Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,925 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,986 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Montgomery, AL versus $3,073 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Montgomery, AL versus $4,159 in Rome.

Living in Montgomery, AL costs roughly 3% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montgomery, AL 44% above, Rome 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.54 €15.35

15.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 $51.3

$76.0 €66.5

-32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$11.67 €10.21

-4.37%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$1.77 €1.55

203.39%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.45 €2.14

1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.26 €1.10

58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.17 $4.17

$5.75 €5.03

-27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.06 €4.43

-22.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.70 €1.49

-48.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.07 €1.81

-25.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.99 €2.62

-14.38%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$4.52 €3.95

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 $7.26

$17.69 €15.47

-58.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 $8.07

$11.75 €10.28

-31.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$20.56 €17.99

-28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.43 €2.12

120.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.36 €2.06

-40.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.02 €1.77

10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.67 €2.34

24.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.76 €1.54

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.85 €1.62

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.27 €1.11

68.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.56 €0.49

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 $7.10

$6.81 €5.95

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$3.96 €3.46

249.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.94 €1.70

-12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.76 €2.42

-44.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.72 €1.51

18.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 €36.02

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$5.23 €4.57

-34.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.58 €1.38

-23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$34.86 €30.50

-17.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.03 €1.78

-60.10%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$29.0K €25.4K

0.06%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$29.9K €26.1K

-16.24%

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

$296 $296

$222 €195

33.08%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$10.96 €9.59

362.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 $65.3

$30.99 €27.11

110.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.23 $38.23

$64.2 €56.1

-40.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 €20.98

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 $9.52

$11.63 €10.18

-18.14%

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

$1,343 $1,343

$539 €472

149.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,965 $9,965

$10.7K €9,353

-6.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$73.1 €64.0

-24.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.93 $24.93

$34.58 €30.26

-27.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 $71.4

$86.6 €75.8

-17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$119 €104

19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 $1,249

$1,328 €1,162

-5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 $748

$866 €758

-13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$2,596 €2,271

-40.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 $920

$1,602 €1,402

-42.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,401 $1,401

$8,434 €7,379

-83.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,393 $1,393

$3,464 €3,031

-59.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,645 $3,645

$1,947 €1,703

87.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

3.95

62.53%

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

Last update for Montgomery, AL: July 14, 2026

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,249 in Montgomery, AL and $1,328 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $76.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $333 per month, with Montgomery, AL 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

Montgomery, AL vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL and Rome differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,925 vs $1,986 including rent). Montgomery, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Montgomery, AL, 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: $1,249 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,328 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,925 per month in Montgomery, AL versus $1,986 in Rome – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,925 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,986 in Rome, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Montgomery, AL but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Montgomery, AL 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, Montgomery, AL 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 Montgomery, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.