How Much Does It Cost to Stay in Siena, Italy for a Month?
The budget for a month in Siena, Italy depends on the level of luxury required. We believe that traveling full-time requires a moderate level of comfort. Most people (us included) could not stay in a hostel month after month and continue to travel indefinitely. With that in mind, two people can stay a month in Siena comfortably for less than $5,000. On the other hand, if you require 4-star accommodations and white tablecloth meals, it will cost significantly more.
Where did this number come from? Well, we spent two weeks in Siena, and I kept a detailed spreadsheet with all our daily expenses. I used this spreadsheet to put together three budgets (low, mid, and high) depending on various requirements. The budgets include a breakdown that will allow you to put together your own estimate based on your needs.
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Monthly Budget for Two People in Siena, Italy
There are substantial savings when traveling as a couple or with a friend compared to traveling alone. For example, there are some savings on the grocery bill. It’s more than it would be for one person, but it’s not twice as much. On the other hand, some costs are twice as much. There are rarely discounts on museum tickets or other entertainment.
If you want to estimate how much it would cost to travel alone, you can make some deductions for Groceries and Dining, Entertainment, Transportation, and International Health Insurance. However, the Lodging and Miscellaneous costs will be about the same for one person as for two.
Lodging
Our lodging cost in Siena, Italy was our second highest to date. It was very expensive for what we got but was in a fantastic location, just steps from the Piazza del Campo. It did have a dishwasher and a small balcony but did not have a washing machine.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| Airbnb in Old Town – Entire Home | $2,600 | $3,300 | $4,000 |
Groceries and Dining
Our daily grocery bill in Siena was higher than in other Italian cities. I think this is because food does cost more and the local specialty foods – cured meats and steaks- which we try to focus on, cost more.
Siena has a few bulk wine shops that sell regional wines by the liter. We checked them out and frequently went to our favorite. Buying wine like a local at a bulk wine shop helps offset the high cost of tasty local meats. If you want to learn more about bulk wine shops in Siena, please read our article “How to Buy Wine Like a Local in Siena“. Not only is it a great way to reduce your wine cost, but it is also better for the environment than one-use glass bottles since you can reuse your plastic bottles.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| $1,200 | $1,800 | $2,500 | |
| Groceries | Y | Y | Y |
| Wine | N | less than $15 per bottle wine | $15 to $20 per bottle wine |
| Street Food | N | Y | Y |
| Sit Down Restaurants | N | one $100 dinner | four $100 dinners |
Entertainment
Siena is a beautiful city, and you can be entertained for free for days walking around the city and marveling at the medieval buildings, gates, and fountains.
You can also sit in the Piazza del Campo for free and soak up the city’s ambiance and people-watch. Just beware of the “no fun police.” That is the name we gave the police officers walking around the Campo, ensuring people were sitting instead of lying down (and not drinking alcoholic beverages).
A couple of combination ticket passes in Siena help save you money on sightseeing. One is the Opa Si Pass which gives you access to the cathedral and its associated complexes. The other is a Municipality of Siena combo ticket. We purchased ours at the Civic Museum. There are different combos that you can do. We did the full combo, which included the Civic Museum, Santa Maria della Scala, Torre del Mangia, and the National Art Gallery of Siena for 25 euros.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| $200 | $300 | $400 | |
| Weekly Budget for Tickets and Experiences | $50 | $75 | $100 |
Transportation
The transportation budget assumes you get to Siena by train. Train transportation is very inexpensive and helps keep your total monthly budget down.
If you need a taxi or private transfer from the airport, we recommend GetTransfer.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| $100 | $200 | $300 | |
| Transportation to and from airport via train | Y | Y | Y |
| Transport via bus | Y | Y | Y |
| One Day Trip via train | N | Y | Y |
| Two Day Trips via train | N | N | Y |
International Health Insurance
Our monthly health insurance cost is $350 per month. It is important to point out that this coverage is for everywhere in the world except the United States. It is a huge factor that keeps our cost low.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| $300 | $350 | $400 | |
| Worldwide Coverage (except the USA) | Y | Y | Y |
| Inpatient Coverage | Y – $10,000 deductible | Y – $10,000 deductible | Y – $10,000 deductible |
| Outpatient Coverage | Y – $1,500 deductible | Y – $1,500 deductible | Y – $1,500 deductible |
| Wellbeing Coverage | N | Y | Y |
| Vision & Dental Coverage | N | Y | Y |
| International Evacuation | N | N | Y |
Miscellaneous
The miscellaneous expense budget is a catch-all for everything else. This includes toiletries, clothing, and technology costs. We only need one VPN subscription, one eSim plan, one Netflix subscription, and one Traveling Mailbox.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| $400 | $500 | $600 | |
| VPN | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| eSIM | $7 for 3GB | $10.50 for 5GB | $16 for 10GB |
| Streaming Subscriptions | $15 budget | $30 budget | $50 budget |
| Traveling Mailbox | $21 | $21 | $21 |
Total
The monthly budget varies significantly based on the level of accommodation required, how often you eat at restaurants and the quantity and quality of wine you drink.
| Low Monthly Budget | Mid Monthly Budget | High Monthly Budget | |
| $4,800 | $6,450 | $8,200 |
Because Siena is a very popular tourist destination, lodging prices are significantly higher during the summer than in the winter. While you can visit any time of year on these budgets, you will get much nicer accommodations for your money in the off-season than in the peak summer months.
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