Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Austria

For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,843 a month against $2,242 in Austria, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Italy
Austria
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,242
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Italy and in Austria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $2,242 in Austria.

  • Italy $1,843
  • Austria $2,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $3,363 in Austria.

  • Italy $2,816
  • Austria $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $4,484 in Austria.

  • Italy $3,788
  • Austria $4,484

Italy ($1,038–$2,555) and Austria ($1,363–$2,695) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Italy costs about 18% less than in Austria on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 35% above, Austria 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Austria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46 €18.32
$17.71 €15.86
15.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €71.2
$77.0 €69.0
3.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 €9.99
$13.66 €12.23
-18.37%
Cappuccino
$2.04 €1.83
$4.52 €4.05
-54.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.78
$3.73 €3.34
-16.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$2.95 €2.64
-52.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.51 €4.94
$5.50 €4.93
0.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.14
$5.61 €5.02
2.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Austria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.74 €1.55
-9.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.13
$2.63 €2.36
-9.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.60
$2.33 €2.08
24.46%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.65
$4.74 €4.24
-14.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.44 €15.62
$18.99 €17.01
-8.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.56 €11.25
$14.15 €12.67
-11.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.17 €18.06
$22.18 €19.86
-9.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$2.84 €2.54
-9.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$2.37 €2.13
-7.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.40
$3.14 €2.82
-14.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 €2.93
$4.15 €3.72
-21.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$2.17 €1.94
-12.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.17 €1.94
-16.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.95 €1.75
-19.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.92 €0.83
-40.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69 €5.99
$7.67 €6.87
-12.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 €7.15
$8.93 €8.00
-10.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.45 €1.30
22.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$1.95 €1.74
20.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Austria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.45 €3.09
-44.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.44 €38.90
$61.5 €55.1
-29.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 €5.03
$5.54 €4.96
1.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.54
$2.47 €2.21
-30.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.64 €30.12
$38.48 €34.47
-12.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.89 €1.69
7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.6K
$30.4K €27.2K
16.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.9K
$31.6K €28.3K
16.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Austria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$227 €203
$348 €312
-34.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 €10.38
$15.29 €13.69
-24.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.21
$34.39 €30.80
-11.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Austria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.37
$41.15 €36.86
25.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70 €21.22
$25.02 €22.41
-5.28%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.50
$13.73 €12.30
-22.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Austria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €508
$438 €392
29.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$16.8K €15.0K
-31.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Austria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 €81.1
$97.0 €86.9
-6.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55 €34.53
$43.31 €38.79
-10.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.9
$104 €93.3
-1.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$130 €116
0.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Austria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 €739
$1,007 €902
-18.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 €579
$824 €738
-21.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 €1,254
$1,828 €1,637
-23.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,054 €944
$1,435 €1,286
-26.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,662 €3,280
$7,398 €6,626
-50.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,301 €2,061
$4,695 €4,205
-50.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Austria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,886 €1,689
$3,083 €2,761
-38.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
3.52
1.14%

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

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austria: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646
Austria
$824 27.6% $178
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348
Austria
$387 11.2% $39
Eating Out
Italy
$279
Austria
$302 8.5% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269
Austria
$398 48.2% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Austria
$168 3.1% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73
Austria
$69 6% $4.4
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Austria
$93 42.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $1,011 in Austria. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $1,359 in Vienna.

National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $2,850 in Austria. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in Austria.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Austria.

Salaries are 51% higher in Austria, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Austria.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇦🇹 Austria
🕒 Local time
11:35 11:35 AM
11:35 11:35 AM
Same time as Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
8,979,894
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Austria 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • Austria

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
Italy vs Austria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Austria and Italy?
At $2,242 per month in Austria and $1,843 in Italy, Italy comes out about 18% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Italy: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,011 in Austria and $729 in Italy. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Austria or to Italy?
It depends on what you’re after: Italy wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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