Cost of Living in Italy for International Students 2025
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In case students do not find on-campus housing and are bound to opt for rented accommodation in Italy, then the cost can increase by €660 to €700 depending upon the current rates and type of shared options chosen. The cost of living in Italy for international students will also vary based on which Italian city they would be studying in. For instance, the cost of living index in Italy is the highest for Rome and Milan but the lowest for cities like Naples, Turin and Catania.
Check out: A Complete Guide for International Students in Italy 2024
Cost of Living in Italy 2024 Highlights
| Annual Cost of Living in Italy |
€3,800 - €5,500 approx. |
| Rented Accommodation Cost in Italy |
€200 - €600 per month |
| Average Cost of Living in Italy for Students |
€1,500 - €2,400 annually |
| Costliest Italian City |
Rome & Milan |
| Cost of On-Campus Housing |
€200 - €300 per year |
| Cost of Food |
€200 - €300 per month |
| Personal Expenses |
€200 or above per year |
| Cheapest Italian Cities |
Naples, Pisa, Turin and others |
Cost of Living in Italy for Indian Students
Living expenses in Italy for Indian students depend on the kind of accommodation they choose for themselves. In case they opt for on-campus housing accommodation at their respective Italy University of study, then the rates may be lower, or else rentals can be 20-30% higher than university accommodations.
- Universities offering on-campus housing options can cost an international student studying in Italy between €200 - €300 for one academic year.
- Whereas, international students going for rented housing options in Italy can pay up to €700 a month.
- Indian students can on average spend up to €200 on dining outside in a month, be it inexpensive or inexpensive restaurants.
- Personal expenses can again vary depending on personal needs. On average, an Indian student in Italy can spend €300 per year.
Read more about Cost of Studying in Italy
Cost of Living in Italy for International Students
The following table summarises the cost of various expenditures that would be incurred by an international student during their stay in Italy:
| Living Expenditures |
Costs Incurred (Per Month) |
|---|---|
| Monthly Pass for Travel |
€35 |
| Cost of Dining Outside |
€80 - €90 |
| Basic Utilities - Mobile bills, WiFi, Gasoline, Electricity |
€175 - €180 (per month) |
| Clothing |
€31 - €75 |
| Sports & Leisure |
€65 |
| Groceries |
€50 - €70 (per month) |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment within the City |
€664 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment outside the City |
€513 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment within the City |
€1,287 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment outside the City |
€906 |
| Entertainment |
€9 |
Note: The above-given costs may vary in Italy for international students at the time of admission. Students are advised to double-check each cost and then proceed with their choice of options for accommodation, dining out and other expenses they wish to incur.
Expenditure Analysis in Italy for International Students
As per the expenditure analysis for international students who would be spending on their living expenses in Italy, it can be said that a large chunk of the expenses would go into purchasing food items followed by monthly rent payments. Just for reference, a percentage-wise bifurcation has been given below for reference for the cost of living in Italy for international students:
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As per the pie chart given above, it can be noted that the maximum expenditure is incurred on buying groceries from supermarkets, that is, 30.7% of the expenses. The next area where a handsome amount is spent is the housing rent. Shoes, clothing and accessories expenses are still lower in Italy for international students because only 3% of it is spent.
Since the cost of expenditure on groceries is higher, the following table throws light on the rates of various grocery items in Italy for Indian students in the Indian currency:
| Grocery Items | Rate in Italy | Rate as per Indian Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Dining in an inexpensive restaurant | €15 | INR 1,338 |
| 1 litre of milk | €1.20 | INR 107.05 |
| White bread loaf | €1.62 (per 500 gm) | INR 145 |
| 1 kg white rice | €2 | INR 179.22 |
| A dozen eggs | €2.90 | INR 268 |
| 1 kg local cheese | €12.50 | INR 1,120 |
| 1 kg red meat | €15 | INR 1,344 |
| 1 kg apples | €1.90 | INR 170.26 |
| 1 kg bananas | €1.65 | INR 148 |
| 1 kg oranges | €1.86 | INR 167 |
| 1 kg tomatoes | €2.40 | INR 215 |
| 1 kg potatoes | €1.28 | INR 115 |
| 1 kg onions | €1.32 | INR 118 |
| 1.5-litre water bottle | €0.42 | INR 37.64 |
The rates given above are calculated based on €1 = INR 89.61 as on August 24, 2023. The rates are subject to change, hence the applicants must calculate with caution.
