The 2024 household survey recorded average annual spending of €8,046 on food and non-alcoholic drinks, €5,875 on housing, €2,103 on household utilities, €2,959 on transport, €960 on health, €1,400 on education, €2,982 on restaurants and meals away from home, €830 on sport, €481 on leisure and culture, €3,155 on holidays, €1,559 on clothing and €2,738 on other expenses. The corresponding monthly averages were €671 for food, €490 for housing, €175 for utilities, €247 for transport, €80 for health, €117 for education, €248 for meals away from home, €69 for sport, €40 for leisure and culture, €263 for holidays, €130 for clothing and €228 for other expenses. These figures describe an average household and do not predict the cost of a particular home, family or lifestyle. Household structure has a strong effect on the result. In San Marino, 25.4% of households had one member, 28.2% had two members, 24% had three members and 18.8% had four members in the available household profile. A total of 52.3% of households had children. Home ownership was reported for 72.6% of households, while 18.8% rented and 5.4% used a home without payment. A household paying rent, raising children, using paid nursery care, commuting by car or requiring treatment outside San Marino will therefore need a different budget from an owner-occupier household with no children. In 2024, 61.8% of spending took place within San Marino and 85.4% of households made at least one online purchase. Compared with 2018, total spending increased by 16.7% and the price level by 14.5%. Housing costs depend on the specific dwelling, contract and location within San Marino's nine Castelli, which are its municipalities. The housing stock contained 17,480 units at the end of 2024. About 94% was privately owned and less than 1% was public housing, so private availability has a major effect on the amount a household must plan. No directly comparable official market-rent list for private homes is published. A realistic estimate therefore requires checking current listings and asking local estate agencies about the exact dwelling, furnishings, services, deposit and recurring charges. Private rental agreements are governed by Legge 26/1991. A standard private agreement normally lasts at least three years and can be renewed. A transitory agreement can last less than three years but cannot be renewed as the same type of agreement. Non-residents should attach proof of their residence status when required. Registering a private written agreement, called a scrittura privata, commonly involves €20 in registration charges and €15 in stamp duty. A certified agreement commonly involves €20 in registration charges and €30 in stamp duty. An annual Decreto Reggenziale limits rent adjustments, so a later increase should be checked against the decree applicable to the relevant year. Housing planning should also include the deposit, agency charges where applicable, furniture, maintenance and any one-off registration expenses. Utilities are supplied mainly by Azienda Autonoma di Stato per i Servizi Pubblici (AASS), the public company responsible for core public services, under the regulatory framework of the Autorità di Regolazione per i Servizi Pubblici e l'Energia. Electricity and gas can be billed under indexed prices or a fixed price for twelve months. For the gas fixed-price period from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027, the civil-use rates are €0.792386 per cubic metre for annual consumption up to 510 cubic metres, €0.867295 for 511 to 1,400 cubic metres, €0.942204 for 1,401 to 5,100 cubic metres and €1.017113 above 5,100 cubic metres. Water charges from 1 January 2026 are €0.684 per cubic metre for consumption up to six cubic metres per month, with wastewater charged at €1.046 per cubic metre. A social utility tariff can reduce electricity, gas and water charges for an eligible household. The income condition is household per-capita income of no more than €9,000 per year, together with the applicable conditions for registered job seekers. The application period for the following year is generally 1 September to 15 November, and approval normally covers 1 January to 31 December. The social electricity rates are €0.05 or €0.075 per kilowatt-hour depending on the consumption and power category. The social gas rates are €0.30, €0.36, €0.432 or €0.5184 per cubic metre according to the applicable band. The social water rate is €0.497556 per cubic metre for consumption up to six cubic metres per month. AASS allows its electricity, gas and water bills to be paid in instalments, which can reduce monthly pressure without changing the total charge. Food spending has no state-defined standard basket that can be applied to every household. The Ufficio Nazionale di Statistica monitors prices through the FOI consumer price index and household data. The average food index increased from 141.28 in 2024 to 145.90 in 2025, approximately 3.3%. A household can compare supermarkets, local shops, online purchases and purchases outside San Marino, but travel, delivery and storage costs affect the real saving. The average household spent €671 per month on food and non-alcoholic drinks and €248 per month on restaurants and meals away from home, so eating habits can change the budget as much as retail prices. Transport planning often includes both public and private costs. Public buses are free from 2 March to 30 September 2026. The Funivia cable car charges €4 for a single journey, €3 at the reduced rate, €1.50 for ISS pensioners, €7 for a return journey, €5 at the reduced rate, €30 for a monthly pass, €25 at the reduced rate and €15 for ISS pensioners. Annual passes cost €270, €210 and €135 respectively. Students up to Scuole Superiori can travel free on school services, as can children under 120 centimetres and people with an invalidity rate above 70% under the applicable conditions. Parking can add a regular cost for drivers. In city parking areas, non-residents pay €1.50 for the first hour, €3 for two hours, €4.50 for three to five hours and €8 for a full day. Residents pay €1 for the first hour, €1 for the second hour and up to €2 from the third hour through the day. A monthly pass for all parking areas costs €35, or €25 for residents of the City of San Marino. Vehicle ownership also requires registration, number plates, a carta di circolazione and the annual circulation tax. The periodic inspection costs €50 for passenger cars up to 3,500 kilograms and €25 for motorcycles. Electric vehicles remain subject to a minimum circulation tax according to their category. Fuel, servicing, insurance and depreciation are additional private costs. Health costs depend on entitlement and the treatment used. The Istituto per la Sicurezza Sociale (ISS) provides the