Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bari and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Bari: $1,720 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Bari
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Bari Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Bari

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,720

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bari and in Rome

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bari and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,720 per month in Bari vs $1,998 in Rome, rent included.

Bari $1,720
Rome $1,998

A couple spends around $2,637 per month in Bari vs $3,117 in Rome, rent included.

Bari $2,637
Rome $3,117

A family of three spends $3,554 per month in Bari vs $4,236 in Rome, rent included.

Bari $3,554
Rome $4,236

Bari is about 14% cheaper than Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bari and Rome sit above the global median – Bari by 27%, Rome by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 €14.74

$16.69 €14.84

-0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$65.8 €58.5

2.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 €10.04

$11.08 €9.85

1.90%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.77

$2.10 €1.87

-5.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.91 €2.59

-13.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.48 €1.32

-16.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$5.62 €5.00

-31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.94

$6.68 €5.94

-50.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.72 €1.53

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.58

$2.27 €2.02

-21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.99 €2.66

-6.35%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.60

$4.75 €4.23

-14.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 €13.49

$14.53 €12.92

4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 €10.15

$12.63 €11.24

-9.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 €14.76

$19.86 €17.67

-16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.64 €2.35

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$2.28 €2.03

-11.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.46 €2.19

-14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 €3.22

$2.42 €2.15

49.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.38 €1.22

23.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.32 €1.17

-12.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.35

$0.55 €0.49

-29.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €6.00

$7.31 €6.50

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 €6.55

$5.44 €4.84

35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.58 €1.40

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.62 €2.33

-6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.63 €1.45

-15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 €34.34

$39.26 €34.92

-1.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €5.00

$6.51 €5.79

-13.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.68 €1.50

33.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.76 €21.14

$33.24 €29.57

-28.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.17 €1.93

-7.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.1K €32.1K

$35.3K €31.4K

2.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.9K €31.0K

$35.4K €31.5K

-1.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$210 €187

$203 €181

3.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.35 €10.09

$11.50 €10.22

-1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 €26.44

$32.03 €28.49

-7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 €42.26

$65.9 €58.6

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.65 €21.93

$22.89 €20.36

7.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 €7.53

$11.23 €9.99

-24.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$735 €654

$484 €430

52.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,681 €5,054

$16.5K €14.7K

-65.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 €75.0

$71.0 €63.1

18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.93 €41.74

$36.51 €32.47

28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.7

$84.9 €75.5

28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €124

$122 €108

14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 €779

$1,222 €1,087

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 €563

$881 €784

-28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 €1,451

$2,537 €2,257

-35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €976

$1,721 €1,530

-36.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,746 €3,332

$8,274 €7,360

-54.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,091 €1,860

$3,084 €2,743

-32.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,862 €1,656

$1,942 €1,728

-4.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.52

11.36%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bari: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bari

$633 36.8%

Rome

$881 44.1% 39.3% $249

Groceries & Markets

Bari

$309 18%

Rome

$329 16.5% 6.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bari

$251 14.6%

Rome

$246 12.3% 2% $4.9

Eating Out

Bari

$231 13.4%

Rome

$251 12.6% 8.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Bari

$171 9.9%

Rome

$141 7.1% 17.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Bari

$64 3.8%

Rome

$88 4.4% 37.1% $24

Getting Around

Bari

$61 3.5%

Rome

$61 3% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $875 in Bari versus $1,222 in Rome. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Rome, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Bari versus $66.0 in Rome. Groceries tell a different story – $309 in Bari vs $329 in Rome – so Bari wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Bari

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

Same time as Bari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,344

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bari Rome 370 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bari vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome costs about 16% more than Bari, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,581 per month in Bari and $2,998 in Rome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bari, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $735 per month in Bari and $484 in Rome. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Rome, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bari, where all-in costs run around $1,720, than in Rome at $1,998. In Bari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bari costs $1,720 versus $1,998 in Rome. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bari. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.