Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Russia Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Russia

Name: Russia
Address: RU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,006 in Russia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,559 in Russia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $2,112 in Russia.

Living in Italy is roughly 71% more expensive than Russia on average.

Italy (28% above) and Russia (25% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $682–$1,648 in Russia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$10.18 ₽743

71.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$43.66 ₽3,186

82.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$6.51 ₽475

80.65%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$2.62 ₽191

-23.66%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$1.19 ₽87.0

152.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.51 ₽36.92

164.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.55 ₽186

132.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$3.19 ₽233

68.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.20 ₽87.9

36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.70 ₽50.8

244.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.50 ₽110

99.33%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$1.84 ₽134

115.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$11.03 ₽805

52.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$5.31 ₽388

134.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$9.99 ₽729

103.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.84 ₽135

34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.87 ₽137

14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.17 ₽159

22.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$3.10 ₽226

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.85 ₽62.2

125.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.74 ₽53.8

144.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.36 ₽99.0

13.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.74 ₽54.0

-27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$3.12 ₽228

117.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$9.23 ₽674

-22.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.03 ₽75.3

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.95 ₽143

24.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.53 ₽38.59

277.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$34.49 ₽2,518

22.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.42 ₽176

145.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.33 ₽23.94

357.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$6.38 ₽466

433.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.78 ₽56.7

162.82%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$38.6K ₽2.8M

-14.90%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$35.4K ₽2.6M

-4.84%

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

$225 €194

$121 ₽8,866

85.57%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$6.40 ₽467

107.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$7.91 ₽577

291.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$39.90 ₽2,912

39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$21.33 ₽1,557

17.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$5.85 ₽427

75.21%

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

$576 €495

$410 ₽29.9K

40.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$9,167 ₽669.1K

14.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$80.5 ₽5,875

14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$46.41 ₽3,388

-12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$115 ₽8,366

-14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$116 ₽8,432

13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$603 ₽44.0K

42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$374 ₽27.3K

78.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$1,161 ₽84.7K

27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$741 ₽54.1K

46.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$3,192 ₽233.0K

20.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,111 ₽154.1K

11.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$943 ₽68.9K

104.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

16.88

-73.87%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Russia: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $447 in Russia. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $1,317 in Moscow.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $861 in Russia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 66% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 85% more in Italy.

Public transport is 389% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 126% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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 Russia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,165 in Russia, there's a 58% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Russia is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy beats Russia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Russia, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Russia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.