main public health and social security services. The household budget recorded average health spending of €960 per year, or €80 per month, but an individual payment cannot be estimated from that average alone. The applicable charge depends on whether the patient has resident or ISS entitlement, pays privately, uses the Italian Servizio Sanitario Nazionale or falls under a Conti Rivalsa arrangement. The 2025 ISS Nomenclatore Tariffario lists charges for outpatient services, clinical services and hospital stays. For treatment outside San Marino, prior ISS authorisation is required where the reimbursement rules demand it, and the invoice or receipt must be submitted through the Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico for a reimbursement claim. Medicines and medical devices had a 2025 FOI index of 114.30, outpatient services 106.74 and inpatient services 108.01. These indexes show price movement and do not establish one fixed co-payment. Public school enrolment and attendance are free, but families still need to plan for meals, materials, transport and care. School catering costs €4.20 per day, including a snack, lunch and a further snack. Families with three or more children receive a 20% reduction for Nido, early-childhood education and primary school services under the applicable rules. Nido monthly fees are set periodically by the Congresso di Stato and can be reduced according to documented per-capita income. The published reduction bands are 100%, 90%, 70%, 50% and 25% for per-capita income thresholds of €5,000, €7,500, €10,000, €12,500 and €15,000. Additional reductions can apply for several children or absences, and the current 2026 fee decision should be checked separately. Diritto allo Studio, the public education-support scheme, requires effective residence and registered residence in San Marino. Applications are generally submitted from about 10 October to 30 November. University support can include a book allowance of €320 per year, a performance allowance of €500 in the first year and €1,000 in intermediate years or on completion. The University of the Republic of San Marino (UNIRSM) announced 45 scholarships for the 2026/27 academic year, including exemption from the third instalment. Actual university fees depend on the course, so a household should obtain the current course fee before calculating education costs. Families may qualify for ISS support linked to income and family circumstances. The Assegno familiare integrativo supplements family allowances at 60%, 30% or 15% according to the relevant income band. For single parents, the rates are 100%, 70% or 50%. A child over 16 or a child in education can produce an additional 10%, 7.5% or 5% according to the band. For a child aged no more than 36 months, the amounts are €310, €155 or €77.50. Residence and income conditions apply, and the supplement is not paid when the child uses a public or accredited private Nido under the exclusion rule. Applications are due by 31 July, with payment scheduled by 31 March of the following year. Long-term care can create a much larger cost than the household average. The 2026 monthly charge at the ISS Casa di Riposo is €1,955.64. A full or partial reduction can apply when financial need is documented. During a voluntary absence, the charge continues. After hospitalisation, reimbursement begins from the sixteenth day under the applicable rules. A household should therefore ask ISS about eligibility, reduction evidence, absence rules and the treatment of hospital stays before relying on the published monthly amount. Communication costs vary by provider because no single official source publishes all household retail prices for internet and mobile services. Fibre-to-the-home service is available in all nine Castelli except for a remaining area. The usual process is to check availability at the address, choose a provider and arrange the internal connection and installation appointment. The 2025 FOI communication index was 96.25. VisitSanMarinoWiFi provides 300 free public Wi-Fi access points, but public access does not replace a private household connection for regular home use. Leisure costs include admission fees as well as regular spending on sport, culture and holidays. The Musei di Stato Pass costs €11, or €8 at the reduced rate and €5 when purchased at the last minute. Residents and Sammarinesi can visit monuments free of charge and receive reduced museum admission. Children under six, people with disabilities and one accompanying person, teachers and other eligible groups can enter free under the applicable rules. The TuttoSanMarino Card for overnight visitors provides multi-museum admission for €8 instead of €11 and other discounts. The household averages of €830 per year for sport, €481 for leisure and culture and €3,155 for holidays help identify recurring categories, but actual spending depends on participation and travel choices. A workable San Marino budget separates fixed costs from variable costs. Fixed or recurring items usually include rent or a mortgage, AASS bills, telecommunications, insurance and regular mobility costs. Variable items include food, health, education, leisure and meals away from home. Annual or irregular reserves should cover registration charges, vehicle inspections, school materials, nursery payments, dental treatment, medical devices, travel and care. Price changes can be followed through the Ufficio Nazionale di Statistica and its FOI data. Social reductions and allowances are usually time-limited and often require a new application each year. Questions about bank financing, debt repayment or taxes belong to separate financial topics; they enter this cost calculation only through their effect on the household's available monthly money.
Costs in San Marino
Living costs in San Marino cover housing, utilities, food, transport, health, education, family care, communication, leisure and annual charges. In 2024, the average household spent €34,003 a year, or €2,834 a month, but household size, age, home ownership, rent, children and care needs change the figure substantially. San Marino has no single official living-cost amount or standard basket for one-, two- or four-person households, so a realistic budget must combine local prices with household-specific fixed and variable costs.
Tip
Use the household average only as a starting reference and build your own San Marino budget from actual housing, utility, transport, family and health costs. Protect monthly cash flow by separating recurring bills from annual expenses and by applying for every relevant reduction within its deadline. The largest mistakes are relying on averages, overlooking irregular charges and assuming that residence or ISS status automatically gives access to every benefit.