For one person, living is cheaper in the Philippines: $771 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Italy and in the Philippines
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 Philippines actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $771 in the Philippines.
Italy $1,843
Philippines $771
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $1,185 in the Philippines.
Italy $2,816
Philippines $1,185
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $1,599 in the Philippines.
Italy $3,788
Philippines $1,599
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $429–$1,230 in the Philippines. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in Italy is roughly 139% more expensive than in the Philippines on average.
📊
Italy (35% above) and the Philippines (43% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46€18.36
$3.86₱246
430.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5€71.3
$21.54₱1,374
269.08%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.15€10.01
$3.37₱215
230.86%
Cappuccino
$2.04€1.83
$2.18₱139
-6.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10€2.78
$0.70₱44.51
342.86%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40€1.26
$0.36₱22.70
288.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.51€4.95
$1.23₱78.2
347.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74€5.15
$1.90₱121
202.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.57€1.41
$1.72₱110
-8.72%
White Bread(500g)
$2.38€2.14
$1.21₱77.4
96.69%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.90€2.60
$0.85₱54.4
241.18%
Eggs
$4.07€3.66
$1.92₱123
111.98%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.44€15.65
$7.17₱458
143.24%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.56€11.27
$4.07₱260
208.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.17€18.10
$6.78₱432
197.49%
Apples(1kg)
$2.58€2.32
$2.72₱173
-5.15%
Banana(1kg)
$2.19€1.96
$1.35₱86.3
62.22%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.68€2.40
$2.38₱152
12.61%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.27€2.93
$1.42₱90.7
130.28%
Potato(1kg)
$1.90€1.71
$2.16₱138
-12.04%
Onion(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$2.52₱161
-27.78%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.57€1.41
$1.34₱85.2
17.16%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.63₱40.00
-12.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69€6.01
$2.74₱175
144.16%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.99€7.17
$6.41₱409
24.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77€1.59
$1.16₱74.1
52.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35€2.11
$1.75₱111
34.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Philippines
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.91€1.71
$0.24₱15.33
695.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.44€38.98
$13.17₱841
229.84%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.62€5.04
$0.76₱48.22
639.47%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71€1.54
$0.23₱14.68
643.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.64€30.18
$1.91₱122
1661.26%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.82
$1.09₱69.6
86.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K€31.7K
$20.6K₱1.3M
71.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K€33.0K
$19.3K₱1.2M
90.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$227€203
$101₱6,429
124.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59€10.40
$13.64₱870
-15.03%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38€27.26
$26.68₱1,703
13.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.8€46.46
$29.58₱1,888
75.02%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70€21.26
$5.72₱365
314.34%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60€9.51
$5.49₱350
93.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€509
$140₱8,947
304.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K€10.3K
$5,614₱358.2K
105.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5€81.2
$42.27₱2,697
114.17%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55€34.59
$23.59₱1,506
63.42%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$103€92.1
$67.6₱4,311
51.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€118
$58.4₱3,725
124.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Philippines
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826€741
$353₱22.6K
133.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$646€580
$218₱13.9K
196.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,400€1,256
$732₱46.7K
91.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,054€946
$424₱27.0K
148.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,662€3,286
$3,393₱216.5K
7.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,301€2,065
$1,818₱116.0K
26.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Philippines
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,886€1,692
$307₱19.6K
513.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
7.2
-50.56%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026
Last update for the Philippines: 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%
Philippines
$218 28.3% ↓ 66.2%$428
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348 18.9%
Philippines
$187 24.3% ↓ 46.1%$160
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$279 15.1%
Philippines
$81 10.5% ↓ 70.8%$197
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269 14.6%
Philippines
$141 18.3% ↓ 47.5%$127
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 8.9%
Philippines
$86 11.2% ↓ 47.1%$77
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73 4%
Philippines
$41 5.3% ↓ 44.4%$32
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.5%
Philippines
$16 2.1% ↓ 75.4%$49
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1.1K 27.8%
Philippines
$424 26.5% ↓ 59.8%$631
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$823 21.7%
Philippines
$439 27.5% ↓ 46.7%$384
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$964 25.5%
Philippines
$270 16.9% ↓ 72%$694
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$280 7.4%
Philippines
$155 9.7% ↓ 44.8%$125
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$363 9.6%
Philippines
$192 12% ↓ 47.1%$171
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$170 4.5%
Philippines
$87 5.4% ↓ 48.8%$83
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$134 3.6%
Philippines
$33 2% ↓ 75.8%$102
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $261 in the Philippines. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $526 in Manila.
💰National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $283 in the Philippines. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 179% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 306% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 231% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are about 6.7 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and the Philippines?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $771 in the Philippines, the Philippines comes out about 58% 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 the Philippines: 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 $261 in the Philippines. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Italy or to the Philippines?
It depends on what you’re after: the Philippines wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.