Italy has a reputation for being expensive because the version many travelers buy is expensive.
Peak dates. Last-minute hotels. Meals beside landmarks. Taxis taken because the hotel is just far enough away to be annoying. Museum tickets purchased only after the line has already become the day's main event.
The country is not cheap by magic. But many of the costs people complain about are self-inflicted.
Sleeping badly located is not saving money
A cheaper hotel outside the center can become expensive in time, taxis, frustration, and missed evenings.
The better question is not "What is the lowest nightly rate?" It is "What does this location make easy?" A slightly higher room near transit or the historic center can save the trip from becoming a commute.
Eating near the monument has a tax
Not always. But often enough.
If a restaurant's main selling point is that you can see the landmark from your chair, assume the view is included in the bill. Walk a few blocks, look for a shorter menu, and choose the place that seems to be feeding people who are not clutching a map.
Moving too much gets expensive
Every transfer costs more than the ticket. It costs checkout time, luggage stress, station snacks, taxis, and the half-day where you technically traveled but did not really experience anything.
Fewer bases usually make Italy feel richer and cheaper at the same time.
Paying for convenience can be smart
This is the part budget advice often gets wrong. Some paid convenience is worth it: timed museum entries, a well-located hotel, a direct train, a guide for a site you deeply care about.
The goal is not to spend as little as possible. The goal is to spend on the things that protect the trip.
The simplest rule
Budget before the romance starts.
Decide where you will pay for ease and where you will happily improvise. Italy rewards wandering, but it punishes logistical denial. Give the practical side a little attention early, and the beautiful part gets much more room.