Read more about Part-Time Work Options in Italy
Cost of Living in Italian Cities: Rome & Milan
Since Rome and Milan are the two top cities in Italy, the cost of living in Milan and Rome is also very high. The cost of living for a single international student in Milan for a year is around €10,032 while in Rome is €9,925. Thus, the cost of living in Milan is slightly higher than the cost of living in Rome.
For better clarity of difference, the following table shows a comparison of the costs in Milan and Rome for international students thinking about studying in Italy:
| Factors Affecting Costs in Rome & Milan |
Milan |
Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index 2022 |
67.57 |
60.42 |
| Cost of Living |
€932 |
€830 |
| Rented Accommodation Costs |
€830 - €1,260 |
€720 - €1,044 |
| Food & Dining Costs |
€100 - €120 |
€85 - €95 |
| Transportation Charges (Travel Pass) |
€40 |
€35 |
| Utility Cost |
€232 |
€218 |
| Clothing & Accessories |
€34 - €153 |
€36 - €110 |
The cost of living in Italy is higher in the following areas for Milan in comparison to Rome:
- Rented accommodation costs are higher in Milan by 1.4%.
- For utilities, Milan is 0.8% higher in expenses than Rome.
- Milan is 1% higher in terms of expenses when it comes to clothing and fashion accessories.
In other areas of comparison like transportation charges, groceries & food items and for recreation Rome supersedes Milan. Thus, based on thorough calculations, an international student must decide on his/her choice of Italy university for study, keeping the cost of living details handy.
Check out: Italy Student Visa Guide
The Sapienza University of Rome offers a variety of MBA programs to international students. Sapienza University of Rome programmes in the business and management are recognised all over the world. The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023 ranked Sapienza University in the range of #201-250 for its business and economics programmess. Sapienza University has improved its rankings significantly from last year’s #251-300 in the same category.
Sapienza University of Rome offers a number of certificates, diplomas and degree programmes at the undergradaute and postgradaute levels .To get Sapienza University, international students must meet the course-specific and general admission requirements. Check below the general admission requirements for international students are:
- International applicants must have a high schoolDiplomaearned after at least 12 years of study for a Bachelor’s program
- International applicants must have at least a 3-year bachelor’s degree from arecogniseduniversity in a relevant discipline for a Master’s program
- Students must have at least an upper-intermediate knowledge of English or Italian (B2 level), depending on their chosen program
- Proficiency in the English language
The documents required for Indian students in the visa process for Bocconi University, Italy, include the following:
- Original certificate of high school/bachelor's degree
- Documented guarantees regarding the applicant's study curriculum
- Acceptance of enrollment by Bocconi University
- Receipt of full payment of the first part of tuition fees
- Application form downloaded from the Italian Consulate Webpage
- Two recent passport-size photographs
- Passport with a validity of 90 days from the date of expiry of the visa and at least 1 blank page
- "Dichiarazione di Valore" (Declaration of Value) of the applicant's educational certificates
- Permit of Stay for study purposes, once in Italy
The official Acceptance Letter issued by Bocconi University is also required for the visa application. The visa application process involves completing a 2-step application, pre-registering, and submitting the application on the Universitaly portal. Once in Italy, all non-EU students will have to obtain a "Permesso di Soggiorno" (Permit of Stay). It is important to apply for the appropriate visa at the Italian diplomatic authority of the country of residence and to follow the instructions provided on the website of the relevant consulate.
International students who wish to study Masters Programs at MFI must submit the below documents:
· Application form
· Copy of degree certificate
· Copy of ID card or Passport
· A CV in European format
· Passport-size photos
· Motivation letter
· Copy of official transcript
Italy offers quality and world-class education to international students in many fields. Universities in Italy offer scholarships to international students to manage their studies and expenses each year. These are merit-based scholarships and students need to apply before the deadline. Check the list of other popular scholarships available for international students in Italy:
Scholarships | Amount |
|---|---|
Bologna University Scholarships | EUR 11,059 per academic year |
Padua International Scholarship Programme | EUR 8,000 per academic year |
Bocconi University Financial Aid | EUR 12,000 per year for Bachelor’s programme EUR 14,000 per year for the Master’s programme |
Politecnico de Milano Scholarship | EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000 per academic year |
Italy is known for its fashion industries, however it also has some of the top MBA universities in the world. Students get advance infrastructure and upgraded curriculum, which is one of the best reasons to study MBA in Italy. Universities in Italy offer high-class education at an affordable tuition fee to students.
