Inflation in Italy is on a declining path, at least compared to the astronomical levels we have seen in recent times. However, this does not mean that life has suddenly become cheaper: the transmission of a drop in inflation to real prices is always much slower than the opposite movement. The Italian Consumer Council Codacons has drawn up a ranking of the Italian cities where price and tariff rises weighed most in 2023, calculating the impact of inflation in terms of increased spending for resident households over the past year. Let's take a closer look at the most expensive cities in Italy at the start of 2024.
The most expensive cities in Italy 2024: Milan tops the list
Milan, predictably, is confirmed as the 'queen of inflation' in 2023, i.e. the city where the increase in prices and tariffs, consumption being equal, has determined the strongest impact on family spending, equal on average to +1,657 euros on an annual basis per resident nucleus against an average inflation rate of +6.1% - Codacons analyses - In second place is Varese with +1,581 euros per year, followed by Bolzano with +1,542 euros at the start of 2024.
The cheapest cities in Italy 2024
On the opposite side, the city where the high prices have weighed less is Potenza, with an average increase in expenditure in 2023 equal to +731 euros per resident nucleus; in penultimate position Catanzaro (+820 euros) followed by Reggio Calabria (+840 euros).
The cities where inflation rose the most in 2023
The cities where prices rose the most in 2023 are Genoa and Brindisi, with an average rate of +6.9% (against the Italian average of +5.7%), followed by Grosseto (+6.8%), Alessandria and Benevento (both +6.6%). Potenza is at the tail end with +3.7% per year.
Here is the ranking of the top 20 most expensive cities in Italy according to Codacons:
| City | Average Inflation 2023 (%) | Higher annual expenditure in 2023 (euros) | |
| 1 | Milan | 6.1 | 1,657 |
| 2 | Varese | 6 | 1,581 |
| 3 | Bolzano | 5.8 | 1,542 |
| 4 | Grosseto | 6.8 | 1,533 |
| 5 | Genova | 6.9 | 1,505 |
| 6 | Perugia | 6.4 | 1,469 |
| 7 | Siena | 6.5 | 1,466 |
| 8 | Alessandria | 6.6 | 1,466 |
| 9 | Lecco | 5.7 | 1,448 |
| 10 | Lodi | 5.7 | 1,446 |
| 11 | Mantova | 5.6 | 1,421 |
| 12 | Torino | 6.1 | 1,403 |
| 13 | Florence | 6 | 1,400 |
| 14 | Pisa | 6.2 | 1,397 |
| 15 | Bologna | 5.6 | 1,396 |
| 16 | Venice | 5.8 | 1,394 |
| 17 | Terni | 6 | 1,380 |
| 18 | Modena | 5.7 | 1,377 |
| 19 | Ravenna | 5.7 | 1,376 |
| 20 | Massa-Carrara | 6.1 | 1,376 |
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