Italy offers an exceptionally high standard of living at a lower price tag than you may expect, but how much cheaper is it really? To find the answer, we combined our personal experience with data provided by numbeo.com, a website which periodically crowdsources data from its users to produce international cost of living comparisons.
While costs vary widely across Italian regions (as they do across North America), life in Italy is on average 18% cheaper than in the U.S., and 33% cheaper if you account for the cost of renting or owning property.
EXAMPLES
Looking at percentages alone makes it difficult to understand how day-to-day costs in Italy can differ from the United States. Having lived on both sides of the ocean, we were able to draw some comparisons from our personal experience.
1. Groceries
The high-quality produce Italy is known for is, on average, 50% cheaper than in the U.S. Most grocery items are between 30% and 50% cheaper in Italy, with one big exception: meat. The cost of beef is similar to the US, and prime cuts are slightly more expensive in Italy.
2. Public Transport
While getting around by car is rather expensive (gasoline in Italy costs nearly twice as much as in the U.S.), public transportation is available in all regions and is generally cheaper than in the U.S. Take for example high-speed train tickets. The New York – D.C. route on Amtrak starts at about $30 for coach and $90 for business class. By comparison, the Milan – Florence route on Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa (a truly high-speed train) starts at about €25 ($27) for coach and €32 ($35) for business class.
A significant advantage of living in Italy is having access to budget airlines such as RyanAir, EasyJet, and Transavia. These airlines travel to most Italian airports and offer one-way tickets to many European cities for less than $50.
3. Wine
This subject is close to our hearts. Since we are partial to Italian wine, we will draw a comparison that you might consider slightly unfair.
One of our favorite table wines is Kerner by Abbazia di Novacella from the northern region of Trentino Alto Adige. We buy this wine at our local wine shop in New York for about $23. The same wine can be found in supermarkets in Italy for €12 (or about $13). If you enjoy eating out, most Italian restaurants will offer bottles starting at €15 ($17). In New York, that is closer to the price of a single glass of wine.
4. Theater/Concert Tickets
In 2023, New York City Ballet tickets in the orchestra section started at around $300. Comparable ballet tickets at the famous La Scala theater in Milan started at around €180 ($200). Tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 concert at Metlife Stadium started at $350 for lower level seats. The Boss also gave a concert in Monza (a city near Milan) earlier in the year, where similar tickets started at €115 ($125).
5. Phone Plans
The cost of US phone plans is something we have always found puzzling. As of 2023, an AT&T plan with unlimited talk, text and data costs $89 per month. A similar plan by TIM, with unlimited talk, text and data costs €30 ($33) per month.
6. Coffee
Another subject very close to our hearts. While great coffee shops have sprung up across North America, prices have also skyrocketed in recent years to the point where it is hard to find an espresso for less than $3.00 and a cappuccino for less than $5.00. Thankfully, good, affordable coffee remains an Italian staple. Espresso at your local cafe still hovers around €1.00, and a cappuccino €1.50.
REGIONAL COMPARISON
Milan is widely accepted to be Italy’s richest, most diverse and expensive city. Excluding the cost of housing, Milan is about 27% cheaper than New York, the most expensive city in North America. A three-course meal for two at a restaurant in Milan will cost, on average, €75 ($82). The average gym subscription is around €60 ($65), and a ticket to the movie theater is €10 ($11).
Milan is, however, very different from the rest of Italy. To provide you with an idea of how living costs differ across the Italian peninsula, we have compared Milan with other Italian regional capitals where sufficient data is available.
Fig. 1: Cost of Living by Region – Map
Fig. 2: Cost of Living by Region – Table
The map above clearly shows how cost of living varies considerably across Italian regions, and especially between the north and the south.
In conclusion, while we consider life in the U.S. and in Italy to be equally enjoyable, there is no question that Italy is kinder on your wallet. How much so will depend on the region/city you choose to relocate to. In case you are curious to learn about how the cost of living is measured in specific cities or how it compares to your current location, we invite you to consult numbeo.com.
