Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in United Kingdom versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in United Kingdom versus $2,621 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,579 in United Kingdom versus $3,524 in Italy.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 38% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: United Kingdom 77% above, Italy 29% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,670 to $3,916, compared to $1,176–$2,467 in Italy. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.06

$17.58 €15.40

15.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$82.5 €72.2

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.71

$11.72 €10.26

-11.69%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$1.92 €1.68

148.44%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.99 €2.62

-18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.36 €1.19

27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$5.76 €5.04

18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$5.22 €4.57

24.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.69 €1.48

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.33 €2.04

-26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$3.05 €2.67

-27.54%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.05

$3.99 €3.49

2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.09

$16.68 €14.61

-42.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.72

$12.57 €11.01

-28.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.55

$20.53 €17.98

-30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$2.56 €2.24

15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.20 €1.93

-23.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$2.68 €2.35

5.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$3.37 €2.95

1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.04 €1.79

-17.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.88 €1.65

-15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$1.47 €1.29

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.54 €0.47

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.01

$7.00 €6.13

188.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.80

$7.09 €6.21

47.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.80 €1.58

59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$2.51 €2.20

31.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$1.96 €1.72

69.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.7

$41.58 €36.42

131.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.12

$5.80 €5.08

-4.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.60 €1.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.48

$35.07 €30.71

-21.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$2.13 €1.87

-10.80%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$32.6K €28.5K

16.94%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$33.8K €29.6K

21.33%

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

$326 £243

$225 €197

44.93%

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

$17.18 £12.79

$13.14 €11.51

30.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.99

$31.19 €27.31

37.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.20

$57.2 €50.1

-19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.82

$25.85 €22.64

-38.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.27

$10.34 €9.05

33.46%

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

$1,723 £1,283

$564 €494

205.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$10.3K €9,057

101.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$91.9 €80.5

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.05

$40.54 €35.51

9.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.8

$98.2 €86.0

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.4

$132 €116

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,056

$855 €749

65.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £851

$663 €581

72.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,711

$1,522 €1,333

50.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,394

$1,089 €954

72.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,264

$3,747 €3,282

52.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,231

$2,299 €2,013

88.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,430

$1,897 €1,661

72.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

4.41

30.39%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,266 in United Kingdom, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $2,937 in London vs $1,328 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,192 in United Kingdom, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 71% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 14% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 109% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 67% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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

United Kingdom vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $2,793 in United Kingdom, there's a 53% 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 Italy: 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 United Kingdom is consistently higher than in Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in United Kingdom 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: Italy wins on affordability; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.