Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Catania and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Catania: $1,524 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Catania
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Catania Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,524

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Catania 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 Catania and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,524 in Catania versus $1,998 in Rome.

Catania $1,524
Rome $1,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Catania versus $3,117 in Rome.

Catania $2,336
Rome $3,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,148 in Catania versus $4,236 in Rome.

Catania $3,148
Rome $4,236

Living in Catania costs roughly 24% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Catania 13% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.78 €14.93

$16.69 €14.84

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 €49.22

$65.8 €58.5

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 €9.74

$11.08 €9.85

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €2.06

$2.10 €1.87

10.00%

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

$2.87 €2.55

$2.91 €2.59

-1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.48 €1.32

25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 €6.03

$5.62 €5.00

20.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.70

$6.68 €5.94

-37.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.72 €1.53

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.27 €2.02

-28.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.99 €2.66

-15.05%

Eggs

$3.44 €3.06

$4.75 €4.23

-27.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 €10.11

$14.53 €12.92

-21.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 €10.71

$12.63 €11.24

-4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 €14.02

$19.86 €17.67

-20.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.64 €2.35

-19.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.28 €2.03

-23.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.46 €2.19

-37.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.42 €2.15

20.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.38 €1.22

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.55 €1.38

-20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.32 €1.17

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.42

$0.55 €0.49

-14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.98

$7.31 €6.50

-7.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.06

$5.44 €4.84

45.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.58 €1.40

12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.62 €2.33

-41.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.63 €1.45

-6.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.71 €32.65

$39.26 €34.92

-6.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.87

$2.17 €1.93

-2.76%

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

$36.3K €32.3K

$35.3K €31.4K

2.65%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$35.4K €31.5K

-2.00%

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

$308 €274

$203 €181

51.52%

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

$10.48 €9.32

$11.50 €10.22

-8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.67 €30.84

$32.03 €28.49

8.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 €53.5

$65.9 €58.6

-8.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.19 €12.62

$22.89 €20.36

-38.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 €8.59

$11.23 €9.99

-13.98%

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

$450 €400

$484 €430

-6.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,746 €6,001

$16.5K €14.7K

-59.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 €75.8

$71.0 €63.1

20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 €29.75

$36.51 €32.47

-8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €75.3

$84.9 €75.5

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$122 €108

5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 €534

$1,222 €1,087

-50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 €322

$881 €784

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 €954

$2,537 €2,257

-57.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,721 €1,530

-56.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 €2,020

$8,274 €7,360

-72.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,491 €1,327

$3,084 €2,743

-51.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,783 €1,586

$1,942 €1,728

-8.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

3.52

0.85%

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

Last update for Catania: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Catania

$362 23.7%

Rome

$881 44.1% 144% $520

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Catania

$353 23.1%

Rome

$246 12.3% 30.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Catania

$282 18.5%

Rome

$329 16.5% 16.7% $47

Eating Out

Catania

$256 16.8%

Rome

$251 12.6% 2% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Catania

$149 9.8%

Rome

$141 7.1% 5.3% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Catania

$79 5.2%

Rome

$88 4.4% 11.2% $8.9

Getting Around

Catania

$43 * 2.8%

Rome

$61 3% 41.8% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Catania and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Catania vs $66.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $329 per month, with Catania cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Catania

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

Same time as Catania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,037

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Catania Rome 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Catania vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catania is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Rome. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Catania versus $1,222 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,524 per month in Catania versus $1,998 in Rome – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 7% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,524 in Catania versus $1,998 in Rome, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Catania but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Catania the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Catania is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Catania 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 Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.