Cost of Living Comparison Between Busto Arsizio and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Busto Arsizio and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,936 in Busto Arsizio versus $2,031 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,985 in Busto Arsizio versus $3,167 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,034 in Busto Arsizio versus $4,304 in Rome.

Living in Busto Arsizio costs roughly 5% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busto Arsizio 41% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.41 €19.29

$17.45 €15.02

28.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 €81.4

$70.9 €61.1

33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.94

$11.79 €10.15

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$2.26 €1.94

1.77%

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

$3.80 €3.27

$3.10 €2.67

22.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.55 €1.33

-8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.06

$5.86 €5.04

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 €5.36

$6.82 €5.87

-8.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.80 €1.55

-8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.28 €1.97

11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.25 €2.80

10.46%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.34

$4.74 €4.08

6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.90 €15.41

$15.31 €13.18

16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 €12.10

$12.46 €10.73

12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.54 €20.27

$19.09 €16.43

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$2.67 €2.30

8.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.47 €2.13

-23.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.56 €2.21

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.58

$2.44 €2.10

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.46 €1.25

19.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.86

$1.61 €1.39

34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.44 €1.24

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.51 €0.44

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.95 €6.84

$7.07 €6.09

12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 €4.53

$4.54 €3.91

15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.73 €1.49

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.93 €2.52

-43.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.69 €1.46

0.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.79 €38.56

$40.92 €35.23

9.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 €3.57

$7.64 €6.58

-45.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.78 €1.53

27.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.35 €34.73

$34.61 €29.79

16.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.05 €1.77

-0.49%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$37.1K €31.9K

0.98%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$36.0K €31.0K

0.98%

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

$200 €172

$220 €189

-8.96%

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

$12.03 €10.35

$12.41 €10.68

-3.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 €24.50

$31.36 €26.99

-9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.38 €27.87

$68.4 €58.9

-52.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 €21.82

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 €10.34

$11.50 €9.90

4.52%

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

$936 €806

$504 €434

85.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,274 €6,262

$17.4K €15.0K

-58.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 €81.7

$74.4 €64.1

27.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.76 €24.76

$37.93 €32.65

-24.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 €119

$87.3 €75.1

58.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €122

$124 €107

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$1,244 €1,071

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 €573

$887 €763

-24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 €1,775

$2,637 €2,270

-21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €961

$1,795 €1,545

-37.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,601 €2,239

$8,673 €7,466

-70.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,620 €1,394

$3,283 €2,826

-50.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,249 €1,936

$1,947 €1,676

15.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.52

-3.41%

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

Last update for Busto Arsizio: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rome: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Busto Arsizio and $1,244 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busto Arsizio pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Busto Arsizio vs $71.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $332 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

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

Busto Arsizio vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busto Arsizio and Rome differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,936 vs $2,031 including rent). Busto Arsizio is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Busto Arsizio, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,325 in Busto Arsizio versus $1,244 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Busto Arsizio – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $71.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,936 per month in Busto Arsizio versus $2,031 in Rome – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,936 in Busto Arsizio versus $2,031 in Rome, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Busto Arsizio but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Busto Arsizio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Busto Arsizio and Rome are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Busto Arsizio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.