Cheaper month - JUne or July?

Costs will be the same. They will both be crowded. I would choose June, if I were in your shoes.

I too would pick June. Not because it would be cheaper, but it may be a little less crowded and cooler than July. I would also be sure to stay in places with AC.

June, July, August are all peak time for European travel and no bargains. Don't know if much difference in heat from July to August. Both can be pretty miserable. Being tied to a school schedule we always shot for the last week of May and first two weeks of June. Still pretty crowded.

We found that the agriturismo rates where we stayed in Tuscany went up rather sharply starting the last week of June, so were able to save several hundred dollars by staying there in mid-June as opposed to July. Other than that, costs seemed to be the same.

June is cheaper at coastal and mountain locations. July and August is when hordes of Italians and Europeans go on vacation to escape the heat therefore they are more expensive. July is actually the hottest month in Italy based on the statistics. Peak temperatures are from Mid July to Mid August, therefore coastal and mountain resorts are most expensive during that period. Anything after mid June is not that much cooler either, but more bearable. The end of May and the beginning of June is the absolute best time to visit Italy, in my opinion. Little or no rain, warm to hot temperatures, but not unbearable (low 80's). Prices in major art cities, such as Rome, Venice and Florence probably don't vary much from June to July. June is probably just as crowded there.