Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

For one person, living is cheaper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: $1,310 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
$1,310
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Italy and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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 the Democratic Republic of the Congo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $1,310 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Italy $1,843
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo $1,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $2,560 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Italy $2,816
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo $2,560

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $3,810 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Italy $3,788
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo $3,810

Italy ($1,038–$2,555) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ($400–$1,736) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Italy is roughly 41% more expensive than in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on average.

Italy (35% above) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46 €18.38
$14.90 CDF 33.6K
37.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €71.4
$84.4 CDF 190.7K
-5.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 €10.02
$9.82 CDF 22.2K
13.54%
Cappuccino
$2.04 €1.83
$5.40 CDF 12.2K
-62.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.79
$1.82 CDF 4,117
70.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.26
$1.53 CDF 3,457
-8.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.51 €4.95
$1.95 CDF 4,404
182.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.16
$4.63 CDF 10.5K
23.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.03 CDF 4,591
-22.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.14
$1.70 CDF 3,836
40.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.60
$2.54 CDF 5,747
14.17%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.66
$3.28 CDF 7,399
24.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.44 €15.67
$8.08 CDF 18.3K
115.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.56 €11.28
$8.50 CDF 19.2K
47.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.17 €18.12
$10.52 CDF 23.8K
91.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.32
$3.61 CDF 8,159
-28.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.97
$2.50 CDF 5,641
-12.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.41
$3.18 CDF 7,171
-15.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 €2.94
$2.79 CDF 6,298
17.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.71
$2.43 CDF 5,494
-21.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.73 CDF 6,160
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.06 CDF 4,661
-23.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.25 CDF 2,831
-56.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69 €6.01
$4.52 CDF 10.2K
48.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 €7.18
$15.18 CDF 34.3K
-47.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.84 CDF 4,152
-3.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$3.25 CDF 7,339
-27.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.48 CDF 1,079
297.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.44 €39.03
$18.61 CDF 42.0K
133.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 €5.05
$5.13 CDF 11.6K
9.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.54
$1.31 CDF 2,954
30.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.64 €30.22
$9.88 CDF 22.3K
240.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.73 CDF 3,904
17.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.7K
$20.2K CDF 45.7M
74.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €33.0K
$23.3K CDF 52.6M
57.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$227 €204
$91.5 CDF 206.6K
147.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 €10.41
$20.56 CDF 46.4K
-43.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.30
$70.4 CDF 158.9K
-56.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.52
$57.0 CDF 128.8K
-9.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70 €21.29
$21.55 CDF 48.7K
9.98%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.53
$15.27 CDF 34.5K
-30.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €510
$250 CDF 564.4K
127.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.4K
$5,105 CDF 11.5M
125.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 €81.3
$32.34 CDF 73.0K
179.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55 €34.64
$38.91 CDF 87.9K
-0.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.2
$70.3 CDF 158.7K
46.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €118
$99.3 CDF 224.2K
31.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 €742
$1,574 CDF 3.6M
-47.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 €581
$353 CDF 798.0K
82.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 €1,258
$3,547 CDF 8.0M
-60.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,054 €947
$1,493 CDF 3.4M
-29.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,662 €3,290
$3,668 CDF 8.3M
-0.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,301 €2,068
$1,003 CDF 2.3M
129.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,886 €1,695
$629 CDF 1.4M
199.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
13.33
-73.29%

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

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Last update for the Democratic Republic of the Congo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$353 45.3% $293
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$301 13.6% $47
Eating Out
Italy
$279
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$246 11.8% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$182 32.1% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$108 33.6% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$88 20% $15
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Democratic Republic of the Congo
$32 50.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $1,280 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $1,698 in Kinshasa.

National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $633 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Dining out costs 20% more in Italy.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are about 3 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
🕒 Local time
11:25 11:25 AM
11:25 11:25 AM
Same time as Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
105,789,731
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,258 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.43 USD). 1 EUR = 2,513 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Democratic Republic of the Congo 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo

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 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Italy?
At $1,310 per month in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and $1,843 in Italy, there’s a 41% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Italy?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: 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.
How do I choose between living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Italy?
It depends on what you’re after: the Democratic Republic of the Congo wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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