affordability and availability, costs will be higher if you live in the big cities or more affluent regions.

According to data from Immobiliare, which is Italy’s largest real estate site, the median rent prices range from around €508 (US$579) for a studio apartment to around €853 (US$972) for a three-room apartment with around 80m² (861.1 sq ft) of space. 

Prices differ between regions. In the region of Lazio, where Rome is located, the average rent price per square meter is €16.35 (US$18.65), while in Tuscany, the region home to such cities as Florence and Pisa, the average per-square-meter rent asking price is €16.91 (US$19.30). The cheapest region to rent is Molise, which is part of an Italian gag that it doesn’t actually exist (it does!), and the per-square rent there averages out at around €7.38 (US$8.42).

Cost of utilities in Italy

Rent isn’t the only part of the equation of living in an apartment or a house in Italy — or anywhere else, for that matter. Utility costs such as gas, water, electricity, and heating will also contribute to the overall living expenses.

ISTAT’s data portrays that an average Italian household spent €229.57 (US$262.26) per month on utilities in 2024. The sum includes water supply, electricity, gas, and other services related to living in a home.

Cost of food in Italy

Food in Italy is — at least subjectively — excellent, owing to the country’s cuisine that’s much more diverse than it’s given credit for. The Mediterranean climate also results in Italian shops and markets having access to plenty of fresh and seasonal produce that does not need to travel thousands of kilometers to reach consumers, which does contribute to lower prices for some of the products. Per ISTAT’s data, the average monthly household expense for food, excluding non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, was €490.85 (US$560) in Italy in 2024. The average price fluctuates once you dig deeper into the country’s regions, sorted by the highest average monthly food costs:

Cost of eating out in Italy

One of the core pillars of the Italian lifestyle is eating out, and visiting eateries from those run by nonnas — Italian grandmothers — to mid-range restaurants, or even luxury, Michelin-starred restaurants. Is it expensive to dine out in restaurants in Italy?

ISTAT data says that, on average, an Italian household spent €140.13 ($160.25) per month to eat at restaurants, have a beverage at a bar, or grab an espresso at a caffetteria before work in 2024. Does the average monthly sum vary between regions? Indeed, it does, as shown by the table below:

Cost of entertainment in Italy

Measuring the average cost of entertainment in Italy is tricky because it really does depend on your lifestyle and the type of entertainment you like to consume. For some, hanging around the city center and enjoying the local Italian culture from afar is entertainment enough, and that, in and of itself, is generally free. But for others, visiting an Italian opera, perhaps even weekly, is a must.

Like an all-knowing genie, ISTAT also has the average monthly expenses that Italian households spent on entertainment in 2024. The data covers the many museums of Italy, as well as cinemas, theaters, concert venues, cultural sites, and what ISTAT classifies as “other cultural services.”

Cost of transportation and fuel in Italy

If you plan on traveling to Italy, one of the main tips that is offered by travel guides is to avoid renting a car, especially if your itinerary only includes the larger cities. Parking is stressful, and traffic is more than a handful in metropolises such as Milan or Rome, making Italy’s public transportation a practical and less stressful choice. Even intercity travel is largely covered by high-speed trains, as well as budget-friendly options like the bus, putting forth another strong argument against renting a car in Italy.

But everyone’s free to choose their own way to get around Italy, and if you’re going to rent a car or buy one, here’s how much you can expect to spend, on average, per month. The following ISTAT data from 2024 includes fuel, maintenance, and things like tires or oil for vehicles, but does exclude lease or rental costs:

Cost of clothing in Italy

Perhaps you’re researching the cost of living in Italy because you’re moving from the US to Italy, or are looking to stay in the country longer. Assuming that your stay will be longer, even if Italy has a Mediterranean climate, you’ll have to buy at least a winter jacket — perhaps a sweater or two to stay warm enough to still enjoy what the country has to offer during the colder months of the year, or even a pair of ski pants for a trip up the mountains to then ski down them.

