How Much We Spent Living in Pisa and Traveling in Tuscany

As part of our winter escape, Andy and I spent a month living in Pisa, Italy. We spent the month alternating between work and exploring Tuscany, although the balance was a bit off for several reasons. In general, basing yourself in one place for a long period of time is a great way to explore the surrounding area. Here’s how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany.

how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany

Total Pisa and Tuscany travel costs

Amounts are listed in euros and US dollars using the exchange rate at the time we were there.

Accommodation: 1,156€ / $1,445
Transportation: 173€ / $216.25
Food: 865.01€ / $1,081.26
Activities: 86€ / $107.50
Miscellaneous: 59.60€ / $74.50
Total: 2,339.61€ / $2,924.51

This does not include how much I spent in Cinque Terre. It also doesn’t include our trains from Rome to Pisa at the beginning or our trains back to Rome at the end of the month.

Total accommodation costs in Pisa and Tuscany – 1,156€

We looked all over Tuscany and even in parts of Umbria and Emilia Romagna for an apartment to rent during our month in Italy. We decided on Pisa because it was the only apartment we could find that was less than what we were getting from our renters in Freiburg. In hindsight, we should’ve just spent a little extra to get a place in a bigger city or at least closer to the center of Pisa.

We spent 909€ on our monthly rental in Pisa. This averages out to 29.32€ per night or 14.66€ per person per night for the 31 nights we rented an apartment in Pisa. We also spent 83€ on one night at this hotel in Siena and 168€ on two nights at this hotel in Cortona.

how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany

Transportation costs in Pisa and Tuscany – 173€

We couldn’t find any transport ticket option such as a monthly pass or weekly pass that didn’t require us to commit to an annual subscription, so we were stuck buying 10 packs (9€ for a 10 pack) of single tickets for the buses. This total also includes two taxis, local trains to and from Lucca, Siena, Livorno, and Cortona, and a few buses in those cities.

how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany

Cost of food in Pisa and Tuscany – 865.01€

We didn’t eat out a lot in Pisa because there weren’t a lot of options near our apartment. Going into the center for dinner usually meant having to walk 30 minutes in each direction because the buses stopped running at 8:30pm, and in Italy it’s hard to eat dinner before 9pm. This total includes a few meals a week at restaurants plus grocery shopping, alcohol, and lots of gelato. We averaged 26.21€ per day or 13.11€ per person per day on food over 33 days.

how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany

Cost of activities in Tuscany – 86€

I guess we do a lot of free things because we almost never spend a lot in this category. The steam train from Siena through Tuscany is in this category because it was more entertainment than transportation, and that was 64€ (32€ per person). We also spent 8€ (4€ each) to climb a tower in Lucca and 14€ (7€ each) to climb a church in Siena.

how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany

Total miscellaneous spending – 59.60€

This total is almost entirely for two bras and a pair of jeans I bought, so that might not apply to you. But keep in mind that you will end up buying more staple items if you’re traveling for longer periods of time. It also includes postcards, stamps, a few things we had to print, a bathroom fee, and a couple of maps.

how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany

This is one of the few times when I think there isn’t much we could’ve done to spend less. We could’ve cut out a few restaurant meals (not that there were many) and the alcohol, but none of that would’ve made a huge dent. We probably could’ve found a cheaper apartment, but the quality and/or location would’ve suffered as well. This is also one of the few times when I think we should’ve spent more money for a better location. Overall we averaged 70.90€ per day or 35.45€ per person per day for 33 days living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany.

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Sometimes we need to escape the cold Berlin winters. This time we chose Italy. Here's how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany for a month. #italy #tuscany #pisa #budgettravel #traveltips
Sometimes we need to escape the cold Berlin winters. This time we chose Italy. Here's how much we spent living in Pisa and traveling in Tuscany for a month. #italy #tuscany #pisa #budgettravel #traveltips