How Much Does It Cost to Live In Palermo?
Palermo has it all: a cheaper cost of living, beaches, sunny days, laid back atmosphere and no stress!
Palermo is relatively small, everything that you might need is very close, it has sunny beaches and offers a much cheaper and relaxed style of life and a very friendly atmosphere.
Since it’s so small it’s no wonder that this city is much cheaper than, say, Milan, Rome, Florence, etc. in all aspects – rent, food and utilities.
So relax, and immerse yourself in its fine cuisine, restaurants, clubs and cafes on beaches.
Italy : Cost of Living by City
Cost of Living in Italy
RESTAURANTS
Palermo is almost as cheap as Naples, and without a doubt cheaper than Milan, Rome and Florence when it comes to eating out. You can always find expensive restaurants offering jaw-dropping food, but you can also find those that are much cheaper and the food is still delicious. The best advice is to ask locals to find the best places.
MARKETS
As for Palermo’s range of products when it comes to groceries, you can get high-quality produce at its many stores around the city, and at a very low price. It’s much cheaper to cook at home than go out, however cheap the restaurants are.
TRANSPORTATION
Public transport, doesn’t work very well, traffic jams happen regularly, buses are often late and not all areas are well-served and visited by them, but luckily, the city is small so you can reach basically everything on foot or by bike. Bikes don’t cost too much but be careful when riding one, because there are many people who drive recklessly.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
The price of utilities in Palermo is relatively high. Be prepared to spend around 170$ per month for electricity, water, gas if you live in a slightly bigger apartment of about 85m2 – which usually happens if you have a family, for instance. When there’s a heavy usage of utilities, like during winter or summer, the utility bill will likely double.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Having fun and indulging in sports is cheaper in Palermo than in most other Italian cities. A membership at the gym or a fitness club is a bit less than 50$, while cinema tickets cost the same as in Italian metropolitan areas – 8$ per person for a cinema ticket. Also, an hour on a tennis court costs more than a month in a fitness club.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Palermo is too small to be filled with shopping malls though it has a bunch of little local shopping stores, very typical of Italy, where you can buy clothes, jeans, sneakers and accessories. If you have your mind set on a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 90$. Quality sneakers cost a little bit more, so, to sum it up, though it’s small, this city doesn’t offer cheaper clothes.
RENT PER MONTH
The cheapest thing similar to an apartment that you can rent in Palermo are studio flats that start from around 400$. If you’re looking to rent an apartment and not pay too much, you will need to move out of the city center and here you can rent one for a bit more than 4500$. Add to that almost twice as much if you’re thinking about moving to the city center.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Palermo
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $11.41 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $39.92 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.93 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.01 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.44 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.45 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.60 |
| Monthly Pass | $39.92 |
| Gasoline | $1.73 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $170.80 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.17 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $33.08 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $39.50 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $40.30 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $8.55 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $79.84 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $39.92 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $91.25 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $524.67 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $349.78 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $912.48 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Palermo?
Palermo people spend most money on food, in markets and grocery stores – about 150$ to be precise, and more if you have a family and not living as a student.
Next, an average person in Palermo, spends their money on rent, because even though it’s much cheaper in this city, it’s still a considerable amount of money.
Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – though if you stick to pizzas and pastas, you’ll save a bunch.
Average Costs Breakdown
Palermo: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
With a minimum wage all across Italy being just above 1100$, some people might have a hard time covering all their expenses in Palermo, though luckily, the prices there are lower too.
Average monthly net salary in Palermo is around 1300$, so most people can live without any problems.
However, if you’re the type of person to go out every night, spend money in bars and restaurants and act comfortably when it comes to pastime and leisure – you might find this average salary a bit too low.
Palermo Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Palermo Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Palermo
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Bologna | 69.5 |
| Cagliari | 61.3 |
| Florence | 77.21 |
| Genoa | 75.38 |
| Milan | 73.89 |
| Naples | 61.3 |
| Padova | 73.49 |
| Rome | 69.03 |
| Trieste | 71.51 |
| Turin | 66.68 |
How do you can say Palermo is a small city? Have you ever been in Palermo for real?