Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parma and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Parma: $1,858 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

91

Cost of Living Index in Parma
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Parma Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Parma

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,858

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,858 in Parma versus $1,998 in Rome.

Parma $1,858
Rome $1,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,922 in Parma versus $3,117 in Rome.

Parma $2,922
Rome $3,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,986 in Parma versus $4,236 in Rome.

Parma $3,986
Rome $4,236

Living in Parma costs roughly 7% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Parma 38% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 €17.72

$16.69 €14.84

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 €64.5

$65.8 €58.5

10.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €12.14

$11.08 €9.85

23.19%

Cappuccino

$2.24 €1.99

$2.10 €1.87

6.67%

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

$3.40 €3.02

$2.91 €2.59

16.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.48 €1.32

9.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.19 €5.50

$5.62 €5.00

10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 €5.34

$6.68 €5.94

-10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.72 €1.53

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.27 €2.02

19.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.99 €2.66

-11.37%

Eggs

$4.28 €3.81

$4.75 €4.23

-9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €16.32

$14.53 €12.92

26.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 €11.43

$12.63 €11.24

1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$19.86 €17.67

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.64 €2.35

-14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.28 €2.03

-27.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.46 €2.19

-24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.42 €2.15

2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.38 €1.22

-3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.55 €1.38

-10.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.45

$1.32 €1.17

24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.55 €0.49

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €6.03

$7.31 €6.50

-7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.86

$5.44 €4.84

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.58 €1.40

-1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.70

$2.62 €2.33

-26.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.63 €1.45

13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.06 €36.52

$39.26 €34.92

4.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €5.05

$6.51 €5.79

-12.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.68 €1.50

-11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 €25.15

$33.24 €29.57

-14.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.17 €1.93

-10.14%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$35.3K €31.4K

2.15%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$35.4K €31.5K

-0.21%

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

$236 €210

$203 €181

16.19%

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

$11.61 €10.33

$11.50 €10.22

0.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 €24.50

$32.03 €28.49

-14.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 €55.2

$65.9 €58.6

-5.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.85 €23.88

$22.89 €20.36

17.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 €10.94

$11.23 €9.99

9.53%

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

$560 €498

$484 €430

15.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,443 €3,952

$16.5K €14.7K

-73.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €80.8

$71.0 €63.1

28.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.60 €38.78

$36.51 €32.47

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 €85.1

$84.9 €75.5

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$122 €108

36.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 €750

$1,222 €1,087

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 €569

$881 €784

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,349

$2,537 €2,257

-40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,121

$1,721 €1,530

-26.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,439 €3,059

$8,274 €7,360

-58.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,380 €2,117

$3,084 €2,743

-22.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,034 €1,809

$1,942 €1,728

4.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.52

-1.70%

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

Last update for Parma: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Parma

$639 34.4%

Rome

$881 44.1% 37.9% $242

Groceries & Markets

Parma

$327 17.6%

Rome

$329 16.5% 0.7% $2.2

Eating Out

Parma

$290 15.6%

Rome

$251 12.6% 13.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parma

$275 14.8%

Rome

$246 12.3% 10.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Parma

$178 9.6%

Rome

$141 7.1% 20.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Parma

$87 4.7%

Rome

$88 4.4% 2% $1.7

Getting Around

Parma

$62 3.3%

Rome

$61 3% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $843 in Parma and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parma pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Parma vs $66.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $329, with Parma cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Parma

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

Same time as Parma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,315

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

Parma vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Parma, 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: $843 in Parma versus $1,222 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $560 in Parma versus $484 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,858 in Parma versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Parma but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Parma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Parma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Parma 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 Parma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.