The choice between northern and southern Italy can bring a major difference in everyday spending. A basket of selected food and services costs almost €693 in Milan, compared with about €402 in Naples — meaning the Naples total is 42% lower.
The figures come from Codacons’ annual survey of retail prices in major Italian cities, based on the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy’s Price Observatory data updated to June 2026.
Milan was again the most expensive city in the study. Bolzano followed at €652, while Aosta and Bologna each recorded totals of just over €640.
At the lower end, Palermo came in at €464 and Catanzaro at €474.
The widest difference is in services
Services accounted for the largest gap. Milan’s services basket came to almost €491, compared with €262 in Naples and €292 in Palermo. In Aosta and Bolzano, the equivalent total was about €452.
For people budgeting for routine appointments, the survey shows sizable local differences.
- A dental filling was priced at €71 in Palermo, compared with €176 in Aosta.
- A car wash cost €8.50 in Ancona and €21 in Bolzano.
The survey also found that a woman’s haircut exceeded €33 per visit in Trieste, while dog grooming was €24 in Bari and Catanzaro and almost €50 in Aosta.
Food costs are lowest in Naples
The food component, covering products including fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, exceeded €200 in Milan, Bolzano, Trieste, Bologna, Genoa and Florence.
It was about €170 in Bari and Palermo, while Naples recorded the lowest amount at €140.
Some individual food prices also varied sharply between locations.
- Fresh bread was most expensive in Bolzano at €7.16 per kilogram
- Florence had the highest average price for prosciutto crudo, at €41.20 per kilogram
- Trieste recorded the highest price for courgettes, at €2.98 per kilogram
Eating out, entertainment and pet care
The survey compares a defined basket of selected consumer goods and services, offering a snapshot of how routine spending can vary sharply across Italian cities.
The cost of pizza ranged from €10.35 in Catanzaro to almost €15 in Bolzano. Cinema tickets were priced at €7.30 in Bari and €11.50 in Bologna.
For pet owners, a veterinary vaccination cost €29.50 in Naples and €63 in Milan. Codacons included pet-related spending in its basket, describing it as an increasingly relevant expense for millions of Italian families.
Property prices and rents sharpen the north–south affordability divide
The differences in everyday spending sit alongside substantial gaps in property prices and rental asking prices, according to idealista data for August 2026.
For an 80m² flat, the figures below show the approximate purchase price or monthly rent based on the stated price per square metre.
City | Sale price per m² | Estimated price for an 80m² flat | Rent per m² per month | Estimated monthly rent for an 80m² flat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Milan | €5,681 | €454,480 | €22.30 | €1,784 |
Florence | €4,793 | €383,440 | €21.70 | €1,736 |
Bolzano-Bozen | €4,907 | €392,560 | €15.20 | €1,216 |
Bologna | €3,824 | €305,920 | €16.50 | €1,320 |
Naples | €3,072 | €245,760 | €14.70 | €1,176 |
Trieste | €2,667 | €213,360 | €12.50 | €1,000 |
Bari | €2,207 | €176,560 | €12.50 | €1,000 |
Palermo | €1,530 | €122,400 | €9.50 | €760 |
Catanzaro | €1,006 | €80,480 | €7.00 | €560 |
idealista property price and rent data for August 2026
The property figures reinforce the north–south divide seen in the Codacons survey. Milan had the highest sale price in the data provided, putting the estimated cost of an 80m² flat at €454,480. It also recorded the highest rental asking price, at about €1,784 per month for the same-sized home.
At the other end of the supplied data, Catanzaro had the lowest figures for both buying and renting. At €1,006 per m², an 80 m² flat would be priced at about €80,480, while a rental price of €7 per m² per month equates to around €560 each month.
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