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

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Italy vs $2,185 in Australia, rent included.

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

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

The cost of living in Italy is roughly 21% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.38

$16.19 A$23.19

8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.1

$77.1 A$111

6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.25

$9.47 A$13.57

23.76%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$3.46 A$4.95

-44.51%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$2.68 A$3.85

11.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.19 A$3.13

-37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$6.61 A$9.47

-12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$7.10 A$10.18

-26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.55 A$2.22

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.47 A$3.55

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$2.10 A$3.01

45.24%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$4.24 A$6.08

-5.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.59

$8.57 A$12.28

94.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.00

$8.60 A$12.32

46.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.96

$13.81 A$19.79

48.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$3.17 A$4.55

-19.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.72 A$3.90

-19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.96 A$4.24

-9.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$4.31 A$6.17

-21.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.47 A$3.53

-17.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.10 A$3.00

-10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$2.19 A$3.14

-32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$1.53 A$2.19

-64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.12

$31.29 A$44.83

-77.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.20

$13.94 A$19.97

-49.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$4.46 A$6.39

-59.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$5.01 A$7.18

-49.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.71

$3.00 A$4.30

-34.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.38

$96.0 A$138

-56.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$3.56 A$5.11

62.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.75 A$2.51

-8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.68

$37.88 A$54.3

-7.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.15 A$1.65

85.22%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$29.4K A$42.1K

10.92%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$23.1K A$33.1K

46.38%

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

$225 €197

$174 A$249

29.65%

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

$13.14 €11.50

$26.88 A$38.51

-51.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.29

$52.7 A$75.5

-40.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.0

$47.69 A$68.3

19.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.61

$16.51 A$23.65

56.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$13.73 A$19.67

-24.69%

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

$564 €493

$1,555 A$2,227

-63.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,047

$12.7K A$18.1K

-18.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.4

$69.6 A$99.7

32.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.47

$51.2 A$73.4

-20.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €85.9

$102 A$146

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$112 A$161

17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €748

$1,359 A$1,947

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €580

$1,080 A$1,547

-38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,332

$2,300 A$3,296

-33.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €953

$1,751 A$2,509

-37.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,278

$7,618 A$10.9K

-50.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,011

$5,762 A$8,255

-60.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,659

$4,023 A$5,764

-52.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

6.35

-30.55%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,912 in Italy vs $3,775 in Australia. 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

Italy vs Australia: 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.