Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Ballarat Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Ballarat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,986 in Rome versus $1,676 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,073 in Rome versus $2,749 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,159 in Rome versus $3,823 in Ballarat.

Living in Rome is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ballarat, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 49% above, Ballarat 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.33

$14.18 A$20.29

23.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.4

$64.2 A$92.0

18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 €10.20

$9.73 A$13.94

19.94%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.55

$3.55 A$5.09

-50.14%

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

$2.45 €2.14

$2.53 A$3.62

-3.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$2.02 A$2.89

-37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.02

$6.03 A$8.63

-4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.42

$7.01 A$10.03

-27.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.46 A$2.09

16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.57 A$3.68

-19.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.61

$1.54 A$2.21

94.16%

Eggs

$4.52 €3.95

$4.27 A$6.12

5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 €15.45

$8.82 A$12.62

100.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.26

$9.47 A$13.56

24.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 €17.96

$14.55 A$20.83

41.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$3.26 A$4.67

-25.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.81 A$4.03

-16.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.89 A$4.13

-30.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.34

$3.88 A$5.56

-31.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.69 A$3.85

-34.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.33 A$3.33

-20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.19 A$3.13

-42.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.04 A$1.49

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €5.95

$31.14 A$44.58

-78.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$13.93 A$19.95

-71.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.14 A$3.07

-9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.41

$2.90 A$4.15

-4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.71 A$2.45

0.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 €35.97

$64.6 A$92.6

-36.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.57

$2.32 A$3.33

125.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.15 A$1.65

37.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.86 €30.46

$24.91 A$35.67

39.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.14 A$1.64

78.07%

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

$29.0K €25.3K

$27.8K A$39.8K

4.36%

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

$29.9K €26.1K

$23.1K A$33.1K

29.01%

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

$222 €194

$153 A$219

45.60%

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

$10.96 €9.58

$20.80 A$29.78

-47.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.99 €27.07

$50.2 A$71.8

-38.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €56.1

$32.31 A$46.26

98.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 €20.96

$15.46 A$22.14

55.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 €10.16

$11.21 A$16.05

3.75%

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

$539 €471

$321 A$460

67.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,341

$19.0K A$27.2K

-43.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €63.9

$65.8 A$94.2

11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 €30.22

$53.1 A$76.0

-34.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.7

$86.0 A$123

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$90.8 A$130

30.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,160

$860 A$1,231

54.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 €757

$632 A$904

37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,268

$2,055 A$2,943

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 €1,400

$1,339 A$1,918

19.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,434 €7,369

$4,630 A$6,629

82.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 €3,026

$3,407 A$4,877

1.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,701

$3,172 A$4,542

-38.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

6.07

-34.93%

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

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,328 in Rome and $860 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Rome vs $64.0 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $323 per month, with Ballarat 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

Rome vs Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Ballarat. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,328 in Rome versus $860 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Rome versus $321 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,676 in Ballarat versus $1,986 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ballarat delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,676 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ballarat hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.