Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Balzan Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Balzan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,027 per month in Rome vs $1,772 in Balzan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,143 per month in Rome vs $2,807 in Balzan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,260 per month in Rome vs $3,841 in Balzan, rent included.

Rome costs about 14% more than Balzan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Rome and Balzan sit above the global median – Rome by 51%, Balzan by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$19.37 €16.68

-11.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$68.8 €59.2

7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.48 €9.89

2.26%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$2.71 €2.34

-32.47%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.07 €1.78

21.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.06 €0.91

19.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$3.43 €2.95

70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$2.63 €2.26

98.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.24 €1.06

36.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.02 €0.88

109.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$3.44 €2.96

-14.24%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.73 €3.21

20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$9.69 €8.35

79.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$9.30 €8.01

29.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$12.55 €10.81

60.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.59 €2.23

-5.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.98 €1.70

12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.82 €1.57

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.15 €0.99

124.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.94 €0.81

88.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.88 €0.76

111.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.90 €0.77

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$1.00 €0.86

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$6.35 €5.47

12.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$6.03 €5.19

-23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.07 €0.92

82.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.47 €1.27

85.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.10 €2.67

-42.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.42

$2.28 €1.96

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.87 €1.61

-14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.21

$35.38 €30.47

-0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.58 €1.36

23.42%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$25.9K €22.3K

13.02%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$33.0K €28.4K

-8.51%

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

$219 €189

$165 €142

32.92%

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

$11.01 €9.48

$21.16 €18.22

-47.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.96

$32.57 €28.04

-3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$63.9 €55.1

0.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.50

$23.04 €19.84

3.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$15.23 €13.12

-22.98%

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

$528 €455

$262 €226

101.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,976

$12.7K €10.9K

-17.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$101 €87.0

-27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.77

$39.17 €33.73

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$143 €123

-39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$103 €88.3

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,141

$860 €740

54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$783 €674

13.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,292

$1,619 €1,394

64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,409

$1,532 €1,319

6.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,518

$4,054 €3,490

115.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,973

$2,893 €2,491

19.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,061 €914

93.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

5.43

-27.26%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Balzan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,325 in Rome versus $860 in Balzan. 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 94% 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 $74.0 in Rome versus $69.0 in Balzan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $243 – making Balzan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Balzan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,027 in Rome, $1,772 in Balzan – roughly 14% apart. Rome costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,041 per month in Rome and $2,658 in Balzan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Rome and $69.0 in Balzan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Rome, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Balzan, where all-in costs run around $1,772, than in Rome at $2,027. In Balzan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,772 in Balzan to $2,027 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.

If budget matters most, go with Balzan. 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.