Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palermo and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Palermo: $1,566 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palermo
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Palermo Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Palermo

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,566

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,566 per month in Palermo vs $1,998 in Rome, rent included.

Palermo $1,566
Rome $1,998

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Palermo vs $3,117 in Rome, rent included.

Palermo $2,314
Rome $3,117

A family of three spends $3,061 per month in Palermo vs $4,236 in Rome, rent included.

Palermo $3,061
Rome $4,236

Palermo is about 22% cheaper than Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Palermo and Rome sit above the global median – Palermo by 16%, Rome by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 €13.36

$16.69 €14.84

-10.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 €49.51

$65.8 €58.5

-15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 €10.01

$11.08 €9.85

1.53%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.81

$2.10 €1.87

-2.86%

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

$2.36 €2.10

$2.91 €2.59

-18.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.48 €1.32

-14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$5.62 €5.00

2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.58

$6.68 €5.94

-39.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.72 €1.53

-26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.27 €2.02

-22.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.99 €2.66

-8.36%

Eggs

$2.99 €2.66

$4.75 €4.23

-37.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 €13.28

$14.53 €12.92

2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 €10.67

$12.63 €11.24

-5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 €15.18

$19.86 €17.67

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.64 €2.35

10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.28 €2.03

-7.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.60

$2.46 €2.19

19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 €2.72

$2.42 €2.15

26.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.38 €1.22

23.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.55 €1.38

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.32 €1.17

34.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 €0.35

$0.55 €0.49

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €6.10

$7.31 €6.50

-6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 €6.50

$5.44 €4.84

34.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.58 €1.40

37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.62 €2.33

14.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.63 €1.45

-3.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.13 €32.14

$39.26 €34.92

-7.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.92

$6.51 €5.79

-49.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.68 €1.50

-32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.46 €34.21

$33.24 €29.57

15.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.17 €1.93

-4.61%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$35.3K €31.4K

1.91%

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

$35.1K €31.2K

$35.4K €31.5K

-1.00%

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

$228 €203

$203 €181

12.22%

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

$9.87 €8.78

$11.50 €10.22

-14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.63 €23.68

$32.03 €28.49

-16.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.70 €41.54

$65.9 €58.6

-29.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.87 €28.35

$22.89 €20.36

39.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 €7.84

$11.23 €9.99

-21.55%

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

$439 €391

$484 €430

-9.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,629 €5,007

$16.5K €14.7K

-65.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 €63.8

$71.0 €63.1

1.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.89 €27.47

$36.51 €32.47

-15.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 €77.2

$84.9 €75.5

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$122 €108

2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 €650

$1,222 €1,087

-40.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 €445

$881 €784

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 €971

$2,537 €2,257

-56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 €649

$1,721 €1,530

-57.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,641 €2,349

$8,274 €7,360

-68.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,263 €1,124

$3,084 €2,743

-59.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,635 €1,455

$1,942 €1,728

-15.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.52

-3.69%

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

Last update for Palermo: 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

Palermo

$500 31.9%

Rome

$881 44.1% 76.2% $381

Groceries & Markets

Palermo

$315 20.1%

Rome

$329 16.5% 4.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palermo

$264 16.9%

Rome

$246 12.3% 6.7% $18

Eating Out

Palermo

$230 14.7%

Rome

$251 12.6% 9.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Palermo

$142 9%

Rome

$141 7.1% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Palermo

$64 4.1%

Rome

$88 4.4% 37.3% $24

Getting Around

Palermo

$51 3.3%

Rome

$61 3% 18.1% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $731 in Palermo versus $1,222 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 $56.0 in Palermo versus $66.0 in Rome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $329 – making Palermo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Palermo

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

Same time as Palermo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

628,165

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Palermo vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,349 per month in Palermo and $2,998 in Rome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palermo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Palermo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $439 per month in Palermo and $484 in Rome. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palermo, where all-in costs run around $1,566, than in Rome at $1,998. In Palermo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palermo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Palermo. 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.