The cost of living in Italy varies a lot geographically even the costs of living in the state capital is usually higher than in other towns. The other factors affecting the costs are the place where the apartment is (downtown or surroundings) and the facilities (close by the underground or markets or supermarkets, mall, etc.). For example, an average student’s apartment in Rome would cost around 300-500 euro per room per month depending on the place, facilities, renovations, etc. plus bills.
The spending budget of a student is composed of five main elements: Rent & bills, Food, Study material/books, University fees and Nights out. So what you should expect to spend in Rome in those sectors is:
- Rent: 300-500 euro for a room in an apartment of 3
- Bills (like gas, electricity, heating): approx.. 30-70 euro/month/student
- Food: if you cook you save by buying in the supermarket 40-50 euro/week
- Study materials are not a real expense because the books which is the major cost can be bought used and resold back to next year students.
- University fees: will be dealt with separately here: about 200-400 euro/month (paid in two/three installments each year)
- Nights out: is something that varies from person to person, but Friday and Saturday are generally nights out and a shot of strong drinks costs around 5-10 euro, a pint of beer costs around 5-7 Euro, a bottle of wine in a pub/bar (to share with friends) 15-20 Euro.
So we can conclude that your spending will be between 600-900 euros/month which is what the students actually spend here according their lifestyle.
When you plan your stay, take into account that during the first months you will be spending X 2-3 times more because you’ll need to leave a security deposit for the apartment (which is usually 2-3 months rent), to buy some basic things for the apartment (especially if you choose one without any furniture) and on “newcomer expenses” because it will take you some time to find the less expensive supermarket etc.
Be sure that you have money for around 12-18 months when you come, even if you plan to work or get the scholarship, in order to have some security zone economically.