🇮🇹Italy
Ancient ruins, Renaissance art, and some of the best food on the planet — from the Colosseum to canals to cathedral domes, all a fast train apart.
Cities
The cradle of the Renaissance — Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's dome, and more world-class art per square mile than almost anywhere on earth.
Day budget
$85–155
Cheap meal
€6–12 ($6.50–13)
Mid hotel
€90–180 ($97–194)
The Eternal City — ancient ruins, Renaissance piazzas, and some of the world's best food, all stacked on top of 2,700 years of history.
Day budget
$95–170
Cheap meal
€6–12 ($6.50–13)
Mid hotel
€100–200 ($108–216)
A city built on water, with no cars, no roads — just canals, gondolas, and centuries of Byzantine and Gothic architecture packed onto a lagoon.
Day budget
$100–190
Cheap meal
€6–14 ($6.50–15)
Mid hotel
€110–220 ($118–237)
At a glance
How Italy’s cities compare. Rough 2026 figures.
| City | Cheap meal | Mid-range hotel | Transit ride | Avg. monthly salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇹 Florence | €6–12 ($6.50–13) | €90–180 ($97–194) | €1.70 ($1.85) | ≈ $1,950 |
| 🇮🇹 Rome | €6–12 ($6.50–13) | €100–200 ($108–216) | €1.50 ($1.60) | ≈ $2,100 |
| 🇮🇹 Venice | €6–14 ($6.50–15) | €110–220 ($118–237) | €9.50 ($10.20) vaporetto | ≈ $2,000 |
Head to head
Two cities side by side — costs, best months and what you'd do in each.