The following table includes the average monthly household expenses in 2024 related to clothing, including footwear and accessories, sourced from ISTAT:

Cost of healthcare in Italy

One of the main advantages of living in Italy — besides the brilliant weather and the cuisine — is the healthcare costs. Citizens and residents have access to the SSN, which provides universal health care. Private healthcare also exists and can be used by non-European Union (EU) immigrants living in Italy, even if they’re in the country temporarily as a digital nomad or just a tourist.

The cost of private healthcare insurance fluctuates and depends on the provider and the plan you’ve chosen. Another factor to keep in mind is that Italy and other Schengen Area countries mandate each visitor to have insurance that covers at least US$50,000 in medical expenses for the duration of their trip.

Anyhow, being a resident or a citizen of Italy means that, on average, your household could’ve spent this much on healthcare and medication in 2024, per ISTAT’s data:

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Italy?

Having gone through all of the average monthly household expenses in 2024, we can confidently conclude that a comfortable lifestyle in Italy will set you back anywhere between €2,500 (US$2,856) and €3,000 (US$3,427), which includes major expenses like rent or healthcare.

Then again, your budget within that range will get you much further if you’re living in the south of Italy or Sicily, where you might experience lower living expenses. At the same time, the quality of life is much different in the north of Italy compared to the southern part of the country, as well as when you compare the Italian cities, whether they’re regional capitals or smaller towns.

Our advice is to research beyond just the cost of living in Italy. Look into the quality of life in the area you’re looking to move to, whether it can offer the relaxed lifestyle that you might be after, has good public transportation options, or the public healthcare system has enough hospitals or outpatient clinics.

Your choice of city or region will directly influence your living expenses. As a rule of thumb — and as proven by ISTAT’s data — the further south you go in Italy, the cheaper it will be to live. Questions over how dolce your vita will be in the south of Italy will linger, but at least you know that you’ll have plenty of sunshine and beaches if you do settle down in the lower part of Italy.

Costs of living in Italy vs. the US

While Italy isn’t a very popular country to immigrate to from the US, at least according to Eurostat data, thousands of US citizens currently live in Italy. At least 6,275 US citizens moved to Italy in 2024, according to Eurostat. One reason for doing so could be Italy’s comparably cheaper cost of living, at least in comparison to the US. Here is how the two countries’ living expenses compare:

* The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines a consumer unit as members of a particular housing unit who are related, a person living alone or sharing a household, or two or more people living together who pool their income together.

** Data from the BLS’ Consumer Expenditures 2024 report

There’s a bit more nuance to the data, since the cost of living is wildly different in, for example, San Francisco, California, than in Fargo, North Dakota, but the table above still paints a general picture that, yes, the average household — consumer unit, if you prefer so — spends more on its cost of living in the US than in Italy.

At the same time, the average salaries are lower in Italy than in the US. According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income was US$80,734 in 2024. ISTAT’s data shows that in 2024, the average Italian household had an annual median net income of €31,704 (US$36,239). There are regional differences in annual median net income in Italy — in the autonomous region of Bolzano, it was €45,571 (US$52,066) in 2024. Still lower than the US’ average salary, but considering the lower cost of living, including lower healthcare expenses, the difference might not be that huge.

As many as 10.6% of people in the US were experiencing poverty, per the Census Bureau, compared to 14.9% in Italy in 2024.

How Saily helps reduce your cost of living in Italy

As mentioned throughout the article, many of your living expenses in Italy will depend on your lifestyle and consumption choices, including when it comes to mobile data.

Getting a Saily eSIM plan for your visit to Italy can help you save money compared to renting or buying a pocket Wi-Fi device in Italy, which can be more expensive for a short trip, for example. Saily’s cheapest eSIM data plan in Italy starts at US$3.99, compared to some pocket Wi-Fi rentals that start at €5.50 (US$6.29). In addition, with Saily’s eSIM plans, your phone will work in Italy, and you will avoid roaming fees that could cost you an arm and a leg.

Saily eSIM plans can be complemented with the service’s phone number plans. For 30 days, you can get a US-based phone number and 50 minutes of voice calls and 50 SMS messages for US$9.98, making sure you stay connected and receive phone calls and messages while you’re abroad.