Cost of Living · GB vs IT
🇬🇧 London vs 🇮🇹 Rome: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,037 in United Kingdom vs $1,489 in Italy — 26.89% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Italy
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -29.95%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -29.95%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -29.95%
Closest to United Kingdom prices
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -9.67%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -9.68%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -9.76%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United Kingdom | Italy | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,447 | $1,014 (937 EUR) | -29.95% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,158 | $811 (749 EUR) | -29.95% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,646 | $1,853 (1,713 EUR) | -29.95% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $15.50 | $11.72 (11 EUR) | -24.39% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $64.59 | $48.83 (45 EUR) | -24.4% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $9.60 | $7.45 (7 EUR) | -22.4% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.99 | $0.81 (1 EUR) | -18.18% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.87 | $2.34 (2 EUR) | -18.47% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.05 | $2.49 (2 EUR) | -18.36% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.97 | $7.32 (7 EUR) | -18.39% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.59 | $2.93 (3 EUR) | -18.38% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.31 | $3.51 (3 EUR) | -18.56% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $10.76 | $8.78 (8 EUR) | -18.4% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.79 | $1.46 (1 EUR) | -18.44% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $5.17 | $3.91 (4 EUR) | -24.37% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.58 | $6.84 (6 EUR) | -9.76% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $4.31 | $3.26 (3 EUR) | -24.36% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.06 | $1.68 (2 EUR) | -18.45% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $56.75 | $44.01 (41 EUR) | -22.45% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.40 | $1.86 (2 EUR) | -22.5% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.44 | $2.60 (2 EUR) | -24.42% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.55 | $1.17 (1 EUR) | -24.52% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.90 | $0.81 (1 EUR) | -10% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $175 | $135 (125 EUR) | -22.45% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $61.11 | $47.39 (44 EUR) | -22.45% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $39.28 | $30.47 (28 EUR) | -22.43% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $43.06 | $32.55 (30 EUR) | -24.41% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $12.06 | $9.12 (8 EUR) | -24.38% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $25.84 | $19.53 (18 EUR) | -24.42% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $52.09 | $47.05 (43 EUR) | -9.68% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $85.24 | $77.00 (71 EUR) | -9.67% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $215 | $163 (150 EUR) | -24.4% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Italy than United Kingdom?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,489 in Italy versus $2,037 in United Kingdom — 26.89% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Italy?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.91 in Italy (≈ 3.61 EUR), versus about $5.17 in United Kingdom.
- How much is rent in Italy compared to United Kingdom?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,014/month in Italy versus $1,447/month in United Kingdom (-29.95%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.