Living in Bologna: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In Bologna, a one-bedroom home costs about €610 a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in London, you need about €1,410 net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Bologna, they would need about €1,410 net a month locally (−64%).
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €2,620 net a month in Bologna.
Calculated on 3 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rent in Bologna
A one-bedroom home in Bologna costs about 38% more than the median of the 7 other cities tracked in the country.
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas |
|---|---|
| Studio | €380 |
| 1 bedroom | €610 |
| 2 bedrooms | €880 |
| 3-bedroom house | €1,290 |
Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Agenzia delle Entrate (OMI), 2026 property report: average annual rent per m² of new long-term ordinary leases signed in 2025, by major city and region, updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).
A month’s budget in Bologna, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in London, here is what each line would cost in Bologna.
| Item | London | Bologna | Bologna (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | £2,550 | £520 | €610 |
| Housing tax | £50 | £0 | €0 |
| Electricity, water, gas | £100 | £100 | €110 |
| Groceries | £200 | £210 | €240 |
| Restaurants and outings | £110 | £110 | €130 |
| Transport | £100 | £50 | €60 |
| Health | £40 | £0 | €0 |
| Phone and internet | £50 | £40 | €50 |
| Sport | £60 | £50 | €60 |
| Clothes | £60 | £60 | €70 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | £40 | £30 | €40 |
| Trips back to London | £0 | £30 | €30 |
| Total per month | £3,350 | £1,200 | €1,400 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Bologna?
For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €1,410 net a month.
How much is rent in Bologna?
About €610 a month for a one-bedroom home and €880 for a two-bedroom home, according to Agenzia delle Entrate (OMI), 2026 property report.
Is it expensive to live in Bologna?
In London, a single person spends about £3,350 a month; with the same life in Bologna, it would be about £1,200 (−64%).