One question I always get in my inbox is, ‘Marco, what’s the average cost of living in Sicily.’ It’s a very valid question, whether you’re a tourist or someone considering here as an expat, you’ll want to know if it’s expensive to live here.
I’ve lived in Sicily my whole life, and as the years have gone on, the price of everything has increased. It’s like everywhere else, really. It’s not just Sicily; it’s a global problem.
However, I still think there’s fantastic value to be had in Sicily. When you compare it to other locations in Italy, like Rome or Milan, it’s nowhere near on that price scale.
To give you some local insight into the cost of living here in Sicily, I’ve written this full breakdown, so you can know what to expect before you arrive. I’ll go through everything, from accommodation to food prices in grocery stores (the best part of course).
Cost of Accommodation in Sicily
Accommodation prices in Sicily vary greatly depending on where you’re based on the island. If you want to live somewhere popular like Palermo, you can bet you’re going to spend much more than you’d spend living in a quieter place like Trapani.
Below, you can see how accommodation prices differ from city to city in Sicily:
- Palermo – Between €500 and €800+ per month for a standard apartment
- Catania – Between €300 and €780 per month for a standard apartment
- Trapani – Between €300 and €600+ per month for a standard apartment
- Messina – Between €350 and €700 per month for a standard apartment
- Syracuse – Between €420 and €750 per month for a standard apartment
Location is only one price-determining factor for accommodation in Sicily. Some other things that can affect the price include:
- How many bedrooms the property has
- Where in the city it’s located
- What amenities are beside it, e.g., train station, shopping mall
- The demand
Cost of Food and Drink in Sicily
One thing I’m guilty of, and you will be too when you get here, is spending too much money on food.
Food, in general, is cheap in Sicily, but it depends on where you’re buying it from. If you get your fruit and vegetables from local markets, they’re affordable, especially when comparing them to the supermarkets. It’s the same for meats and fish; local vendors will always offer the best prices.
Supermarkets are cheap in Sicily, too, as long as you stick to the cheaper establishments like I do, my favorites are Lidl and Eurospin. Say you shopped somewhere like Carrefour, and then you’re in for a pricer grocery run.
Below, you can see some rough prices of goods you’d find in a supermarket in Sicily:
- Milk – €1.22
- Eggs – €2.67
- 1 kg of apples – €2.42
- 1 kg of potatoes – €1.49
- 1.5 litre of water – €0.36
Anyone fond of eating out a couple of times per week will be happy with the cheap cost of dining in Sicily. You’ll pay around €10 to €15 for a meal at a low-cost restaurant.
With alcohol, a beer costs around €2 to €5, depending on where you get it. Since you’re in Sicily, you have to sample some of our good wines; for a bottle of red or white wine, it’s possible to find something for as little as €10 if you’re outside of the touristy areas.
Cost of Transportation
Transportation in Sicily can be cheap, but if you’re moving frequently, it can add up to quite an amount at the end of the month.
A single ticket for public transport like a bus or train costs depending on where you are; for example, it costs €1.40 in Palermo to use the bus, but in Catania, it’s only €1.00. For locals like myself, it works better to buy a monthly pass if we use public transport every day.
Taxis in Sicily aren’t cheap. I would only ever use one if I needed to get somewhere in a hurry or if I was splitting the fare with someone else. In Palermo, the base taxi fare is €10.00, that’s before you even take off, and then it’s a further €1.42 per kilometer until you arrive at your destination.
If you own a car, fuel prices jump up and down all the time; one day, it could be €1.60, and the next, it’s higher at around €1.78; you can’t predict it.
Cost of Utilities in Sicily
Utilities prices are one thing a lot of people tend to forget about when they move somewhere new. Similar to accommodation, location is everything with utilities in Sicily. You’ll spend more on your air conditioning in bigger cities than in smaller ones.
I’ve done some research to find out how much electricity, heating, cooling, water, and trash would cost for an apartment for a month in 5 of the main cities in Sicily. Here’s what I found:
- Palermo – €187.68 per month
- Messina – €164.85 per month
- Catania – €188.04 per month
- Trapani – €170.00 per month
- Syracuse – €174.05 per month
Cost of Activities in Sicily
On your days off, you’ll most likely want to do some experiences like going to the cinema or taking a day trip to a nearby city, all these things cost money.
Cinema tickets throughout Sicily aren’t too overpriced; you should expect to spend around €8.00 on tickets for a newly released movie.
Across Sicily, we have a lot of museums; some are free to enter, while others may have an entry fee. For example, tickets for Riso Palace and The Contemporary Art Museum Of Sicily are priced at €7.00. There are some museums cheaper than that, but I’m just giving you an example.
If you like to travel (who doesn’t?), you’ll have endless day trips you can take no matter where you’re based on the island. Luckily, the city-to-city bus system is advanced; you can get almost anywhere by bus. The fares are priced based on the distance and popularity of the route. See some examples below:
- Palermo to Catania – €12.00 one-way
- Messina to Trapani – €22.98 one-way
- Syracuse to Messina – €8.98 one-way
- Syracuse to Palermo – €16.00 one-way
Total Cost of Living per Month in Sicily
I’ve given you most of the costs associated with living in Sicily. You’re probably wondering how much it all adds up to and how much you think you’ll spend in a month.
Don’t worry; I’ve put together three budgets below so you can have a rough idea of the amount you’ll need. For this, I’ve stuck to Palermo, where most foreigners coming to Sicily want to live. Remember, this is also the most expensive place, so be mindful of that before jumping the gun.
Small Budget in Palermo
- Cheap apartment rental outside of the city center
- Groceries, including essentials and water
- No transportation
- Utilities
- No paid extra activities only paid
If you stick to this budget, you’ll spend an average €807.68. You’ll probably have some extra expenses I’m unaware of, which you can add yourself.
Medium Budget in Palermo
- Cheap apartment rental within the city center
- Groceries, including essentials and water
- Transportation for three days of the week
- Utilities
- 1 paid extra activity each week
A medium budget in Palermo should be around €1120.08. It could be more if you owned a car, added some extra luxury items to your shopping list, and/or did some more activities throughout the week.
High Budget in Palermo
- Expensive apartment rental within the city center
- Groceries, including essentials and water
- Transportation for every day of the week
- Utilities
- 2 paid extra activities each week
If you’re a big spender with a high budget, you should set aside around €1506.68 for the whole month. With this budget, I’ve included fuel and three activities for each week and added a high amount for shopping.
Budgeting Tips for Living in Sicily
Start your new life in Sicily on a high note by using some of the budgeting tips that have gotten me where I am today:
- Rent outside of the city center but close to a bus or train network.
- Cut the online subscriptions that you don’t use.
- Prepare your meals for the week ahead in advance.
- Reduce the amount of times you eat out every week.
- Get a piggy bank for your spare change.
- Use less fuel for your car.
- Track your spending.
That’s How Much It Costs to Live In Sicily
As you can see, the cost of living in Sicily depends on your personal spending habits. Your time here can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Living here on a budget is totally doable, but you might have to change how you spend your money slightly.
For instance, if you drink a lot of alcohol but also like the finer things in life, maybe try to cut back a bit so you can keep the money for a nice apartment. There are plenty of ways to work around it, but you just need the right budgeting skills.