Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,882 in France versus $1,782 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,896 in France versus $2,722 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,910 in France versus $3,662 in Italy.

Living in France is roughly 6% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: France 38% above, Italy 30% above.

France ($1,155–$2,831) and Italy ($1,169–$2,657) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €15.04

$21.07 €18.35

-18.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.7

$81.0 €70.6

-14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €11.89

$11.50 €10.02

18.70%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.42

$2.10 €1.83

87.14%

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

$3.41 €2.97

$3.07 €2.67

11.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.95

$1.44 €1.25

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.14

$5.86 €5.10

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.17

$5.72 €4.98

3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.59 €1.39

-15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.41 €2.10

-12.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.99 €2.61

-7.69%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.82

$4.34 €3.78

1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 €17.34

$17.62 €15.35

12.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.29

$12.69 €11.05

11.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 €19.63

$20.80 €18.12

8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.82

$2.61 €2.28

24.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.14 €1.86

12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.79 €2.43

7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.30

$3.37 €2.93

12.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.04 €1.78

10.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.96 €1.71

23.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.56 €1.35

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.53 €0.46

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 €12.38

$6.84 €5.96

107.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.93

$7.71 €6.72

3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.48

$1.86 €1.62

53.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.89

$2.49 €2.17

32.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.91 €1.67

13.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 €52.9

$44.16 €38.47

37.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 €4.37

$5.87 €5.11

-14.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.70 €1.48

30.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.58 €34.49

$35.16 €30.63

12.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.11 €1.84

1.42%

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

$36.1K €31.4K

$36.9K €32.2K

-2.34%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$36.5K €31.8K

-1.86%

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

$225 €196

$229 €200

-2.04%

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

$20.49 €17.85

$12.09 €10.53

69.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 €30.08

$31.57 €27.51

9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 €33.51

$54.1 €47.15

-28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 €18.54

$24.51 €21.36

-13.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 €12.14

$10.78 €9.39

29.31%

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

$900 €784

$562 €490

60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.2K

$12.2K €10.7K

4.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.1

$94.3 €82.1

12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.73 €40.71

$40.72 €35.47

14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.3

$104 €90.6

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €124

$136 €119

4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €780

$832 €724

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 €621

$646 €563

10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,362

$1,450 €1,263

7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,073

$1,081 €942

13.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,536 €4,823

$3,816 €3,324

45.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,796 €3,307

$2,312 €2,014

64.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,779 €2,421

$1,954 €1,702

42.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

3.57

5.60%

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

Last update for France: September 12, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $809 in France, $748 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,590 in Paris vs $1,238 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,799 in France, $1,958 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in France.

Dining out costs 14% more in Italy.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 43% higher in France, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

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

France vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,993 per month in France and $1,913 in Italy, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Italy: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in France is consistently higher than in Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in France it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Italy wins on affordability; France may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.