Cost of Living Comparison Between Escondido, CA and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Escondido, CA and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Escondido, CA versus $1,986 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,370 in Escondido, CA versus $3,073 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,201 in Escondido, CA versus $4,159 in Rome.

Living in Escondido, CA is roughly 78% more expensive than in Rome, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escondido, CA 165% above, Rome 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$17.54 €15.37

1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$76.0 €66.5

3.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.01 $15.01

$11.67 €10.22

28.62%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$1.77 €1.55

174.58%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.45 €2.14

1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.26 €1.11

54.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.75 €5.03

6.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$5.06 €4.43

36.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.70 €1.49

-37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.07 €1.81

63.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.99 €2.62

49.16%

Eggs

$3.33 $3.33

$4.52 €3.96

-26.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$17.69 €15.49

-50.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$11.75 €10.29

-43.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$20.56 €18.01

-25.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.43 €2.12

27.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.36 €2.06

-30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.02 €1.77

-26.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.67 €2.34

-23.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.76 €1.54

26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.85 €1.62

15.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.27 €1.11

57.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.56 €0.49

267.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.22 $11.22

$6.81 €5.96

64.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.96 €3.46

23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 €1.70

-24.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.76 €2.42

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.72 €1.51

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 €36.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 $6.54

$5.23 €4.58

25.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.58 €1.39

6.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.79 $28.79

$34.86 €30.53

-17.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.03 €1.78

-37.93%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$29.0K €25.4K

-10.73%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$29.9K €26.2K

-11.16%

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

$158 $158

$222 €195

-29.07%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$10.96 €9.60

396.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 $56.0

$30.99 €27.14

80.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.84 $34.84

$64.2 €56.2

-45.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 €21.01

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 $15.04

$11.63 €10.19

29.32%

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

$1,482 $1,482

$539 €472

174.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$10.7K €9,363

116.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.88 $47.88

$73.1 €64.1

-34.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 $33.58

$34.58 €30.29

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$86.6 €75.8

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 $99.6

$119 €104

-16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,667 $2,667

$1,328 €1,163

100.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$866 €759

192.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,625 $2,625

$2,596 €2,274

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$1,602 €1,403

67.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,664 $7,664

$8,434 €7,386

-9.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,562 $7,562

$3,464 €3,034

118.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,994 $5,994

$1,947 €1,705

207.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.95

68.10%

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

Last update for Escondido, CA: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,667 in Escondido, CA and $1,328 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escondido, CA pays 208% 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: $79.0 in Escondido, CA vs $76.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $333, with Escondido, CA cheaper for home cooking.

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

Escondido, CA vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escondido, CA and Rome differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($3,538 vs $1,986 including rent). Rome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 208% higher in Escondido, CA, 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: $2,667 in Escondido, CA versus $1,328 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Escondido, CA pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,538 per month in Escondido, CA versus $1,986 in Rome – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,986 in Rome versus $3,538 in Escondido, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Escondido, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Rome 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, Escondido, CA 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Escondido, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.