Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Australia vs $1,717 in Italy, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $2,624 in Italy, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $3,530 in Italy, rent included.

Australia costs about 27% more than Italy on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Italy are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Italy by 28%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,579–$2,759, Italy spans $1,170–$2,508. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$17.44 €15.00

-7.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$79.5 €68.4

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$11.76 €10.11

-19.39%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$2.00 €1.72

78.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 A$3.62

$3.00 €2.58

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$1.35 €1.16

63.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$5.94 €5.11

8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$5.36 €4.61

34.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.64 €1.41

-4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$2.41 €2.07

4.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$2.99 €2.58

-32.44%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$3.96 €3.41

12.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$16.84 €14.49

-47.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$12.43 €10.69

-32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$20.29 €17.46

-32.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$2.47 €2.13

30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$2.15 €1.85

32.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$2.65 €2.28

12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$3.40 €2.92

28.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$1.92 €1.65

27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$1.81 €1.56

16.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$1.55 €1.33

39.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.54 €0.46

192.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$6.79 €5.84

350.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$7.18 €6.18

98.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$1.80 €1.55

152.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$2.42 €2.08

102.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$2.00 €1.72

44.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$42.35 €36.43

130.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$5.94 €5.11

-40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.51 €1.30

15.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$34.04 €29.28

11.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$2.05 €1.76

-43.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.8K A$40.1K

$32.8K €28.2K

-12.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K A$32.3K

$33.7K €29.0K

-31.13%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$179 A$249

$225 €194

-20.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.75 A$37.27

$13.25 €11.40

101.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$30.95 €26.62

73.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$55.7 €47.95

-13.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$25.15 €21.63

-32.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$10.25 €8.82

32.78%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,605 A$2,236

$576 €495

178.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$10.5K €8,998

21.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$91.8 €79.0

-22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$40.72 €35.03

22.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$98.0 €84.3

1.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$131 €112

-16.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$860 €740

61.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$667 €573

61.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$1,475 €1,269

54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$1,087 €935

61.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$3,850 €3,312

93.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$2,359 €2,029

138.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$1,933 €1,663

110.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.41

43.99%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $743 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $1,325 in Rome.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $1,949 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 66% higher in Australia.

Public transport is 52% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 100% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Italy is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 18% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Italy, contributing to the overall 18% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Italy, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Italy is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.