Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Republic of the Congo and Italy

For one person, living is cheaper in the Republic of the Congo: $1,657 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Republic of the Congo
Italy
🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
$1,657
/mo nomad
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Republic of the Congo and in Italy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Republic of the Congo and in Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo versus $1,843 in Italy.

  • Republic of the Congo $1,657
  • Italy $1,843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in the Republic of the Congo versus $2,816 in Italy.

  • Republic of the Congo $2,576
  • Italy $2,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in the Republic of the Congo versus $3,788 in Italy.

  • Republic of the Congo $3,496
  • Italy $3,788

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $1,944–$1,944 in the Republic of the Congo. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in the Republic of the Congo costs about 10% less than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the Republic of the Congo 22% above, Italy 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.32 FCFA 4,900
$20.46 €18.38
-59.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.70 FCFA 22.2K
$79.5 €71.4
-52.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.07 FCFA 2,986
$11.15 €10.02
-54.53%
Cappuccino
$4.09 FCFA 2,408
$2.04 €1.83
100.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 FCFA 943
$3.10 €2.79
-48.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 FCFA 769
$1.40 €1.26
-6.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 FCFA 3,395
$5.51 €4.95
4.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 FCFA 1,465
$5.74 €5.16
-56.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.59 FCFA 1,527
$1.57 €1.41
64.97%
White Bread (500g)
$4.64 FCFA 2,733
$2.38 €2.14
94.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.14 FCFA 1,852
$2.90 €2.60
8.28%
Eggs
$2.45 FCFA 1,442
$4.07 €3.66
-39.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.13 FCFA 9,499
$17.44 €15.67
-7.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.01 FCFA 4,131
$12.56 €11.28
-44.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.13 FCFA 7,147
$20.17 €18.12
-39.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 FCFA 1,735
$2.58 €2.32
14.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 FCFA 975
$2.19 €1.97
-24.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 FCFA 2,038
$2.68 €2.41
29.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 FCFA 2,402
$3.27 €2.94
24.77%
Potato (1kg)
$3.10 FCFA 1,828
$1.90 €1.71
63.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 FCFA 1,404
$1.82 €1.63
30.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 FCFA 758
$1.57 €1.41
-17.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 FCFA 523
$0.55 €0.49
61.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 FCFA 2,268
$6.69 €6.01
-42.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.02 FCFA 4,724
$7.99 €7.18
0.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 FCFA 616
$1.77 €1.59
-40.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 FCFA 1,015
$2.35 €2.11
-26.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 FCFA 160
$1.91 €1.72
-85.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.87 FCFA 14.1K
$43.44 €39.03
-45.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.65 FCFA 972
$5.62 €5.05
-70.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 FCFA 988
$1.71 €1.54
-1.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.00 FCFA 4,124
$33.64 €30.22
-79.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 FCFA 792
$2.03 €1.82
-33.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K FCFA 17.1M
$35.3K €31.7K
-17.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K FCFA 12.5M
$36.7K €33.0K
-42.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$603 FCFA 355.2K
$227 €204
166.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.07 FCFA 17.1K
$11.59 €10.41
150.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.24 FCFA 24.9K
$30.38 €27.30
39.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.60 FCFA 19.8K
$51.8 €46.52
-35.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.05 FCFA 10.0K
$23.70 €21.29
-28.06%
Cinema Ticket
$6.17 FCFA 3,632
$10.60 €9.53
-41.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$53.4 FCFA 31.5K
$568 €510
-90.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.5K €10.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.07 FCFA 27.1K
$90.5 €81.3
-49.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.10 FCFA 27.7K
$38.55 €34.64
22.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 FCFA 68.2K
$103 €92.2
12.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 FCFA 66.8K
$131 €118
-13.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$802 FCFA 472.3K
$826 €742
-2.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$252 FCFA 148.4K
$646 €581
-61.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,675 FCFA 1.6M
$1,400 €1,258
91.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$990 FCFA 583.3K
$1,054 €947
-6.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 FCFA 2.0M
$3,662 €3,290
-5.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,944 FCFA 1.7M
$2,301 €2,068
27.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Republic of the Congo
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$374 FCFA 220.6K
$1,886 €1,695
-80.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.51
3.56
167.13%

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

Last update for the Republic of the Congo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Republic of the Congo
$674
Italy
$269 60.2% $406
Groceries & Markets
Republic of the Congo
$328
Italy
$348 6.1% $20
Accommodation & Living
Republic of the Congo
$252
Italy
$646 157% $394
Eating Out
Republic of the Congo
$176
Italy
$279 58.1% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Republic of the Congo
$145
Italy
$163 12.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Republic of the Congo
$46
Italy
$73 58.9% $27
Getting Around
Republic of the Congo
$35
Italy
$65 86.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,149 in Brazzaville vs $1,297 in Rome.

National salary averages: $453 in the Republic of the Congo, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in the Republic of the Congo.

Dining out costs 46% more in Italy.

Public transport is 79% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are about 4.2 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know
🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
🇮🇹 Italy
🕒 Local time
11:24 11:24 AM
11:24 11:24 AM
Same time as the Republic of the Congo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,142,180
58,850,717
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Republic of the Congo Italy 5,140 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Republic of the Congo
  • 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
Republic of the Congo vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and the Republic of the Congo?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo, there’s a 11% 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 the Republic of the Congo: 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.
Should I move to Italy or to the Republic of the Congo?
It depends on what you’re after: the Republic of the Congo wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Republic of the Congo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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