Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Arona

For one person, living is cheaper in Arona: $1,583 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rome, Italy
Arona, Italy
Rome
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,997
/mo nomad
Arona
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,583
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Arona

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 Arona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $1,583 in Arona.

  • Rome $1,997
  • Arona $1,583

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $2,500 in Arona.

  • Rome $3,132
  • Arona $2,500

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $3,418 in Arona.

  • Rome $4,266
  • Arona $3,418

Living in Rome is roughly 26% more expensive than in Arona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Arona 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rome
Arona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.44 €14.75
$16.68 €14.96
-1.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 €61.0
$78.4 €70.3
-13.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.99
$8.85 €7.94
25.88%
Cappuccino
$2.02 €1.81
$1.67 €1.49
20.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.69
$2.88 €2.58
4.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.14 €1.02
29.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.10
$3.89 €3.49
46.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77 €6.07
$5.57 €5.00
21.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rome
Arona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.37 €1.23
23.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 €1.96
$2.18 €1.96
0.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.08 €2.76
$4.02 €3.61
-23.38%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.25
$2.96 €2.65
60.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.65 €13.14
$15.11 €13.56
-3.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.45 €11.17
$14.04 €12.59
-11.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.48 €17.48
$15.07 €13.52
29.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.81 €2.52
-7.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.35 €2.10
$1.68 €1.51
39.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.13 €2.81
-25.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 €2.10
$2.23 €2.00
4.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.87 €1.68
-27.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.44
$1.84 €1.65
-12.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.66 €1.49
-20.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 €0.46
$0.66 €0.59
-22.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.03 €6.31
$6.79 €6.09
3.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.03
$4.51 €4.05
24.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.47
$0.93 €0.83
76.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 €2.25
$1.63 €1.47
53.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Rome
Arona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.87 €1.67
-12.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.58 €35.51
$37.52 €33.65
5.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.77 €6.07
$5.54 €4.97
22.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.87 €1.68
-11.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.02 €30.52
$32.01 €28.71
6.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.95
$2.11 €1.89
2.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K €31.7K
$36.1K €32.4K
-1.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K €32.8K
$34.7K €31.2K
5.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
Arona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €188
$194 €174
8.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.53 €10.34
$11.93 €10.70
-3.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.32 €28.99
$27.27 €24.46
18.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rome
Arona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.0 €58.3
$58.3 €52.3
11.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.53 €21.11
$20.22 €18.14
16.37%
Cinema Ticket
$11.32 €10.16
$13.28 €11.91
-14.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rome
Arona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$488 €438
$895 €803
-45.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.7K €15.0K
$19.5K €17.5K
-14.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rome
Arona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.1 €63.8
$89.4 €80.2
-20.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.84 €33.04
$37.29 €33.45
-1.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.4 €76.6
$106 €95.2
-19.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$130 €117
-1.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rome
Arona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 €1,163
$680 €610
90.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$875 €785
$502 €451
74.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,584 €2,318
$1,310 €1,175
97.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,739 €1,560
$903 €810
92.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,477 €7,604
$2,697 €2,419
214.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,239 €2,905
$1,817 €1,630
78.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rome
Arona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,948 €1,748
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
3.65
-3.56%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arona: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rome
$875
Arona
$502 42.6% $373
Groceries & Markets
Rome
$326
Arona
$313 4% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
$254
Arona
$233 8.1% $21
Eating Out
Rome
$249
Arona
$227 9% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Rome
$145
Arona
$163 13% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Rome
$88
Arona
$85 3.2% $2.8
Getting Around
Rome
$61
Arona
$60 2.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $680 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Rome vs $78 in Arona. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $313, with Arona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Rome
🇮🇹 Arona
🕒 Local time
23:33 11:33 PM
23:33 11:33 PM
Same time as Rome
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,848,084 Capital
14,310
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rome Arona 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Rome
  • Arona

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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arona cheaper than Rome?
Arona is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,996 in Rome and $2,374 in Arona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Rome and Arona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,297 in Rome versus $680 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $488 in Rome versus $895 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Rome and in Arona?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Rome or in Arona?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Arona is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Rome or in Arona?
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.
Which city is safer, Rome or Arona?
Safety-wise, Rome and Arona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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