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: $1,796 in Italy versus $979 in Russia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $1,510 in Russia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $2,040 in Russia.

Living in Italy is roughly 83% more expensive than in Russia on average.

Italy (30% above) and Russia (29% below) straddle the global median.

Italy ($1,152–$2,626) and Russia ($78.0–$1,732) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$11.18 ₽940

89.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$40.58 ₽3,410

99.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$6.23 ₽523

83.15%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$2.86 ₽240

-27.27%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$1.27 ₽107

140.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.63 ₽53.2

119.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$2.27 ₽191

155.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$2.88 ₽242

99.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.19 ₽100.0

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$0.81 ₽68.1

197.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.42 ₽119

111.97%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$1.55 ₽130

178.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$11.36 ₽955

57.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$5.45 ₽458

132.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$11.15 ₽937

84.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.76 ₽148

48.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.74 ₽146

23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.82 ₽153

53.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$3.02 ₽254

9.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.71 ₽60.0

195.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.63 ₽53.1

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.39 ₽117

11.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.72 ₽60.3

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$2.84 ₽239

152.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$8.07 ₽678

-8.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.08 ₽90.9

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.01 ₽169

19.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.55 ₽45.83

250.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$39.23 ₽3,297

15.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$2.30 ₽193

149.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.48 ₽40.52

254.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$6.39 ₽537

451.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$0.76 ₽64.2

168.42%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$35.0K ₽2.9M

7.05%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$33.8K ₽2.8M

9.79%

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

$231 €199

$136 ₽11.4K

70.20%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$7.06 ₽594

74.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$8.56 ₽720

264.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$36.82 ₽3,094

50.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$30.34 ₽2,550

-17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$6.28 ₽527

77.23%

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

$568 €490

$426 ₽35.8K

33.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$14.0K ₽1.2M

-10.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$80.2 ₽6,744

15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$51.1 ₽4,290

-22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$125 ₽10.5K

-16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$121 ₽10.1K

11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$599 ₽50.3K

42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$401 ₽33.7K

60.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$1,098 ₽92.3K

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$749 ₽62.9K

44.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$3,227 ₽271.3K

18.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,970 ₽165.6K

19.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$899 ₽75.6K

114.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

21.27

-83.22%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Russia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $414 in Russia. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $1,429 in Moscow.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $756 in Russia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 82% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 105% more in Italy.

Public transport is 438% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 160% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 Russia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,889 per month in Italy and $905 in Russia, there's a 109% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Russia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.