How much will Christmas cost us? A lot. Everything is on the rise, from decorations to lunch, from trips to gifts. There is talk (Facile.it report – Non Profit Consumerism) of increases of 300% for some expenses. Item after item we arrive at a total expense of over 40 billion euros.
Italians will spend a total of almost 11 billion euros on gifts, with an average per capita of 256 euros. However, 6.2 million people will reduce their budget compared to 2023: 47% to deal with the increase in other expenses, 40% due to economic difficulties. Christmas tables represent an important item. The estimated average budget is 83 euros per family, for a total of over 3.5 billion euros. Driving the increases is inflation with the prices of essential goods such as pasta, oil and bread which have increased by up to 84% compared to 2014, with an increase of 2.4% in recent months.
This year, decorating your home will also cost more. the average price for tree, lights and decorations reached 270 euros, with an increase of approximately 37 euros compared to 2023 (+16%). Artificial trees range from 30 to 500 euros, while lights and decorations can reach up to 100 euros per item. Another growing expense is keeping your home warm during the holidays. Italian families will spend an average of 1,190 euros on heating, a 4% increase compared to October 2024.
An estimated expenditure of 4 billion euros for the Christmas holidays. Over 11 million Italians will treat themselves to a holiday between Christmas and New Year, with an average expense of 335 euros each. More than 4 million will take out travel insurance, with costs ranging from 28 euros for a week in Italy to 71 euros for the United States. Furthermore, the use of personal loans is growing: average requests to finance travel have reached 6 thousand euros, with repayment in 51 instalments.
The record increases are on transport. Christmas flights recorded average increases of 15-20% compared to the same period last year and previous months. A Milan-Catania return flight costs 50-60% more, Milan-Palermo 65-70%, Milan-Naples 50% and Milan-Bari between 70% and 100% more. If you choose to travel by train you risk price increases of up to 300% compared to the annual average. The record is on the Milan-Reggio Calabria route with Trenitalia on Friday 20 December: the peak reached is 345 euros with a change in Rome and 9 hours and 26 minutes of travel. Lower price increases, but still significant for ferries: +10-20% to reach islands such as Sicily and Sardinia. If you go by car it’s better than summer holidays. With an average price of €1.76/l for fuel, motorists will spend around 70 euros for an average distance of 575 km.
Speaking of holidays, increases in ski passes will have a major impact on the family budget: +30% in three years. From 2021, skiing with Dolomiti Superski costs 23.9% more, in La Thuile +19.1%, in Courmayeur +19.6%, in Bormio +28.3% and in Livigno +27.9%. Finally, the living room. The average prices of hotel rooms increased by 8.1%, reaching 151.47 euros, while tourist packages recorded an average increase of 20%. The most expensive destinations include Rome, Florence, Venice, cruises and winter tourism resorts.
