Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Alba

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba: $1,640 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Alba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rome and in Alba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Rome vs $1,640 in Alba, rent included.

Rome $1,997
Alba $1,640

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Rome vs $2,569 in Alba, rent included.

Rome $3,132
Alba $2,569

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Rome vs $3,498 in Alba, rent included.

Rome $4,266
Alba $3,498

Rome costs about 22% more than Alba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rome and Alba sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Alba by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.78

$22.40 €20.13

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €61.1

$90.7 €81.5

-25.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €10.01

$13.17 €11.84

-15.41%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.82

$2.08 €1.87

-2.88%

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

$3.00 €2.70

$3.77 €3.39

-20.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.87 €1.68

-20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$5.64 €5.07

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.08

$6.87 €6.17

-1.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.69 €1.52

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$3.22 €2.89

-31.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$3.68 €3.31

-16.30%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$4.88 €4.38

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.16

$22.81 €20.50

-35.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.19

$14.73 €13.24

-15.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.50

$22.87 €20.55

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.34

$2.94 €2.64

-11.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.34 €2.10

0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.29 €2.95

-29.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$4.22 €3.79

-44.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.35 €2.11

-42.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

$1.99 €1.79

-19.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.81 €1.63

-27.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.61 €0.55

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.32

$6.56 €5.89

7.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$9.46 €8.50

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.48

$2.02 €1.81

-18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.26

$2.40 €2.16

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.08

$7.84 €7.04

-13.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.27 €2.04

-27.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.57

$65.3 €58.7

-47.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.09 €1.87

3.83%

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

$35.4K €31.8K

$36.4K €32.7K

-2.84%

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

$36.6K €32.9K

$38.0K €34.1K

-3.60%

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

$210 €188

$254 €229

-17.59%

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

$11.53 €10.36

$8.00 €7.19

44.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €29.04

$29.01 €26.06

11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.14

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.18

$11.35 €10.20

-0.26%

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

$488 €439

$927 €833

-47.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$18.9K €17.0K

-11.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.9

$102 €91.7

-30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.10

$50.6 €45.43

-27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.8

$117 €105

-27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$168 €151

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,165

$548 €492

136.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €786

$385 €346

127.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,321

$719 €646

259.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,563

$615 €553

182.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,616

$3,013 €2,707

181.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,751

$2,622 €2,356

-25.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.18

10.69%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Alba

$385 23.5% 56% $491

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Alba

$416 25.4% 27.8% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Alba

$291 17.8% 15% $38

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Alba

$308 18.8% 23.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Alba

$197 12% 36.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Alba

$23 * 1.4% 74.1% $65

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Alba

$19 * 1.2% 68.6% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,297 in Rome versus $548 in Alba. 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 35% higher in Alba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rome versus $91 in Alba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $416 – making Rome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Alba

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

29,910

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Alba 480 km

From you

Rome
Alba

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

Rome vs Alba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Rome and $2,460 in Alba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $1,297 in Rome.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rome and $91 in Alba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Rome – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,997 in Rome and $1,640 in Alba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,640 in Alba to $1,997 in Rome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.