Italy
The country everyone wants to visit, priced accordingly in four cities and reasonably everywhere else.
Slightly cheaper. The exchange rate moved +4.5%; local prices rose +3.1%.
- Lean
- $76
- Comfort
- $345
Ranked 67 of 99.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
Italy is 4.9% cheaper for US-dollar travelers than a year ago, after adjusting for inflation. A mid-range day costs about $157 per person, excluding international flights. The US State Department advisory is Level 2 (increased caution), and it ranks 67 of 99 on the Trip Arbitrage Index with a score of 55 out of 100.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 57
- Price floor ×0.30
- 21
- Safety ×0.20
- 75
- Ease ×0.14
- 95
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | +4.1% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | +4.9% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +4.5% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +3.1% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | +1.2% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 2 | Increased caution |
| Ease of travel | 4.8 / 5 | Effortless |
- Puglia, Sicily and the south at a discount
- Regional trains for a few euros
- The best cheap lunch in Europe
Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast are expensive and overwhelmed from May to September. City tourist taxes add up.
Eurozone: no exchange-rate movement for euro earners.
When to go
November is shoulder season- Janoff
- Feboff
- Marshoulder
- Aprshoulder
- Maypeak
- Junpeak
- Juloff
- Augoff
- Seppeak
- Octshoulder
- Novshoulder
- Decoff
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 2: Increased caution · updated September 9, 2026
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Effortless · 4.8 / 5
Head to head
- Italy vs Spain$138a day there
- Italy vs Greece$129a day there
- Italy vs France$170a day there
- Italy vs Japan$131a day there
- Italy vs Sweden$162a day there
Italy, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in Italy?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in Italy costs about $76 on a lean budget, $157 mid-range and $345 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate.
- Is Italy cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- Yes. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved +4.5% for US-dollar holders while prices in Italy rose +3.1%, a net real change of +4.9% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, Italy is 1.2% cheaper.
- Is Italy safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department rates Italy at Level 2: Increased caution. Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast are expensive and overwhelmed from May to September. City tourist taxes add up. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Italy?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are March, April, October, November. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in May, June, September. November is shoulder season.
- How easy is Italy to travel around?
- Italy scores 4.8 out of 5 for ease of travel (effortless), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. The country everyone wants to visit, priced accordingly in four cities and reasonably everywhere else.
Elsewhere in Europe
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, Italy reads +4.9% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $157. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.