In Italy, the primary language is Italian, though many people, especially in Rome, also speak English. Switzerland is a multilingual country, and the majority of its citizens speak fluently at least German and French, with many people also speaking Italian and English. It also includes Romansh, a Romance language spoken primarily in southeast Switzerland, as an official language.
Italy is a member of the European Union, and as such the euro is used for currency. Switzerland is not a member of the E.U. and maintains use of the Swiss Franc. The value of the Franc and the euro fluctuate, as all currencies do, but they are valued approximately the same. At the moment, 1 US dollar would buy you about 87 euro cents and about 98 (Swiss Franc) cents, meaning that the euro and the Swiss Franc are both currently a little bit more valuable than the dollar.
Water prices in both countries were fairly cheap; for instance, a 2L bottle of still water is typically about two euros. Food prices, however, are much more expensive in Switzerland, as food is more scarce due to how mountainous the country is. A restaurant dish of spaghetti and bolognese sauce in Florence cost about 8 euros, while a similar plate in Switzerland cost closer to 16 or 17 euros.
