Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eritrea and Italy

For one person, living is cheaper in Eritrea: $1,378 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Italy outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Eritrea
Italy
🇪🇷 Eritrea
$1,378
/mo nomad
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eritrea and in Italy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Eritrea and in Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Eritrea vs $1,843 in Italy, rent included.

  • Eritrea $1,378
  • Italy $1,843

A couple spends around $2,160 per month in Eritrea vs $2,816 in Italy, rent included.

  • Eritrea $2,160
  • Italy $2,816

A family of three spends $2,943 per month in Eritrea vs $3,788 in Italy, rent included.

  • Eritrea $2,943
  • Italy $3,788

The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,038–$2,555) than in Eritrea ($1,387–$1,387), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Eritrea is roughly 25% lower than in Italy on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.02 ERN 316
$20.46 €18.38
2.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.23 ERN 515
$79.5 €71.4
-56.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.56 ERN 83.8
$11.15 €10.02
-50.13%
Cappuccino
$0.73 ERN 10.98
$2.04 €1.83
-64.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ERN 15.50
$3.10 €2.78
-66.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ERN 15.46
$1.40 €1.26
-26.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.95 ERN 14.37
$5.51 €4.95
-82.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.74 €5.16
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ERN 23.45
$1.57 €1.41
-0.64%
White Bread (500g)
-
$2.38 €2.14
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 ERN 34.81
$2.90 €2.60
-20.34%
Eggs
$4.34 ERN 65.4
$4.07 €3.66
6.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.93 ERN 44.15
$17.44 €15.67
-83.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.61 ERN 400
$12.56 €11.28
111.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.89 ERN 149
$20.17 €18.12
-50.97%
Apples (1kg)
$12.39 ERN 187
$2.58 €2.32
380.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 ERN 18.86
$2.19 €1.97
-42.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 ERN 29.83
$2.68 €2.41
-26.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.16 ERN 17.41
$3.27 €2.93
-64.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 ERN 27.86
$1.90 €1.71
-2.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.96 ERN 14.45
$1.82 €1.63
-47.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.57 €1.41
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 ERN 34.37
$0.55 €0.49
314.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$6.69 €6.01
-
Wine (Bottle)
$11.87 ERN 179
$7.99 €7.17
48.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ERN 15.31
$1.77 €1.59
-42.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 ERN 15.30
$2.35 €2.11
-56.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.11 ERN 1.72
$1.91 €1.72
-94.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.97 ERN 120
$43.44 €39.02
-81.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.62 €5.05
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.62 ERN 9.38
$1.71 €1.54
-63.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.95 ERN 150
$33.64 €30.22
-70.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.48 ERN 37.28
$2.03 €1.82
22.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$66.4K ERN 999.6K
$35.3K €31.7K
88.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$70.5K ERN 1.1M
$36.7K €33.0K
91.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$25.16 ERN 379
$227 €204
-88.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.1 ERN 1,024
$11.59 €10.41
487.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$201 ERN 3,031
$30.38 €27.29
562.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.52 ERN 399
$51.8 €46.51
-48.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.12 ERN 77.0
$23.70 €21.29
-78.40%
Cinema Ticket
$1.19 ERN 17.89
$10.60 €9.52
-88.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$25.46 ERN 383
$568 €510
-95.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,622 ERN 39.5K
$11.5K €10.4K
-77.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$135 ERN 2,027
$90.5 €81.3
48.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$121 ERN 1,818
$38.55 €34.63
213.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$198 ERN 2,981
$103 €92.2
92.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 ERN 2,242
$131 €118
13.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$249 ERN 3,748
$826 €742
-69.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$202 ERN 3,043
$646 €580
-68.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$446 ERN 6,716
$1,400 €1,258
-68.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$420 ERN 6,322
$1,054 €947
-60.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,276 ERN 19.2K
$3,662 €3,290
-65.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,295 ERN 34.5K
$2,301 €2,067
-0.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eritrea
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$505 ERN 7,606
$1,886 €1,694
-73.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18.5
3.56
419.66%

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

Last update for Eritrea: October 25, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Eritrea
$363 *
Italy
$348 4.1% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eritrea
$295
Italy
$269 8.9% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Eritrea
$271
Italy
$163 39.8% $108
Eating Out
Eritrea
$207 *
Italy
$279 34.9% $72
Accommodation & Living
Eritrea
$202
Italy
$646 220% $444
Sport & Entertainment
Eritrea
$29
Italy
$73 153% $44
Getting Around
Eritrea
$12 *
Italy
$65 466% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $252 in Eritrea vs $729 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $252 in Asmara and $1,297 in Rome.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 189% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 115% more in Italy.

Public transport is 438% more expensive in Italy.

Good to know
🇪🇷 Eritrea
🇮🇹 Italy
🕒 Local time
20:13 8:13 PM
18:13 6:13 PM
2 h behind Eritrea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,497,000
58,850,717
💱 Currency
Eritrean Nakfa ERN ናቕፋ
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ERN – Eritrean Nakfa Converter

Eritrean Nakfa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 15.05 ERN (100 ERN = 6.64 USD). 1 EUR = 16.75 ERN (100 ERN = 5.97 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Eritrea Italy 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Eritrea
  • Italy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Eritrea vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Eritrea or Italy?
Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Eritrea or in Italy?
Housing costs more in Italy: a central one-bedroom averages $729 versus $252 in Eritrea.
Which country is better for expats: Eritrea or Italy?
Eritrea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Eritrea vs other spots: cost of living compared

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