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: $1,718 in Italy versus $1,005 in Russia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $1,557 in Russia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $2,108 in Russia.

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

Italy (29% above) and Russia (25% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $708–$1,683 in Russia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.36

$10.24 ₽800

71.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.0

$43.74 ₽3,418

88.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.24

$6.32 ₽493

85.44%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$2.50 ₽195

-23.20%

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

$2.99 €2.61

$1.18 ₽92.0

153.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.52 ₽40.30

161.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.03

$2.59 ₽202

122.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.56

$3.24 ₽253

61.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.16 ₽90.8

45.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.69 ₽53.8

237.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.47 ₽115

107.48%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$1.78 ₽139

124.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.57

$11.08 ₽866

50.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €10.98

$5.13 ₽401

145.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.94

$10.09 ₽789

103.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$1.85 ₽144

38.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$1.96 ₽153

12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.09 ₽163

28.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$3.19 ₽250

5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.86 ₽66.9

137.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.69 ₽53.7

172.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.41 ₽110

4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.74 ₽58.0

-27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.11

$3.07 ₽240

128.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.19

$9.09 ₽710

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.99 ₽77.4

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$2.00 ₽156

25.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.49 ₽37.92

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.33

$34.78 ₽2,717

19.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.07

$2.36 ₽184

145.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.39

$0.32 ₽25.36

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.64

$6.31 ₽493

455.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.77 ₽60.3

176.62%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$37.8K ₽3.0M

-13.85%

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

$33.8K €29.5K

$35.2K ₽2.8M

-4.11%

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

$225 €197

$122 ₽9,516

84.70%

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

$13.14 €11.48

$6.32 ₽494

107.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.25

$7.86 ₽614

296.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.94

$39.52 ₽3,087

44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.58

$21.29 ₽1,663

21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.03

$5.86 ₽458

76.45%

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

$564 €493

$410 ₽32.1K

37.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,035

$9,188 ₽717.8K

12.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.3

$78.2 ₽6,108

17.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.42

$46.76 ₽3,653

-13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €85.8

$116 ₽9,046

-15.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €115

$117 ₽9,115

13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €747

$585 ₽45.7K

46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €580

$373 ₽29.1K

77.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,330

$1,124 ₽87.8K

35.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €951

$730 ₽57.0K

49.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,274

$2,712 ₽211.9K

38.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,009

$1,945 ₽151.9K

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,657

$881 ₽68.8K

115.23%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Russia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $447 in Russia. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $1,346 in Moscow.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $808 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 137% 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 $1,822 per month in Italy and $1,196 in Russia, there's a 52% 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.