Europe · Rome
Cost of living in Italy
Italy is 34% cheaper than the US, ranking #48 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living. The local currency is EUR (€).
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Italy, restaurants & hotels is the priciest category relative to the world (146), while communication is the most affordable (107).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $66,000 in Italy.
Quality of life
96/100 · #26 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Italy
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946, and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO, as well as the European Economic Community (EEC) and its successors, the EC and the EU.
Read the full background
It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Italy expensive to live in?
Italy is 34% cheaper than the US, ranking #48 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is restaurants & hotels; communication costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Italy?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $66,000 in Italy, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Italy cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 66.1, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Italy?
Italy scores 96 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#26 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 84 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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