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: $1,850 in France versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,835 in France versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,819 in France versus $3,530 in Italy.

Living in France is roughly 8% more expensive than Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: France 38% above, Italy 28% above.

France ($1,473–$2,848) and Italy ($1,170–$2,508) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 €14.95

$17.44 €15.00

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 €59.2

$79.5 €68.4

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 €11.00

$11.76 €10.11

8.76%

Cappuccino

$3.72 €3.20

$2.00 €1.72

86.00%

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

$3.20 €2.75

$3.00 €2.58

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.35 €1.16

60.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 €5.82

$5.94 €5.11

13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 €5.09

$5.36 €4.61

10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.64 €1.41

-20.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.41 €2.07

-17.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.99 €2.58

-13.04%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.70

$3.96 €3.41

8.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.52 €17.65

$16.84 €14.49

21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 €12.19

$12.43 €10.69

14.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 €18.10

$20.29 €17.46

3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.80

$2.47 €2.13

31.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.15 €1.85

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 €2.65

$2.65 €2.28

16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 €3.17

$3.40 €2.92

8.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$1.92 €1.65

27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.81 €1.56

40.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.66

$0.54 €0.46

42.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 €11.87

$6.79 €5.84

103.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 €6.89

$7.18 €6.18

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.80 €1.55

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.72

$2.42 €2.08

30.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.00 €1.72

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 €62.7

$42.35 €36.43

72.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.64

$5.94 €5.11

-9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.51 €1.30

23.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.17 €31.98

$34.04 €29.28

9.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.05 €1.76

2.93%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$32.8K €28.2K

13.40%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$33.7K €29.0K

11.34%

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

$211 €182

$225 €194

-6.23%

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

$26.70 €22.97

$13.25 €11.40

101.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €29.94

$30.95 €26.62

12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 €33.14

$55.7 €47.95

-30.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.09 €16.42

$25.15 €21.63

-24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 €11.77

$10.25 €8.82

33.46%

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

$816 €702

$576 €495

41.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €9,992

$10.5K €8,998

11.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$91.8 €79.0

10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 €37.64

$40.72 €35.03

7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$98.0 €84.3

6.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €119

$131 €112

5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 €758

$860 €740

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 €583

$667 €573

1.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 €1,404

$1,475 €1,269

10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,089

$1,087 €935

16.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,634 €4,846

$3,850 €3,312

46.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,732 €3,211

$2,359 €2,029

58.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,811 €2,418

$1,933 €1,663

45.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

4.41

-17.01%

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

Last update for France: May 30, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $792 in France, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,621 in Paris vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,827 in France, $1,949 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in France.

Dining out costs 21% more in Italy.

Salaries are 45% higher in France, giving France 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

France vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,161 per month in France and $1,839 in Italy, there's a 17% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Italy is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.