For one person, living is cheaper in Lecce: $1,456 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lecce and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,456 per month in Lecce vs $1,990 in Rome, rent included.
Lecce $1,456
Rome $1,990
A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Lecce vs $3,095 in Rome, rent included.
Lecce $2,334
Rome $3,095
A family of three spends $3,213 per month in Lecce vs $4,199 in Rome, rent included.
Lecce $3,213
Rome $4,199
🙂
Lecce is about 27% cheaper than Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Lecce and Rome sit above the global median – Lecce by 7%, Rome by 47%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.08€15.19
$16.68€14.84
2.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.6€59.2
$67.4€59.9
-1.23%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.20€9.07
$11.31€10.06
-9.81%
Cappuccino
$2.00€1.78
$2.09€1.86
-4.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.85
$2.89€2.57
-27.68%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10€0.98
$1.46€1.30
-24.66%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.02€3.58
$5.63€5.01
-28.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28€2.92
$6.93€6.16
-52.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.45€1.29
$1.66€1.48
-12.65%
White Bread(500g)
$1.81€1.61
$2.28€2.03
-20.61%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.27€2.02
$3.03€2.70
-25.08%
Eggs
$2.51€2.23
$4.53€4.03
-44.59%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.12€10.78
$14.76€13.13
-17.89%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.66€10.37
$12.31€10.95
-5.28%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.05€14.28
$19.50€17.35
-17.69%
Apples(1kg)
$2.17€1.93
$2.64€2.35
-17.80%
Banana(1kg)
$1.88€1.67
$2.29€2.04
-17.90%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.88€1.67
$2.28€2.03
-17.54%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.63€3.23
$2.41€2.14
50.62%
Potato(1kg)
$1.64€1.46
$1.36€1.21
20.59%
Onion(1kg)
$1.63€1.45
$1.55€1.38
5.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.14€1.01
$1.37€1.22
-16.79%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41€0.36
$0.55€0.49
-25.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56€5.83
$7.16€6.37
-8.38%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.56€5.83
$5.45€4.85
20.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39€1.23
$1.60€1.43
-13.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39€2.13
$2.53€2.25
-5.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Lecce
Rome
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.37€1.22
$1.70€1.51
-19.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$38.95€34.64
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.49€4.89
$6.67€5.93
-17.69%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.25€2.00
$1.71€1.53
31.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$23.73€21.11
$33.59€29.87
-29.35%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.02€1.80
$2.11€1.88
-4.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K€31.9K
$35.5K€31.6K
0.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K€31.1K
$37.0K€32.9K
-5.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$169€150
$203€180
-16.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59€10.31
$11.33€10.08
2.29%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.28€25.15
$31.57€28.08
-10.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$83.7€74.5
$65.6€58.4
27.53%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$55.8€49.66
$23.49€20.89
137.68%
Cinema Ticket
$8.52€7.57
$11.43€10.16
-25.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$568€505
$497€442
14.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,010€4,457
$16.6K€14.8K
-69.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.1€73.0
$72.5€64.5
13.18%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.34€42.11
$35.94€31.97
31.72%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$87.8€78.1
$85.1€75.7
3.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.9€71.1
$121€108
-34.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lecce
Rome
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$598€532
$1,191€1,059
-49.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$475€423
$876€780
-45.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,224€1,089
$2,506€2,229
-51.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$914€813
$1,683€1,497
-45.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,043€2,707
$8,438€7,505
-63.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,578€1,404
$3,157€2,809
-50.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lecce
Rome
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,642€1,461
$1,962€1,746
-16.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.82
3.52
36.93%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lecce: October 19, 2026
Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lecce
$475 32.6%
Rome
$876 44% ↑ 84.5%$401
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lecce
$285 19.6%
Rome
$325 16.3% ↑ 14.2%$40
🍽Eating Out
Lecce
$231 15.8%
Rome
$252 12.7% ↑ 9.2%$21
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecce
$209 14.4%
Rome
$246 12.4% ↑ 17.6%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lecce
$134 9.2%
Rome
$142 7.1% ↑ 6%$8.1
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lecce
$101 6.9%
Rome
$88 4.5% ↓ 12.2%$12
🚌Getting Around
Lecce
$22 * 1.5%
Rome
$61 3.1% ↑ 174%$39
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lecce
$914 28.4%
Rome
$1.7K 40.1% ↑ 84.2%$769
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lecce
$673 21%
Rome
$775 18.5% ↑ 15.1%$102
🍽Eating Out
Lecce
$804 25%
Rome
$843 20.1% ↑ 4.9%$39
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecce
$220 6.9%
Rome
$257 6.1% ↑ 16.6%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lecce
$297 9.3%
Rome
$315 7.5% ↑ 6%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lecce
$257 8%
Rome
$200 4.8% ↓ 22.1%$57
🚌Getting Around
Lecce
$47 * 1.5%
Rome
$125 3% ↑ 166%$78
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Lecce versus $1,191 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 19% 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 $67.0 in Lecce versus $67.0 in Rome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $325 – making Lecce the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Lecce vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rome cheaper than Lecce?
Yes – Rome is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,184 per month in Lecce and $2,986 in Rome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lecce, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Lecce and in Rome?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,456 in Lecce and $1,990 in Rome. That's a gap of about 37%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $568 per month in Lecce and $497 in Rome. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lecce or in Rome?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lecce, where all-in costs run around $1,456, than in Rome at $1,990. In Lecce it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lecce or Rome more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lecce – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lecce or Rome?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lecce. 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.