by August Otto
Florence can be surprisingly affordable, or surprisingly expensive, depending on how you choose to experience it.
You can spend the morning wandering through the historic center, grab a cappuccino and pastry for a few euros, and enjoy some of Florence's most beautiful sights without spending much at all. Or, you can fill your day with museums, restaurants, cocktails, shopping, taxis, and private experiences.
So, how much should you actually budget for a day in Florence?
To make planning easier, we've broken it down into three different travel styles: budget-friendly, mid-range, and high-end.
These estimates are for one person, per day, and do not include accommodation or flights. Your actual spending will depend on your travel style, but this gives you a realistic starting point.
Budget-Friendly Florence: €40–€60 Per Day
You don't need a large budget to enjoy Florence. In fact, some of the city's best experiences are completely free.
The key to keeping costs low is to walk whenever possible, mix groceries and inexpensive meals with eating out, and choose a few affordable experiences rather than paying for every attraction.
A Typical Budget-Friendly Day
Breakfast: €3–€6
Start the day with a cappuccino and cornetto at a local café. To keep it inexpensive, order standing at the bar or take your breakfast to go rather than paying for table service. Many bakeries and bars also offer seating without an additional charge.
Lunch: €7–€12
Grab a schiacciata, panino, pizza by the slice, or another casual meal. Some of the best areas to find affordable lunch options include Santo Spirito, Via de' Neri, and Mercato Centrale, where you'll find plenty of low-cost choices for both lunch and dinner. Buying groceries can make this meal even cheaper.
Dinner: €10–€18
Look for casual trattorias, pizza, pasta, or takeaway rather than restaurants directly beside the major tourist attractions.
Gelato: €3–€5
You're in Florence. Budgeting for gelato is practically mandatory.
Transportation: €0–€5
If you're staying in the historic center, walking is often the easiest and cheapest way to get around. When you need public transportation, tram and bus tickets cost €2 and are valid for 90 minutes, making them one of the most affordable ways to get around the city. Another option is to rent a public bike using a smartphone app, which can be a fun and inexpensive way to explore Florence.
Activities: €0–€14
There are plenty of free things to see and do in Florence, but you can also add an affordable guided experience to your day.
ACCORD Budget Option: €14 Walking Tour
Want to learn more about Florence while keeping your budget intact? Accord's walking tour costs just €14 and is available in 20 different languages. It's an easy way to get an introduction to the city with a guide while still leaving plenty of your budget for food, gelato, and exploring on your own.
Realistic total: €40–€60
A budget-friendly Florence trip doesn't mean skipping the experience. It means being intentional about where you spend your money.
Mid-Range Florence: €75–€120 Per Day
For many travelers, this is the sweet spot.
A mid-range budget gives you room to eat at restaurants, visit a major attraction, enjoy an aperitivo, grab a gelato, and occasionally use public transportation or a taxi.
A Typical Mid-Range Day
Breakfast: €5–€10
Have a cappuccino and pastry at a café or enjoy breakfast at your accommodation. For something a little more special, try one of Florence's rooftop breakfast spots or bakeries, especially around Santo Spirito and Piazza Sant'Ambrogio.
Lunch: €12–€20
Try a casual restaurant, trattoria, market, or one of Florence's famous sandwiches. Brunch is also a great option, with plenty of choices around the Duomo and throughout the Santo Spirito district.
Dinner: €25–€40
Budget for a sit-down dinner with a main course and a drink.
Aperitivo: €8–€15
Enjoy a spritz, glass of wine, or cocktail before dinner. For a memorable experience, head to one of Florence's many rooftop bars around sunset. If a rooftop isn't your style, the Sant'Ambrogio district has plenty of local bars for aperitivo, as does the area around Piazza della Repubblica.
Gelato: €3–€6
Because one gelato a day is part of the Florence experience.
Transportation: €2–€10
Walk whenever possible and use public transportation when you need it. Save taxis for when they are actually convenient.
Museums & Experiences: €20–€70+
This is where you can choose to spend more of your daily budget on a memorable experience.
ACCORD Mid-Range Options
If you'd like to dedicate part of your daily budget to a cultural experience, Accord offers options at different price points.
Accademia Gallery Reserved Timed Entry with Multilingual Audio App - €70
See Michelangelo's David while avoiding the uncertainty of waiting in line. The timed entry and multilingual audio app give you the flexibility to explore the gallery at your own pace.
Baptistery & Opera del Duomo Museum Audioguided Tour with Live Guide - €110
For travelers who want to spend a little more on sightseeing, this experience combines some of Florence's most important religious and artistic landmarks with the added context of a live guide.
Realistic total: €75–€120+
A mid-range budget gives you the flexibility to decide what matters most to you. You might skip a taxi and walk, but spend that money on a museum or guided experience instead.
Tip: You don't need to do every attraction. Choose the experiences that genuinely interest you and build the rest of your day around them.
High-End Florence: €150–€250+ Per Day
If you're looking for a more elevated Florence experience, your budget can easily reach €150–€250 or more per day.
This might mean nicer restaurants, cocktails, taxis, shopping, multiple attractions, or a private tour.
