Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Eritrea Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Eritrea

Name: Eritrea
Address: ER

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,796 per month in Italy vs $689 in Eritrea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,739 per month in Italy vs $1,083 in Eritrea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,682 per month in Italy vs $1,477 in Eritrea, rent included.

The cost of living in Italy is about 161% higher than in Eritrea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 30% above the global median, while Eritrea is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$21.04 ERN 316

0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$34.65 ERN 520

133.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$5.48 ERN 82.3

108.21%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$0.73 ERN 10.94

184.93%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$0.97 ERN 14.58

214.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.99 ERN 14.85

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$0.96 ERN 14.37

503.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.56 ERN 23.43

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.33 ERN 35.02

29.18%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$4.47 ERN 67.1

-3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$2.98 ERN 44.72

501.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$26.38 ERN 396

-51.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$10.09 ERN 152

103.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$12.07 ERN 181

-78.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.31 ERN 19.75

64.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.04 ERN 30.63

37.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$1.14 ERN 17.16

191.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.78 ERN 26.74

17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.90 ERN 13.55

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$2.15 ERN 32.35

-73.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$12.23 ERN 184

-39.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.02 ERN 15.25

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.02 ERN 15.26

136.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.12 ERN 1.78

1508.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$8.10 ERN 122

458.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.58 ERN 8.72

193.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$10.08 ERN 151

249.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.57 ERN 38.65

-20.62%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$66.9K ERN 1.0M

-43.95%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$69.4K ERN 1.0M

-46.57%

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

$231 €199

$25.13 ERN 377

819.06%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$67.5 ERN 1,014

-81.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$199 ERN 2,983

-84.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$27.35 ERN 411

101.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$4.86 ERN 73.0

412.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$1.22 ERN 18.32

812.30%

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

$568 €490

$25.50 ERN 383

2128.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$2,585 ERN 38.8K

384.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$138 ERN 2,067

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$122 ERN 1,835

-67.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$200 ERN 3,001

-47.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$150 ERN 2,256

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$255 ERN 3,828

234.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$200 ERN 3,003

222.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$453 ERN 6,808

219.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$424 ERN 6,364

155.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$1,256 ERN 18.9K

203.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$2,293 ERN 34.4K

2.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$492 ERN 7,383

293.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

18.5

-80.70%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $755 in Italy vs $123 in Eritrea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,247 in Rome and $247 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 514% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 347% more in Italy.

Public transport is 975% more expensive in Italy.

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 Eritrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 174% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Italy, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Italy consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Eritrea, contributing to the overall 174% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eritrea, but in Italy it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eritrea 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.