How Much Does a Week in Italy Cost? Real Numbers

Most Italy budgets go wrong in the same two places: accommodation, which people underestimate, and transport between cities, which people forget entirely. Here are figures you can actually plan against.

The headline numbers

Per person, per day, excluding international flights, for a mid-range trip:

• Rome or Florence: €90–140
• Venice: €110–160
• Lakes (Como, Garda): €110–170
• Amalfi Coast, high season: €150–250
• Rural Tuscany or Puglia: €80–130

Budget travellers staying in hostels or simple guesthouses and eating carefully manage €55–85 a day in the cities. At the other end there is no ceiling.

For a couple spending seven nights split between Rome and Florence, mid-range, expect roughly €1,400–2,000 excluding flights. The same week on the Amalfi Coast in July is closer to €2,400–3,500.

Where the money actually goes

Accommodation: usually 50–60% of your daily spend. This is the number that matters. A €90 room versus a €150 room over seven nights is €420 — more than most people save through every other economy combined. Dropping one tier of hotel is the single most effective change you can make.

Food: €40–70 per person per day eating out for lunch and dinner in cities. A sit-down dinner runs €35–55 per person with wine; lunch is much cheaper if you eat where people are working rather than where they are photographing. Coffee standing at the bar costs roughly half what it costs at a table — the two prices are posted by law.

Remember the coperto, a per-person cover charge of €2–4 on most restaurant bills. It is normal, legal, and not a tip.

Attractions: €15–30 each for the major sites. The Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Uffizi and Accademia are all in this range, more with skip-the-line or guided access. Budget €60–120 per person for a week of city sightseeing.

Transport between cities: €25–60 per high-speed train leg if booked a few weeks ahead, considerably more at the last minute. This is the cost most people leave out entirely.

Flights

The widest variable, and the one no guide can pin down for you, since it depends entirely on where you start. From northern Europe, return fares to Rome or Milan are frequently €80–200 outside peak dates. From North America, €500–900 is a normal range. From the Gulf, €300–600.

Whatever the guide figure, check live fares — the spread between a Tuesday and a Saturday departure in the same week is routinely 30%. It costs nothing to compare fares before fixing your dates.

Five things that quietly inflate an Italy budget

• Airport transfers. Naples to Positano is €110–150 each way. Venice water taxis are €120+. These are not incidental.
• City taxes. €3–7 per person per night, usually collected at the hotel in cash, and rarely included in the price you booked.
• ZTL fines. Drive into a restricted city centre and the fine arrives months later, often with an administration charge from the rental company on top.
• Last-minute train tickets. A Rome–Florence fare booked on the day can be three times the advance price.
• August. The same trip in August costs 25–40% more than in May or late September, and is less pleasant.

Where to actually save

In order of effectiveness: travel in May, June, September or early October rather than July and August. Drop one accommodation tier. Stay in one or two places rather than four. Book trains two to three weeks out. Eat your main meal at lunch.

Things that do not save meaningful money: skipping attractions you came to see, walking instead of taking a €1.50 metro, or choosing a hotel forty minutes outside the centre to save €20 a night and then paying for transport twice a day.

To price your own trip properly, our trip cost calculator lets you change one variable at a time and see the effect. For where each region fits, start with the Italy travel guide.

VTourBook earns a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. We don’t sell tours or own hotels — which is why these guides tell you when the cheaper option is the better one.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a week in Italy cost for two people?

Mid-range, seven nights split between Rome and Florence, expect roughly €1,400–2,000 for two excluding international flights. The same week on the Amalfi Coast in July is closer to €2,400–3,500.

How much money do you need per day in Italy?

Mid-range, budget €90–140 per person per day in Rome or Florence, €110–170 on the lakes, and €150–250 on the Amalfi Coast in high season. Careful budget travel in the cities runs €55–85.

What is the biggest cost in an Italy trip?

Accommodation, at typically 50–60% of daily spend. Dropping one hotel tier saves more over a week than every other economy combined. After that it is flights on long-haul trips, then food.

Is Italy expensive compared to the rest of Europe?

It sits around the middle. Cheaper than Switzerland, Norway or Iceland, broadly comparable to Spain and France, and more expensive than Portugal, Greece or eastern Europe. The internal spread is wide — Positano and rural Puglia are barely the same country pricewise.

What hidden costs should I budget for in Italy?

City tourist taxes of €3–7 per person per night usually paid in cash at the hotel, the restaurant coperto of €2–4 per person, airport transfers on the Amalfi Coast and in Venice, and ZTL driving fines that arrive months after you get home.