Cost of Living in Florence, Italy

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How Much Does It Cost to Live In Florence?

Florence is one of the most expensive cities in Italy, so depending on where you live, your Florence experience can cost you somewhere between 1000$ – 1100$ if you want to live comfortably and travel around.

Florence is not that big so you can mostly walk all of it depending on where you live, so, as a tourist, you won’t have to spend much money on transportation.

It’s good to bear in mind that Florence capitalizes on tourism a lot more than most European metropolitan cities, so it’s significantly more expensive than its neighboring cities.

RESTAURANTS

Restaurants and pubs are often more expensive than in other Italian cities, because – well, it’s Florence, but that’s quite normal for a major city. You can always find a bunch of cheaper places without losing the quality of the food. If you’re really decided on saving up money, always opt for a pizza or pasta.

MARKETS

Food can be quite cheap if you avoid the central grocers shops and instead shop at the bigger grocery stores like Coop or Conad. You should know that supermarkets keep basically the same prices as all the other stores along the country. So, if you plan on cooking alone and eating out, count on spending around 150$ a week for groceries and supplies.

TRANSPORTATION

Public transport isn’t as organized and omnipresent as in some other cities, mostly because Florence is not that big and you can walk around it if you really set your mind to it. However, the public transport is fairly cheap, and your cost of going through Florence should be very manageable. Bus passes are 1.5$ a ride. Monthly passes are available too but if you’re not planning on riding the bus multiple times a day, get the “Carta Agile L” which gives you 35 tickets for 35$.

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

When it comes to utilities, be prepared to spend around 120$ per month for electricity, water, gas. When there’s a heavy usage of utilities, like during winter or summer, the utility bill will likely double. For an apartment around 85m2 (which is definitely bigger than a usual apartment for one or two people) these will cost you 160$ approximately.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Speaking of sports, it is expensive in Florence, like everywhere else in Italy, and even more so here because this is a touristy city. Young people love to take care of themselves even on vacation, so a considerable part of a monthly salaries is spent on these activities. A membership at the gym or a fitness club costs around 50$, and you can go to a cinema if you want to pay around 8$ per person for a cinema ticket.

CLOTHING & SHOES

You can only imagine that there are plenty of shops and boutiques where you can buy clothing in Florence, as well as shoes and accessories. It is, in fact, full of shopping malls and little local shopping stores where you can buy these. If you want a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 100$, though. Quality sneakers cost about the same.

RENT PER MONTH

Rent might be very expensive in Florence, depending on what time of year you’re going and if you’re renting a flat (which can cost from 600 up to 1000 dollars per month without utilities) or if you’re sharing an apartment (and a room) with someone, which would be a cheaper version. For, example, living in the Historical Center of the city will be very steep, while living on the outskirts will be beneficial for your wallet.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Florence

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Florence?

An average citizen of Florence spends most of his or her money on food, in markets and grocery stores. As we mentioned, you can count on 200$ a week going on food, if you have a family.

One of the biggest expenses in Florence, is rent too since can be pretty steep in certain areas, for example in the historical center of Florence.

Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – people like going to restaurants in Florence and who can blame them? Transportation, on the other hand is one of the fundamental needs, regardless of the city you live in.

Average Costs Breakdown

Florence: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Citizens of Florence (and most other Italian cities) have a relatively reasonable minimum wage which allows them to cover their rent and additional expenses without stress.

Their monthly average net salary is around 1500$. This means that, luckily, people that live here can manage their salary and pay everything upfront, live comfortably and not worry about making ends meet.

Rent is still pretty expensive in some parts of the city, compared to other expenses so, those that are renting will have a bigger problem managing their wages and salaries.

Florence Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Florence Safety Review

Safety Index:

70

• OVERALL RISK: LOW
• TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
• PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
• NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
• MUGGING RISK: LOW
• TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
• SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
• WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Cost of Living by City in Florence