A Typical High-End Day
Breakfast: €10–€20
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel or a higher-end café. Many hotels offer an elevated breakfast experience, even if you're not staying there. For example, St. Regis Florence offers breakfast and brunch at the Ginori Café, making breakfast part of the experience rather than simply a meal.
Lunch: €20–€35
Take your time over lunch at a nice restaurant and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine.
Dinner: €50–€90+
For an elegant dinner with a view, consider looking beyond the busiest area around the Duomo and cathedral. Hotel restaurants and restaurants along the Arno River can offer a more relaxed atmosphere and beautiful views, especially around sunset and after dark when the city lights come on. Another option is Piazzale Michelangelo, one of the highest viewpoints in Florence, where you'll find restaurants overlooking the city.
Drinks: €15–€30+
After a long day of exploring, consider relaxing at a hotel bar or rooftop terrace, particularly along the Arno River. These are great options if you're looking for a more upscale evening with a view.
Gelato: €3–€6
Because one gelato a day is part of the Florence experience.
Transportation: €15–€30+
For travelers prioritizing convenience, taxis can be useful, especially at night or when traveling with luggage.
Museums, Shopping & Experiences: €25–€100+
This is where a high-end travel budget gives you the most flexibility. You can visit multiple attractions, shop for Italian goods, or book a private experience.
ACCORD Mid-Range Options
Want to Splurge? Try a Private Minivan Experience. For travelers looking for something more exclusive, ACCORD offers a private minivan experience, with pricing based on the number of people in your group. While this is certainly a splurge for a solo traveler, the economics change when you're traveling with family or friends. With six people, for example, the experience works out to approximately €225 per person.
For a group looking for a private and comfortable way to explore, this can offer a very different experience from navigating public transportation or booking everything independently.
Realistic daily total: €150–€250+
And there is really no hard ceiling. Shopping, luxury dining, private tours, and additional experiences can push a day well beyond €250.
Groceries vs. Eating Out: Which Is Cheaper?
One of the easiest ways to control your Florence budget is to mix grocery shopping with eating out.
If you're staying in an apartment or somewhere with a kitchen, pick up groceries for breakfast, snacks, or an occasional dinner.
You can find:
You don't have to choose between “cook everything” and “eat at restaurants for every meal.”
A much more realistic approach is to mix the two.
For example:
Breakfast at your accommodation → lunch out → gelato → aperitivo → simple grocery dinner
This can leave you with more money to spend on the experiences you actually care about.
Walking vs. Taxis: How Should You Get Around Florence?
One of Florence's biggest advantages for travelers is that the historic center is very walkable.
Many major attractions are close enough to reach on foot, including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce, and the Uffizi area.
Before calling a taxi, check how long the walk actually is. You might be surprised.
Walking also lets you experience parts of Florence you would otherwise miss.
For longer distances, public transportation can be a good alternative. And if you're traveling outside Florence, trains are one of the easiest ways to reach many other Italian cities without renting a car.
A good rule of thumb:
Historic center → walk or bike
Longer distance within Florence → bus or tram
Late night, luggage, or convenience → taxi
Other Italian cities → train
Where Should You Spend Your Money?
The best Florence budget isn't necessarily about spending the least.
It's about spending money on the things you actually care about.
Love art? Put your budget toward the Accademia, Uffizi, or another museum.
Love food? Spend more on restaurants, aperitivo, or a food experience.
Love history? Consider a guided tour.
Love shopping? Save money on transportation and meals so you have more to spend on Italian leather, fashion, or souvenirs.
Traveling with a group? Consider a private experience where the cost can be divided among several people.
So, How Much Money Should You Budget for Florence?
For a realistic daily budget excluding your hotel and flights, think about Florence this way:
Budget-Friendly
€40–€60 per person/day
Walk most places, eat some inexpensive meals, buy some groceries, choose free attractions, and add an affordable experience such as ACCORD's €14 walking tour.
Mid-Range
€75–€120 per person/day
Eat at restaurants, enjoy aperitivo and gelato, visit a museum or attraction, and occasionally use public transportation or a taxi.
High-End
€150–€250+ per person/day
Enjoy nicer restaurants, cocktails, taxis, shopping, and premium experiences. If you're traveling with a group, a private experience can also become an option.
The Bottom Line
Florence doesn't have one “correct” daily budget.
You can explore the city on a shoestring, enjoy a comfortable mid-range trip, or turn your visit into a luxury experience. The important thing is to decide what you want your money to do for you.
Some of the best parts of Florence cost absolutely nothing: walking across Ponte Vecchio at sunset, wandering through the historic streets, admiring the Duomo from the piazza, or enjoying the view from Piazzale Michelangelo.
So set your budget, choose the experiences that matter most to you, and leave a little room for the things you can't plan for: a second gelato, a bottle of wine, a beautiful souvenir, or simply sitting in a piazza and enjoying Florence.
Whether you're traveling on a budget or looking to splurge, you don't have to figure it all out on your own. At Accord Smart Tours, we’re here to help you travel smarter, make the most of your budget, and create an experience that’s truly worth your time in Florence. From affordable walking tours to private experiences, we can help you find the right way to explore the city, so you can spend less time planning and more time enjoying Florence.
