What if you were born in Italy?

If you had grown up in Italy instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Rome could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice. Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Italy

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in EUR and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Italy: EUR 2,880Rs 880,000
Rent (city centre): EUR 831
Transport (public transport): EUR 110
Food: EUR 416
Saved: EUR 432

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Italy: EUR 6,610Rs 2,020,000
Rent (suburbs): EUR 1,690
Transport (public transport): EUR 253
Food: EUR 1,120
Saved: EUR 991

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Italy: EUR 10,700Rs 3,280,000
Rent (city centre): EUR 2,620
Transport (car): EUR 1,000
Food: EUR 1,310
Saved: EUR 3,000

Try it with my own income

A day in Rome

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Rome, a city of cool winters around 7°C and warm summers around 26°C.
Commute
You take the metro or train: about 25 to 35 minutes, door to door, and it runs on time.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
You speak Italian at work; English helps in the big cities.
Lunch
Lunch might be pizza, pasta and gelato.
Evening
You get home with EUR 991 saved each month. Walking home late feels completely normal here.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast and the mountains.

Italy compared with Pakistan

	Italy	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	3.2× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	84 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	14 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	6.4%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	16°C	26°C
Languages	Italian	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	EUR	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Italy, living in Italy and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Italy?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around EUR 6,610 a month at the same level in Italy (about Rs 2,020,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Italy more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 3.2 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Italy?

Mainly Italian. English is spoken by some people, mostly in cities.

Can I actually move to Italy?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Italy page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.