How much does a trip to Italy cost? Daily budget and prices

These figures are per person per day, assuming two people share a room at mid-range and comfort. They include city tourist tax but not long-distance trains, flights or car hire. Prices are a 2026 estimate.

The parent Italy page gives narrower bands — €70–100 budget, €150–250 mid-range, €350–600 comfort — which exclude the tourist tax and assume tighter spending on food and sights. Both sets are estimates; use the table here when you want the tax and a wider spread included, and the country page when you want a single lean number.

The gap between tiers comes mostly from the bed line. A dorm bed in a hostel and a 4★ double can differ by more than €300 a night in the same city, while food and transport move far less.

Italy is cheap at the small end and expensive at the big end. Coffee standing at a bar, a slice of pizza and a regional train ticket cost little; hotels in Venice, Florence and the Amalfi Coast in high season cost a lot. The table below covers the items that decide most daily budgets.

Two habits change the total more than anything else. Drinking your coffee standing at the bar rather than sitting at a table, and eating your main meal at lunch rather than dinner, can cut €20–40 a day for two people.

Venice, Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Lake Como sit at the top of the range: expect 30–50% above the mid-range figures in high season. The south and the countryside are cheaper, with B&Bs, markets and local buses keeping a day closer to the budget tier.

Timing matters as much as place. August and Easter are the two peaks, when room rates rise across the country. Outside those weeks, prices vary by city and by how early you book rather than by month.

Cards and contactless work almost everywhere in cities, including on buses and metro gates in the big cities. Small cafés, markets and rural shops may prefer cash, so keep €20–50 on you. At ATMs and card terminals always choose to be charged in euros; the conversion offered on screen costs you money.

Restaurants often add a cover charge (coperto) per person, listed on the menu. It is normal, not a scam. Tipping is optional: round up for good service. The city tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno) is paid per person per night, usually at the hotel, on top of anything you prepaid online.

Book high-speed trains 4–8 weeks ahead: Frecciarossa and Italo fares rise steeply close to the date, and the same route can cost two or three times more a week out. Regional trains are far cheaper and fine for short hops.

Book major sights online for a fixed slot, which avoids both queues and agency mark-ups. Stay outside the historic centre and walk or take a bus in; in Venice, sleeping in Mestre rather than on the island cuts the bed line sharply. Eat your main meal at lunch, when many trattorias serve the same kitchen at lower prices.

All figures are a 2026 estimate and change with season and city. Sight tickets, tourist taxes and the Venice access fee are the items most likely to move, so confirm current prices on the official site before you book.

This page covers on-the-ground costs. Flights, visas and insurance are separate, and long-distance travel is not included in the daily totals above.