🇮🇹 Italy · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Venice? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, historic centre (Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello)EUR 900–1,400 / month, and scarce
One-bed flat, Giudecca or the LidoEUR 700–1,050 / month
One-bed flat, Mestre and the mainlandEUR 550–850 / month
Utilities and internet, one personEUR 120–200 / month — damp old buildings in the centre cost more to heat
ACTV resident travel cardResidents pay a small fraction of the visitor vaporetto fare; register as soon as your residence is confirmed
Good to know
Population
≈250,000 in the comune, of whom fewer than 50,000 live in the historic centre — the rest are in Mestre, Marghera and the mainland
Languages
Italian, with Venetian widely spoken. English is common in tourism and the universities and rare in public offices
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) with daylight saving from late March to late October
Climate
Humid subtropical on a lagoon — hot muggy summers, cold damp foggy winters, and high humidity year-round that gets into buildings
Transport
No cars in the historic centre. Everything moves by vaporetto, by boat or on foot, over more than 400 bridges
Emergency numbers
The Veneto's unified NUE 112 answering centre is not yet operational — 113, 115 and 118 remain the direct police, fire and ambulance lines
Access charge
€5–€10 for day visitors to the historic centre on designated days, 08:30–16:00; residents of the Veneto are exempt but several categories must still register
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Venice checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Venice
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.