Cost #17/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇮🇹 Cost of living in Italy
Italy tracks close to the EU-27 average across rent, groceries and transport - see the categories where it diverges and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #17
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #15
Italy's livability score
Livability score
48/100
Italy, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power C- €22,062
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost D 98
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent C- 93
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries C+ 102
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare D 117
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport D 96
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities F 118
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants D 107
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Italy: quiet 2024 Eurostat pass
Overall cost index barely moved (-0.3) vs 2023 - a near-flat European release print.
- Restaurants index 108 107 2023 → 2024
Restaurants index fell from 108 to 107 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Healthcare index 117 117 2023 → 2024
Healthcare index fell from 117 to 117 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Housing & utilities index 94 93 2023 → 2024
Housing & utilities index fell from 94 to 93 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Utilities index 117 118 2023 → 2024
Utilities index rose from 117 to 118 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Italy in the 85-99 cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Italy's overall index (98) sits in the 85-99 band with 6 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Category mix inside Italy's mid EU band
Bars + gauge around the EU-27 = 100 mid band (98): where Italy diverges inside an average-looking total.
Italy - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇮🇹 Italy vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (98); the tick marks the EU average.
In Italy, utilities is the most expensive category and housing & utilities the least.
What the mid-band Italy print actually shows
Italy's overall consumer price level sits right at the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Utilities lead the cost table in Italy at index 118, ahead of housing & utilities at index 93 - heating, power and water outpace every other category here.
Prices in Italy sit close to the EU average, so the headline income of €22,062 and its EU-27-adjusted equivalent of €22,489 are within a similar range.
Cities in Italy
National averages hide the big-city premium. See real monthly rent, groceries and transit costs for Italy's cities.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Italy: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (98 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Italy
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€22,489 here).
What to do with this Italy data
Italy ranks #15 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Italy in the calculator
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These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Italy expensive to live in?
Italy's overall cost of living sits right at the EU-27 average (index 98). Utilities is the priciest category and housing & utilities the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Italy?
Italy's housing & utilities price index is 93, below the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Italy?
Prices in Italy sit close to the EU average, so the headline income of €22,062 and its EU-27-adjusted equivalent of €22,489 are within a similar range.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).