For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $399 in India.
Italy $1,843
India $399
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $639 in India.
Italy $2,816
India $639
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $879 in India.
Italy $3,788
India $879
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in Italy is roughly 361% more expensive than in India on average.
📊
Italy (35% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
India
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46€18.38
$2.14₹204
856.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5€71.4
$10.46₹995
660.04%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.15€10.02
$3.80₹361
193.42%
Cappuccino
$2.04€1.83
$1.68₹160
21.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10€2.79
$0.38₹35.99
715.79%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40€1.26
$0.15₹14.60
833.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.51€4.95
$1.87₹178
194.65%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74€5.16
$3.18₹303
80.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
India
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.57€1.41
$0.62₹59.2
153.23%
White Bread(500g)
$2.38€2.14
$0.50₹47.76
376.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.90€2.60
$0.63₹60.3
360.32%
Eggs
$4.07€3.66
$0.96₹91.3
323.96%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.44€15.67
$4.85₹461
259.59%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.56€11.28
$2.84₹271
342.25%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.17€18.12
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.58€2.32
$2.00₹190
29.00%
Banana(1kg)
$2.19€1.97
$0.65₹61.4
236.92%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.68€2.41
$0.97₹92.3
176.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.27€2.94
$0.47₹44.30
595.74%
Potato(1kg)
$1.90€1.71
$0.34₹31.87
458.82%
Onion(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.42₹39.73
333.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.57€1.41
$0.47₹44.39
234.04%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.31₹29.67
77.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69€6.01
$5.08₹483
31.69%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.99€7.18
$7.31₹695
9.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77€1.59
$1.63₹155
8.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35€2.11
$2.76₹262
-14.86%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$5.11₹486
-
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
India
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.91€1.72
$0.26₹24.86
634.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.44€39.03
$8.58₹816
406.29%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.62€5.05
$1.00₹94.7
462.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71€1.54
$0.27₹25.74
533.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.64€30.22
$1.54₹146
2084.42%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.82
$1.07₹102
89.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K€31.7K
$11.2K₹1.1M
214.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K€33.0K
$20.1K₹1.9M
83.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
India
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$227€204
$37.08₹3,527
510.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59€10.41
$3.58₹340
223.74%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.30
$7.15₹680
324.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
India
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.8€46.52
$15.00₹1,427
245.13%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70€21.29
$7.17₹682
230.54%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60€9.53
$3.20₹304
231.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
India
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€510
$58.8₹5,592
865.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K€10.4K
$1,667₹158.5K
591.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
India
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5€81.3
$23.03₹2,191
293.10%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55€34.64
$24.17₹2,299
59.50%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$103€92.2
$41.20₹3,918
149.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€118
$29.62₹2,817
342.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
India
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826€742
$146₹13.9K
463.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$646€581
$96.4₹9,165
570.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,400€1,258
$343₹32.6K
308.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,054€947
$234₹22.2K
350.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,662€3,290
$1,177₹111.9K
211.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,301€2,068
$633₹60.2K
263.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
India
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,886€1,695
$409₹38.9K
361.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
8.93
-60.13%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026
Last update for India: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646 35.1%
India
$96 24.1% ↓ 85.1%$550
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348 18.9%
India
$102 25.6% ↓ 70.6%$246
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$279 15.1%
India
$67 16.7% ↓ 76.1%$212
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269 14.6%
India
$48 12% ↓ 82.2%$221
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 8.9%
India
$53 13.3% ↓ 67.5%$110
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73 4%
India
$21 5.4% ↓ 70.7%$52
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.5%
India
$12 3% ↓ 81.6%$53
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1.1K 27.8%
India
$234 26.6% ↓ 77.8%$821
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$823 21.7%
India
$220 25.1% ↓ 73.2%$602
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$964 25.5%
India
$181 20.6% ↓ 81.2%$783
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$280 7.4%
India
$51 5.9% ↓ 81.7%$229
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$363 9.6%
India
$118 13.4% ↓ 67.5%$245
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$170 4.5%
India
$50 5.7% ↓ 70.6%$120
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$134 3.6%
India
$24 2.8% ↓ 81.8%$110
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $120 in India. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $277 in Delhi.
💰National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 508% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 564% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 438% more expensive in Italy.
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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and Italy?
At $399 per month in India and $1,843 in Italy, there’s a 361% gap. 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 India: 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 $729 in Italy and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to India or to Italy?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.