Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,998 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Rome $1,998
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Rome $3,117
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Rome $4,236
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Rome costs roughly 17% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$17.94 €15.96

-6.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$68.1 €60.5

-3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.28 €11.81

-16.57%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$3.25 €2.89

-35.38%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$3.01 €2.67

-3.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.87 €1.66

-20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$3.85 €3.42

45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$4.48 €3.98

49.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.29 €1.15

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.04 €1.81

11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.72 €1.53

73.84%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.77 €4.24

-0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$16.77 €14.92

-13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$8.93 €7.94

41.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$19.88 €17.68

-0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.98 €2.65

-11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.03 €1.80

12.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.73 €2.43

-9.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.68 €2.38

-9.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.10 €1.87

-34.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$2.08 €1.85

-25.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.45 €1.29

-8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.89 €0.79

-38.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.94 €6.17

5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$7.78 €6.92

-30.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.45 €1.29

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.57 €2.29

1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.99 €2.66

-45.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$25.20 €22.41

55.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$3.12 €2.77

108.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.44 €1.28

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$33.50 €29.80

-0.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.79 €1.59

21.23%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$34.6K €30.8K

2.07%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$30.1K €26.7K

17.81%

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

$203 €181

$178 €158

14.12%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$13.32 €11.85

-13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$34.88 €31.03

-8.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$53.3 €47.37

23.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$16.01 €14.24

42.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.06 €9.84

1.54%

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

$484 €430

$957 €851

-49.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$16.6K €14.7K

-0.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$88.2 €78.4

-19.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$39.49 €35.12

-7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$103 €91.5

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$121 €108

0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$1,653 €1,470

-26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$1,302 €1,158

-32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$2,557 €2,275

-0.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,915 €1,703

-10.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$7,286 €6,481

13.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$5,080 €4,519

-39.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$2,281 €2,029

-14.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.28

7.32%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 47.7% $420

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 2.8% $9.1

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 7.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 8.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 12% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 14.7% $13

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Barcelona

$47 2% 21.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rome vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Barcelona 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Barcelona differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,998 vs $2,399 including rent). Rome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,222 in Rome versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Rome versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,998 in Rome versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Rome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Rome and Barcelona 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.