Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,752 in Cento versus $2,027 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,714 in Cento versus $3,143 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,676 in Cento versus $4,260 in Rome.

Living in Cento costs roughly 14% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cento 31% above, Rome 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 €17.86

$17.23 €14.84

20.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 €70.3

$73.9 €63.6

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 €9.49

$11.74 €10.11

-6.05%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.80

$1.83 €1.58

14.21%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$2.51 €2.16

9.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.27 €1.09

11.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$5.86 €5.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$5.23 €4.50

8.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.69 €1.46

-5.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.14 €1.84

19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.95 €2.54

-5.76%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.78

$4.51 €3.88

-2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.21 €18.26

$17.42 €15.00

21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.51

$12.00 €10.33

11.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.65 €15.20

$20.19 €17.38

-12.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.45 €2.11

-4.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.23 €1.92

-4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.95 €1.68

3.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.58 €2.22

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.77 €1.53

-7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.86 €1.60

-23.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.26 €1.09

36.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.55 €0.48

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.03

$7.13 €6.14

-1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.14

$4.63 €3.99

79.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.95 €1.68

-13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.73 €2.35

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.79 €1.54

-1.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.14 €37.14

$41.00 €35.30

5.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.06

$5.13 €4.41

14.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.60 €1.38

-8.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €24.81

$35.08 €30.20

-17.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.95 €1.68

3.59%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$29.3K €25.2K

-11.20%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$30.2K €26.0K

14.00%

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

$183 €157

$219 €189

-16.69%

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

$11.55 €9.95

$11.01 €9.47

4.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.69 €26.42

$31.31 €26.95

-1.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.70

$64.1 €55.2

-15.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.77 €19.60

$23.81 €20.49

-4.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 €9.41

$11.73 €10.10

-6.82%

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

$654 €563

$528 €455

23.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 €6,964

$10.4K €8,974

-22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €78.2

$73.3 €63.1

24.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 €37.56

$34.57 €29.76

26.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 €85.1

$87.0 €74.9

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €146

$119 €102

42.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €657

$1,325 €1,140

-42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €490

$885 €762

-35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,033

$2,661 €2,291

-54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €784

$1,636 €1,408

-44.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 €2,416

$8,730 €7,516

-67.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,891 €1,628

$3,452 €2,972

-45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,849 €1,592

$2,058 €1,772

-10.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

3.95

5.57%

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

Last update for Cento: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Cento and $1,325 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 11% 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: $82.0 in Cento vs $74.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $333 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

Cento vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Rome earns 11% less. 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: $764 in Cento versus $1,325 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cento runs roughly 5% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $654 in Cento versus $528 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,752 in Cento versus $2,027 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Cento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cento delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cento hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.