Italy on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes — Italy works on a budget if you stay near the stations, eat pizza and market food, and book trains early. A realistic minimum is about €120 a day per person sharing a room: €50 for a bed, €35 for food, €25 for sights and €10 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €50 | €100 | €220 |
| Food & drink | €35 | €60 | €110 |
| Sights & tickets | €25 | €45 | €80 |
| Local transport | €10 | €25 | €50 |
| Per person, per day | €120 | €230 | €460 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Italy day-cost table.
Free things to do
- St Peter's Basilica in Rome (dome climb extra)
- The Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona
- Sunset from Rome's Pincio terrace or Florence's Piazzale Michelangelo
- Walking across Florence's Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno
- The Rialto market and the backstreets of Cannaregio in Venice
- State museums on the first Sunday of the month (expect queues)
Cheap eats
- Pizza al taglio (by the slice) — about €3–6
- Supplì (fried rice balls) in Rome — about €2–3 each
- Lampredotto or panino from a Florence street stand — about €5–7
- Cicchetti (small snacks) in a Venice bacaro — about €1.50–3 each
- Gelato — about €3–4 for a small cup
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay near the main stations: Termini in Rome, Santa Maria Novella in Florence and Mestre for Venice. Hostel dorm beds often cost about €30–60 in season and simple doubles €80–130. Remember to add the city tax of a few euros per person per night.
Getting around cheaply
Book Frecciarossa and Italo trains early for the lowest fares, or take slower regional trains, which have fixed low prices. In Rome, use the €1.50 100-minute ticket or a multi-day pass; Florence is walkable. From Fiumicino, regional trains to Roma Trastevere or Tiburtina are cheaper than the Leonardo Express (about €14). In Venice, walk, and buy a multi-day vaporetto pass only if you will use it a lot.
A sample budget day
- Morning: espresso and cornetto at the bar (about €3), St Peter's Basilica (free)
- Lunch: pizza al taglio (about €6)
- Afternoon: Colosseum and Forum (about €18 + fee), metro (€3)
- Evening: pasta and a glass of wine in a trattoria (about €20), gelato (about €4)
- Total: about €120 including a hostel bed or shared room (about €50)
More ways to save
- Refill your bottle at Rome's nasoni fountains instead of buying water.
- Have an aperitivo in Milan- or Florence-style bars, where snacks come with a drink.
- Eat lunch rather than dinner at trattorias; many offer cheaper weekday set menus.
- Visit Venice as an overnight stay rather than a day trip on peak days, to avoid the access fee and enjoy the evening.
- Choose one big museum per city rather than all of them.
- Travel in November or March for the best balance of prices and weather.
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Common questions
How much money do I need per day in Italy?
About €120 per person on a budget, €230 mid-range and €460 for comfort, sharing a room.
How can I save on trains in Italy?
Book Frecciarossa or Italo tickets weeks ahead, or use regional trains, which have fixed low fares.
Is it cheaper to stay in Mestre than Venice?
Yes, much cheaper, and Venice is about 10 minutes away by train.