Latest Update on India-Italy Accord
The Union Cabinet has given post facto approval to the Migration and Mobility Agreement between Italy and India, enhancing people-to-people contacts, encouraging mobility of students, business people, skilled workers, professional trainings.
The noteworthy highlight of Agreement are given below:
- Indian students who want to attain initial professional experience, after completing academic / vocational training in Italy may be granted temporary residence in Italy for up to 12 months
- The Italian side has detailed provisions associated with Professional Training, Extracurricular Internships and Curricular Internships that allow Indian students / trainees to attain experience in Italian skill / training standards
- Also, Italy has reserved a quota of 5,000, 6,000, and 7,000 non-seasonal Indian workers for 2023, 2024, and 2025 under the current Flows Decree. In addition to this, Italy has reserved a quota of 3,000, 4,000 and 5,000 seasonal Indian workers for 2023, 2024, and 2025 under current Flows Decree
Check detailed information about Migration and Mobility Agreement between Italy and India from here.
Graduate who completed their MBA from Italy get an average package of the average base salary of an MBA graduate in Italy is €50,000 per year (Around INR 44.5 L). Top global giants like ABB Ltd. Amaris, Majorel, etc. hire MBA graduate in Italy. The average salary as per gender is given as follows:
Particulars | Salary Per Year |
|---|---|
Male | €31,000 – €121,000 |
Female | €20,000 – €81,000 |
Cost of Living in Italy FAQs
Q. Is Italy cheaper than the UK in terms of cost of living?
A. Yes, the cost of living in Italy is cheaper than that of the UK. Italy is three times cheaper than the UK for international students. In terms of cost of living index for the year 2022, Italy was scored at 59.8 while UK was scored at 62.96, which means Italy is cheaper than United Kingdom. The reasons why UK is costlier than Italy is because:
- Rented accommodations cost 60.7% higher in UK in comparison to Italy.
- Consumer prices in UK are 5.3% higher than Italy.
- Dining out in restaurants cheap or expensive is still higher in UK by 16.6% in comparison to Italy.
Q. How many cities in Italy rank above 60 points in cost of living index?
A. There are nine Italian cities which rank above 60 points as per the cost of living index rating of 2022. These cities are - Milan, Florence, Parma, Trento, Genoa, Bergamo, Bologna, Rome, Vicenza, Cagliari, Bergamo and Trieste. This means that the cost of living in these Italian cities are higher than other Italian cities in general. The living costs are higher also because of rents, accommodations,
Q. Where do international students spend their money while studying in Milan?
A. The maximum expenses are spent in Milan on rented accommodation. International students can spend upto 40% of their expenses on the same while they are studying and living in Milan. In terms of top expensive cities in Italy, Milan is the most expensive city for living and studying. Thus, applicants who are studying in Milan will have to shell out extra money to cover their expenses.
Q. Which cities in Italy are cheaper for living while studying for international students?
A. In terms of cheaper cost of living in Italy for international students, cities like Pisa, Padua, and Turin are 30% lesser expensive than Milan and Rome. But in terms of cost of living index, Italian cities like Catania, Palermo, Naples, Verona, Rimini, Bari and, Turin are cheaper and lower in the cost of living index scores and ranking. Thus, these cities are cheaper and international students can look for accommodations here if given an opportunity to choose between certain options.
Q. Where can international students find accommodation options while studying in Italy university?
A. International students going to study in Italy can find accommodation options through HousingAnywhere or UniPlace which are online housing portals. Other options include, interacting with seniors and understanding the best possible options for accommodation in and around the university or city. Through networking students may also find some really good accommodation options and it is possible that they get recommendation for accommodation too through personal introductions.
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Yes, the Sapienza University of Rome is one of the finest and among the best universities in the world. Sapienza University of Rome rankings consistently puts Sapienza University among the top universities globally and nationally. The QS World University Rankings 2024 ranked the Sapienza University of Rome #134 in the world. Meanwhile, the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024 ranked the Sapienza University of Rome in the range of #181 in the world. Also, the U.S. News and World Report 2023 ranked the university #125 among the global universities