The cost of Living in Italy in 2023

My experience is in 1st tier cities especially like Rome and Milan. In terms of cost of living, Milan and Rome come in only after Bolzano and Trento, with regards to how expensive it is to live in both cities.

Rents in Milan and Rome have continued to increase despite the pandemic, keep in mind that many landlords own several properties with no mortgages, so they are not rent-dependent. A one-bedroom apartment in both cities, in a central neighborhood, will average circa €1.200 — €1.300 plus utility and condominium expenses, which are rarely included in the rent.

Utility bills are consumption-based, simply put; the more you consume, the more you pay. Also, due to the energy crisis, there has been a considerably increase in the price of gas and electricity, but this is nationwide. A single person should calculate approximately €150,00 a month and a family with two children would be roughly €250,00 — €400,00. This actual cost will depend on which vendor you have, if you have signed up for a special price, and, of course, how much you consume.

How much you will spend to eat out in both Milan and Rome will depend greatly on the level of restaurant and its location. In a mid-range restaurant, you should expect to spend around €80,00 for a three-course meal, which may include some inexpensive wine. A cheaper restaurant should be somewhere around €20,00 per person.

The cost of going out and entertainment will depend on where you go and the level of what you are paying for. Given that both cities offer a wide range of things to do that are not free, you should calculate this into your budget, putting aside a minimum of €200 per month. For example, the average move ticket is around €10,00.

Public transport is quite cheap in both cities when compared to other major European cities and annual transport tickets can range from €250,00 to €330,00. Milan, in comparison to Rome, has a more extensive metro system.

This post is very accurate and I would concur on all the points made.  Please note that in smaller locales these prices will be between 10-30% less (except the utility bills...they are pretty much the same all over the country).   Thanks for the info!

@MRakita

To help add onto this conversation, I received the following questions from Mickael at expat.com earlier:

In terms of accommodation, how much does it cost to rent/buy a flat or house in in Italy?

How much do you pay on average for public transport (bus, metro, train, tram, taxi)?

What is the average price of your monthly food basket?

Thank you in advance for your precious contribution.

Here are some responses:

Accommodation:  We bought our flat and paid about 1000 euros per square meter.  We are well outside of the major cities, in northern Lombardy.  Rental costs are low as you can usually find a one-bedroom apartment for 500-1000 Euros per month depending on season/location.

Public transit costs are reasonable.  I pay about 3 Euros to go to the nearest "large city" (e.g. Luino, Varese, Gallarate) and about 7 Euros to take the train to Milan.  Local buses also cost about 2-3 Euros per short trip depending on destination.  We also use a ferry to get across Lago Maggiore for about 8 euros round-trip.

Monthly food costs: Somewhere between 300-400 Euros depending on the month and seasonal foods.

I hope these help those who wish to understand costs in northern Italy.

@Mickael I am also looking for agriculture job in Atle

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