key: cost title: "What it really costs to live in Pavia as a student" description: "Rent, bills, canteen, transport and the rest. Concrete numbers so you know what a month costs before November surprises you." category: arrivare order: 2 updated: 2026-09-28
The question every parent asks and almost no student does, until the first bill arrives. Here are concrete numbers: orders of magnitude for 2026, not price lists, to give you a sense before you sign anything.
Rent
The heaviest item, and it varies a lot by area.
| Historic centre | Cravino / Policlinico | Outer areas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed in a twin room | €260–330 | €220–280 | €200–260 |
| Single room | €350–480 | €280–360 | €260–330 |
| Single with bathroom | €450–550 | €380–450 | €350–420 |
| Studio flat | €500–650 | €450–550 | €400–500 |
These figures are before bills, unless the listing says otherwise. Always read that field: the difference between “€400 bills included” and “€400 bills excluded” can be seventy euros a month.
Bills
This is where the surprises happen, because nobody counts them until they arrive.
| Item | Per month, each |
|---|---|
| Heating (annual average) | €30–60 |
| Electricity and gas | €20–40 |
| Water | €8–15 |
| Internet | €6–10 |
| Service charges | €10–30 |
| Typical total | €50–90 |
Two things make the real difference:
Independent or central heating. Independent means you decide when to switch it on and pay what you use: cheaper, but more arguments. Central means the building sets the hours, and without individual meters you pay a fixed share even if you spend all of January at your parents'.
The windows. A flat in the centre with original wooden frames can cost twice as much to heat as one with double glazing. When you view, look at the windows: hardly anyone asks, and it is worth three hundred euros over a winter.
Always ask to see two real bills, one from winter and one from summer. If the landlord says “it will be about fifty euros” without showing anything, treat that as optimistic.
Eating
- University canteen (EDiSU): a full meal is priced by income bracket, and for many students it is by far the cheapest option. It is worth applying even if you think you will not qualify: the brackets are wider than they look.
- Supermarket shopping: €150–220 a month if you cook most days, less if you share staples with flatmates.
- Eating out: a pizza is €8–12, a sandwich €5–7. Twice a week adds up to about a hundred euros a month.
The biggest saving is not buying less, it is cooking together. Four flatmates who shop jointly spend far less than four who each buy their own.
Getting around
Pavia is small: ten minutes by bike from the centre to Cravino.
- Second-hand bike: €50–120, once. It is the best investment you will make.
- A good lock: €25–40. It costs as much as half the bike and that is exactly the point.
- Student bus pass: around €20–25 a month, less with an annual pass.
- Train to Milan: roughly €4–5 each way, with monthly passes if you commute.
Everything else
| Item | Rough figure |
|---|---|
| University fees | depend on income bracket, with exemptions below certain thresholds |
| Books and materials | €150–400 a year, less buying second-hand |
| Phone | €7–12 a month |
| Gym | €25–40 a month, less with our deals |
| Going out | whatever you decide, and the most elastic item of all |
Have a look at the student deals: small discounts, but over twelve months you notice.
Three profiles, to give you a sense
Spending little — bed in a shared room in an outer area, canteen, shared shopping, a bike: €450–550 a month, rent included.
Average — single room in an ordinary area, bills on top, some canteen and some cooking, a few nights out: €650–800 a month.
Comfortable — single with a bathroom in the centre or a studio, eating out often: €900–1,100 a month.
Where the real savings are
- The area. A hundred euros a month between the centre and Cravino is twelve hundred a year, for ten minutes on a bike.
- Takeovers. A room that comes free mid-year costs the old price, not the marked-up one. Look at the active takeovers.
- Bills included. Not always cheaper, but it removes the uncertainty: you know what goes out each month.
- The right flatmates. People who share shopping, detergent and cooking spend far less than people who only share the rent.
- The canteen. Do the income-bracket application. Seriously.
What to budget for at the start
The first month costs double, and almost nobody plans for it:
- deposit (1–3 months)
- first month in advance
- bike and lock
- sheets, pillow, a few pans
- possibly a move
Budget two and a half months' worth on top of the normal figure to get started.