Cost of living

Living costs and spending habits will differ considerably depending on your individual expectations and needs and, of course, on where you live, so it’s not easy to give advice that is suitable to everyone. First of all, you will need cash availability for travel, food and other expenses immediately upon arrival in Italy. Consider an amount of about € 200-250 cash to cover immediate needs. Carefully plan how and when to exchange your currency to get the best exchange rate. It is not advisable to bring larger amounts of cash unless you’re sure you’ll need it.

Before your arrival, plan your budget as carefully as possible and try to figure out if you can meet all the expenses, even considering unexpected and emergency costs. Below is a list of possible future expenses you may face (these costs are approximate and should be used as a guide only).

Upon your arrival, you’ll need to buy a mobile phone SIM card, choosing between a prepaid or postpaid card. A wide range of traffic plans provided by Italian companies are available, so choose carefully and check the terms and conditions.

If not included in your mobile device, internet access is available in some cafés, malls, hotels, libraries or Politecnico residence halls, and in each Politecnico Campus. Many places offer free wi-fi access, so if you have a notebook, laptop or phone device, just ask the password for access or use it directly if a free open connection is available. Alternatively, you can buy an internet key - a USB device that plugs into your laptop. It’s not expensive (between € 10 and € 30 per month depending on the number of hours/traffic, plus the price of the key) and can be a good solution in the short-term. An open wi-fi service is provided by the Municipality of Milano: info.openwifimilano.it. You just have to register, log in and you’ll be allowed to surf for free on internet from several sites in the city area.