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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $1,718 in Italy, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $2,621 in Italy, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $3,524 in Italy, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 27% higher than in Italy on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Italy are pricier than the global median – Australia by 64%, Italy by 29%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,575–$2,824, Italy $1,176–$2,467. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.17

$17.58 €15.36

-7.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$82.5 €72.0

-6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.56

$11.72 €10.24

-19.20%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.95

$1.92 €1.68

80.21%

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

$2.68 A$3.84

$2.99 €2.61

-10.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.36 €1.19

61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.46

$5.76 €5.03

14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.17

$5.22 €4.56

36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.69 €1.48

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.54

$2.33 €2.04

6.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$3.05 €2.67

-31.15%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.07

$3.99 €3.49

6.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.27

$16.68 €14.57

-48.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.31

$12.57 €10.98

-31.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.78

$20.53 €17.94

-32.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$2.56 €2.23

23.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.89

$2.20 €1.93

23.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$2.68 €2.34

10.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$3.37 €2.95

27.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$2.04 €1.78

21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.88 €1.64

11.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.47 €1.29

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$0.54 €0.47

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.80

$7.00 €6.11

347.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.96

$7.09 €6.19

96.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.39

$1.80 €1.57

147.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.17

$2.51 €2.19

99.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.30

$1.96 €1.71

53.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$41.58 €36.33

130.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$5.80 €5.07

-38.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$1.60 €1.39

9.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.2

$35.07 €30.64

8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$2.13 €1.86

-46.01%

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

$29.4K A$42.0K

$32.6K €28.5K

-9.85%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$33.8K €29.5K

-31.68%

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

$174 A$248

$225 €197

-22.87%

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

$26.88 A$38.49

$13.14 €11.48

104.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.5

$31.19 €27.25

69.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.3

$57.2 €49.94

-16.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.64

$25.85 €22.58

-36.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.66

$10.34 €9.03

32.79%

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

$1,555 A$2,226

$564 €493

175.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$10.3K €9,035

22.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.6

$91.9 €80.3

-24.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.4

$40.54 €35.42

26.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$98.2 €85.8

3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$132 €115

-15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,946

$855 €747

58.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,546

$663 €580

62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,294

$1,522 €1,330

51.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,507

$1,089 €951

60.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$3,747 €3,274

103.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,249

$2,299 €2,009

150.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,760

$1,897 €1,657

112.13%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $742 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $1,328 in Rome.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $1,912 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 97% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 21% 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 21% 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.