Cost of living in Italy, prices and what it is like to live for an Expat, quality of life / hardship, and compare cost of living for Expatriates as at October 2023.

What is it like to live in Italy?

Climate: The climate is predominantly mediterranean, but Alpine in the far north and hot and dry in the south.

Language: The official language is Italian. Accents and dialects may differ from one region to another. Foreign languages (especially English) are now widely spoken, particularly in tourist areas and in cities, using a few phrases of Italian will be appreciated. English is frequently used as a common language at international conferences and in business meetings. The Alto Adige area of northern Italy has a bilingual Italian-German-speaking population. The Valle d'Aosta (north-western Italy) is bilingual Italian-French. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a Slovenian-speaking area. The Albanian language is widely spoken in the town of Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily.

Religion: Christianity.

Economy: The economy of Italy is the seventh-largest economy in the world and the fourth-largest in Europe, according to the International Monetary Fund. Italy belongs to the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations; it is a member of the European Union and OECD. The country is divided into a developed industrial north dominated by large private companies and an agricultural, state-assisted south.

Inflation: 5.3% for Italy as at September 2023.

Money: The currency of Italy is the Euro (EUR). Banking is on a par with that of the rest of Western Europe and North America.

Tax: In Italy is based on the current personal income tax rates which are progressive up to 43%.

Population: 60.5 Million (2022 est.)

Expat Life: In Italy personal titles are important. The most common forms of greeting are Signore (Mr), Signorina (Miss) or Signora (Mrs). Expatriate dress code is usually formal, fashionable and well-cut. The safety risk for expatriates in Italy is low, but medium in Naples. Risks include petty crime (targets include expatriates), terrorism, and risks associated with protest action.

Health Care: Health care facilities in Italy are good, however the cost of treatment for expatriates from outside the EU can be high.

Italy covers all areas within the country other than Genoa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome, and Turin.

Cost Of Living

What is the cost of living in Italy?

The cost of living for expatriates in Italy as at October 2023 is average in comparison to other places in the world, with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 63.66 (New York =100). We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Italy is as follows:

1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: Cost is low for items such as beer, spirits, wine and tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$570. Average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is USD$8.24, domestic/local beer (500ml) USD$7.12, imported/international beer (330ml) USD$2.86 and a pack of 20 cigarettes is USD$8.54.

2) Clothing: Cost is high for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$950. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$85, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$92, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$120 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$35.

3) Communication: Cost is low for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$116. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$31, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$16.42 per minute.

4) Education: Cost is average for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30,000 in New York costs USD$21000. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$13,617 for Primary School, and USD$15,153 for High School.

5) Furniture & Appliances: Cost is low for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2,500 in New York costs USD$1400. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$596, and USD$512 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.

6) Groceries: Cost is low for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$590. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$1.26, 1 kg oranges USD$1.27, 1 head lettuce USD$1.63, 1 kg potatos USD$0.86, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$6.15, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$8.41, 1 dozen large eggs USD$4.29, 500g loaf white bread USD$2.26, 1 L full cream milk USD$6.81, and 1.5 L water USD$0.61.

7) Healthcare: Cost is average for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$730. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$59, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$1,807.

8) Household Accommodation: Cost is low for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5,000 in New York costs USD$1700. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$2,652 in a central location, and USD$1,595 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.

9) Miscellaneous: Cost is average for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$390. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$7.58, while an international newspaper is USD$2.33.

10) Personal Care: Cost is very high for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$590. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$47, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$236.

11) Recreation & Culture: Cost is high for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$365. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$12.82, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$67 per month.

12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Cost is average for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$660. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$2.16, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$3.30, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$12.10, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$85.46.

13) Transport: Cost is high for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$980. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$8.01, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$27,391.

How does the cost of living in Italy compare?

Italy is -25.7% cheaper than USA for groceries, -43% cheaper for household costs than UK, and 92.9% more expensive for transport costs than India.

What is the quality of life / hardship in Italy?

Italy is ranked as a minimal hardship location.The hardship premium for Italy for an expat from Australia, is for example 0%, i.e. host location (Italy) premium of 10% minus home (Australia) location premium of 10%.

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