MILAN- According to the the analysts at Uniplaces, leading European company in student accommodation services, Rome and Milan are among the most expensive cities to live while enrolled at university. The survey, which takes into consideration the three major costs students incur when moving to another city to further their education (namely accommodation, food, and transportation), showed Rome to cost €807 to live in, and Milan almost as expensive at €806 per month.

 The survey, which comprised of an analysis of the economic situation of university students in 15 European cities, suggests that for Italian students it may be cheaper to study abroad. Berlin (€656), Madrid (€658), and Barcelona (€640) are all significantly cheaper to live in, the survey states. But while Rome and Milan appear to be more expensive than the European average, the two cities are still cheaper than other very popular locations. London is the most expensive city to live in, with a monthly cost of €1124, followed by Paris (€915) and Munich (€893).

 An estimated 20 percent of all Italian university students attend a faculty in a city other than theirs, forcing them to incur in expensive accommodation costs. Italian students natives of smaller and peripheral regions tend to study away from home at higher rates. Basilicata’s university students attend a faculty in another city at a rate of 74 percent, followed by Valle D’Aosta (70 percent), and Molise (64 percent).

 Out of their total expenses, accommodation is the greatest in both Rome and Milan (€475 and €484 respectively). Food seems to be something Italian university students are happy to spend on. Monthly expenditure on food reaches €300 in both Milan and Rome, not only above the European average, but even above more economically onerous cities such as Munich (€240) and Paris (€280).

 For Italian students, attending university in another city might prove to be an expensive decision, but at least they seem to console themselves at the dinner table.