Cost of Living in Trieste, Italy

Updated On May 10, 2022

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Trieste?

Though it’s not as popular as Milan, Florence or Genoa, Trieste is just as expensive.

Make no mistake, this is not a cheap city, though, much like Rome, it is much cheaper than New York, London, or Tokyo. However, it’s more expensive than living in a suburb or one of the small towns in Italy, like Padova, Palermo or Sienna.

But even though some things might be cheap here in comparison to world known cities, it doesn’t mean that affects their quality. In fact, the quality of food and wine, for example is much higher.

Cost of Living Index:
71.51
* Based on Research & User Data
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

Those that aren’t fans of cooking can enjoy any of the thousands of really nice restaurants where the food is nice and cheap. The important thing is to avoid the tourists traps that exist in Trieste as much as in any other major Italian city. If you want to save some money, instead of eating out in a restaurant, it’s much cheaper to buy a slice (or two) of pizza – that’s if you like some street food, which in Italy is delicious.

Markets

MARKETS

If you go shopping in local market you’ll stumble upon a range of many delicious foods (meat, fresh fish, vegetables and tasty fruits). If you are fond of cooking, Italy is the place to be, and Trieste offers a lot of ingredients that are local and cheap and do not cost as much as they do in other cities.

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Traffic is the worst problem of Italy. A monthly fee for public transport costs around 40$ a month. There are buses, and a one-way ticket costs a reasonable 1.50$. A scooter seems like the easiest way to get around in all Italian cities, and it’s actually a popular vehicle in Italy so use it in Trieste too, as it saves money and makes it much easier to get around.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

The basic utilities like gas, electricity, heating and cooling will cost you definitely 100$ if you’re living in a one-bedroom small apartment, and for a larger apartment (if you have a family) of about 85m2 they cost around 190$, which is more expensive than in Rome, for instance, all well above Italy’s average.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

Trieste will surely offer you a wide range of activities like going to theaters, cinemas and of course visiting monuments and museums. This all costs: for example, cinema tickets will cost you 10$. Add to your budget some more money for a fitness club membership, if you’re into sports activities: it costs just short of 50$.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

Trieste, as one of the major cities in Italy, is virtually full of stores and luxurious boutiques – it offers a shopping dream to everyone who is rich enough to go shopping in Italy. This is why the prices are high at even the regular chain stores that exist around the world: jeans cost around 90$, while sneakers cost a bit more than that.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

Rent prices are that high in this lovely city, though you would definitely expect them to. If you’re looking for an apartment close to the city center, it will cost you around 500$ a month, and if you’re looking to save some money, an apartment on the outskirts of town will cost you around 400$. Like everywhere though, the cost depends on the size, condition, and location of the property.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Trieste

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$17.11
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$4.56
Water (0.33 Liter)$1.33
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$1.19
Loaf Bread (500g)$2.13
Eggs (12)$2.83
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$1.43
Monthly Pass$39.18
Gasoline$1.70
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$187.64
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.05
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$31.15
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$44.90
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$18.63
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$9.12
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$91.25
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$30.42
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$96.32
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$580.89
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$435.50
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$983.76

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Trieste?

Single biggest expense in Trieste is food, though that’s pretty much relative and depending on your personal lifestyle

Next expense for an average citizen of Trieste is going to be rent.

Restaurants are next, which is no wonder in Italy, the corner of the world famous for good food and wine, and filled with gorgeous restaurants at every corner.

Transportation is necessary, though badly organized, but everyone uses it daily so it amounts to a rather large expense.

The last on the list are clothing, sports and leisure.

Average Costs Breakdown

15.9%
38.3%
12.6%
5.2%
5.8%
3.7%
18.6%

Trieste: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Many citizens of Trieste claim that their salaries aren’t enough to live comfortably and that you can live like that only if you do not need to depend on the local economy to earn your living.

With a minimum wage of 1200$ many can’t cover their expenses, especially if they’re renting an apartment.

Average monthly net salary is near 1600$ so it’s safe to say that those who are smart about managing their salaries and dividing them between their expenses intelligently, can actually live without the stress of not being able to make ends meet.

Average Salary$1563.29
Minimum Wage$1240.32
Mortgage Interest Rate2.06%

Cost of Living by City in Trieste

CityCost of Living Index
Bologna69.5
Cagliari61.3
Florence77.21
Genoa75.38
Milan73.89
Naples61.3
Padova73.49
Palermo61.16
Rome69.03
Turin66.68

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

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