Calculating the cost of coffee in euros could be a wake-up call for Italians

ROME, Italy (CNN) -- For many bleary-eyed Italians, their first encounter with the euro may be at the coffee bar.

Their beloved cappuccino will no longer cost 1,500 liras, but exactly 77 of the new euro cents.

It's a whole new concept for Italians who are used to money with large numbers and no decimal places.

"I think there will be a risk that a lot of shop owners, especially places where people go into a bar to have a morning cappuccino, will say, 'Let's round up that price to the nearest 80 or 90 cents of a euro, or even 1 euro,'" says Alan Friedman of the International Herald Tribune.

"And that will be one way that the innocent customer will have to learn real quickly -- or lose money."

In one infomercial on Italian television, a bartender offers a customer a simple formula to calculate the cost of his breakfast: Take three zeros from the lira price and divide the number in half.

But it's not just prices that will change. Italians will also have to adapt to new fashion styles.

Larger wallets will be needed to make room for euro notes and coins. Euro notes will be wider and shorter, while lira coins were practically worthless and rarely used.

Fashion designers like Prada are already selling "euro-friendly" products with zippers and larger compartments.

Fashion houses are also expected to begin selling trousers with reinforced pockets to sustain the weight of coins.

And then there will be the blow to the ego. It's been easy to be a multi-millionaire or even a billionaire here. With the new euro, Italians' net worth won't change -- but those bank balances may not seem nearly as healthy.