Italy has a way of getting under your skin. Maybe you picture a small place in the Tuscan hills, a stylish flat in Milan, or a neighbourhood café in Rome where the barista knows your order. For a lot of international folks, it’s not just a holiday fantasy anymore, but a serious plan.
The tricky bit is working out what living comfortably in Italy actually looks like in numbers. Rents in the big northern cities, groceries in a small southern town, transport, healthcare, the odd aperitivo – it all adds up differently depending on where you land and how you like to live.
So before packing up your life for la dolce vita, it’s worth digging into the real costs behind those long lunches and evening passeggiate.
- What are the average living costs in Italy?
- What are the housing costs in Italy?
- Utility costs in Italy
- What are the average costs for groceries and food?
- How much does transportation cost?
- Healthcare costs In Italy
- Can you live comfortably on €1,500 a month in Italy?
- Is €35,000 a good salary in Italy?
- Living in Italy
What are the average living costs in Italy?
If you’re going to call Italy home, it really helps to have a ballpark idea of what you’ll spend each month. The cost of living shifts quite a lot between regions, with the north and the big urban centres coming in pricier than much of the south. Milan and Rome are still the heavy hitters for rents and day‑to‑day costs, while smaller cities and rural areas tend to be gentler on your wallet.
Data based on ISTAT figures suggests that the average household in Italy now spends around €2,800 per month on living costs, with typical spending higher in the north and centre and lower in the south. For international residents, a realistic monthly budget in 2026 is roughly:
- Single person: around €1,600–€2,300 per month in a mid‑sized city, and €2,000–€2,700 per month in the more expensive cities.
- Family of four: around €3,200–€4,000 per month in cheaper regions or smaller cities, and €3,800–€4,800 per month in the main urban hubs.
What are the housing costs in Italy?
The biggest chunk of your budget in Italy will almost always be housing. There are rental options just about everywhere, but it’s worth getting a feel for the cost of renting before committing to a city.
According to idealista’s rent price evolution data for December 2025, average asking rents look roughly like this:
- Milan (city centre): average rent was €22.8 per m², so an 80 m² apartment would typically cost around €1,824 per month
- Rome: average rent was €18.7 per m², so an 80 m² place comes in at roughly €1,500 per month
- Florence: average rent was €20.7 per m², so an 80 m² flat would be about €1,650 per month
In practice, a one‑bedroom apartment in central Milan, Rome or Florence will usually sit somewhere between €1,200 and €1,600 per month, depending on the exact neighbourhood, condition of the building and whether it’s a long‑term contract. Head further south to smaller cities such as Lecce, and you still find one‑bedroom flats in the region of €500–€700 per month. For more on house prices for sale and rent in Italy, check out our price reports.
Utility costs in Italy
Having a roof over your head is one thing, living comfortably is another. Utility costs depend a lot on your region, the age of the building and how energy‑hungry you are, but here’s a rough idea of monthly costs in 2026:
- Basic utilities (electricity, heating/cooling, water, rubbish): around €140–€220 per month for a small apartment, with older, poorly insulated places in colder northern cities tending towards the upper end.
- Home internet connection: roughly €25–€35 per month for a standard fibre package with the main providers.
- Mobile phone plan: about €10–€20 per month for a SIM with a decent data allowance if you choose one of the competitive operators.
Bills do jump around with the seasons. In the north, winter heating can really bump up your monthly outgoings, while in the south it’s the air‑con in high summer that pushes costs up.
What are the average costs for groceries and food?
If there’s one thing Italy is famous for, it’s the cuisine. Your food budget will depend a lot on how you eat – cooking at home, eating meat and fish regularly, or living off pasta al pomodoro and market veg – but some patterns are pretty consistent.
- Monthly grocery budget (single person): around €250–€350 if you mostly cook at home and shop in supermarkets.
- Monthly grocery budget (family of four): roughly €900–€1,300, depending on how much meat, fish and branded products you buy.
A few typical supermarket prices in 2025–26:
- Bread (1 loaf): about €1.00–€4.40
- Regular milk (1 litre): around €1.50–€2.20
- Cheese (1 kilo): anything from €3.20 for basic industrial cheese up to €25–€30 for good-quality local stuff.
Fresh produce from local markets is often cheaper than supermarkets, especially if you go for seasonal fruit and veg and buy by the crate. Imported products, speciality health foods and constant takeaways will push your budget up quite quickly.
How much does transportation cost?
Getting around Italy is fairly straightforward. Most cities have decent public transport networks, and the regional trains and buses link smaller towns surprisingly well once you get used to the timetables.
Italy is still known for relatively high fuel prices compared with many other European countries, so running a car isn’t cheap. For day‑to‑day budgeting, these are the rough 2026 figures:
- Monthly public transport pass: around €35–€55 in most cities.
- Single bus/metro ticket: roughly €1.50–€2.20, depending on the city and zone.
- Taxi starting rate: usually €3–€6 to get in, then a per‑kilometre charge on top.
- Fuel costs: among the higher in Europe, with petrol and diesel generally hovering between about €1.70 and €1.95 per litre.
Healthcare costs In Italy
Living in another country feels a lot easier once you know how the healthcare side works. The good news is that Italy’s national health service (SSN) is generally excellent and quite affordable, especially once you’re properly registered as a resident.
- Public healthcare (SSN): GP visits are free for registered residents at the point of use, although you may pay small co‑payments (ticket) for some tests, prescriptions or specialist visits.
- Private health insurance: many expats take out an additional policy to shorten waiting times or access private clinics; premiums often fall in the region of €100–€300 per month.
- Dental visit (private): routine check‑ups and basic treatments are commonly around €50–€120, with more for complex work.
- Basic doctor’s consultation (private): typically €50–€100 for a standard GP‑level appointment.
Can you live comfortably on €1,500 a month in Italy?
The costs we've mentioned cover the basics and don’t factor in trips, eating out much, or the odd weekend away. So the question is how far €1,500 per month really goes these days.
You can get by on €1,500 a month as a single person, but mainly in smaller towns or rural areas, and only if you keep a proper eye on your spending. In big cities, that same amount will feel quite tight once you factor in current rents and higher day‑to‑day costs.
In a cheaper town or small city, a realistic breakdown might now look more like:
- Rent in a modest one‑bed or studio: around €500–€750 per month in a smaller town or inland area.
- Monthly utilities and internet: roughly €170–€230 per month for electricity, gas, water, rubbish and fibre internet combined.
- Groceries: about €250–€320 per month if you mostly cook at home and avoid lots of imported products.
- Local transportation: around €40–€70 per month if you rely on buses/trams and only occasionally use trains or taxis.
- Entertainment and miscellaneous: roughly €150–€250 per month, which has to stretch to coffees, the odd meal out, clothes, small trips, and unexpected bits.
Is €35,000 a good salary in Italy?
Looking at salaries, €35,000 gross per year is still workable in Italy, but it sits in an awkward middle zone. It’s a bit above the median Italian salary of around €32,400 per year, but still below the overall average of about €43,900 per year, which is pulled up by higher earners. After tax, you’re usually looking at something in the region of €1,900–€2,100 per month net, depending on your region, contract type and deductions.
Living in Italy
Living comfortably in Italy really comes down to choosing the right place and building a budget that matches the local reality. Life on a modest salary in a small town in Puglia looks very different to paying central Milan rent in one of the most expensive cities in Italy.
In contrast, some of the best places to live in Italy for quality of life balance decent services with calmer, less pressured daily costs, and there are still cheap cities to buy property in Italy if you’re thinking longer term.
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