Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Bari

For one person, living is cheaper in Bari: $1,741 a month against $2,054 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Bari
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Bari Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,054

/mo nomad

Bari

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Bari

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

A single person spends $2,054 per month in Rome vs $1,741 in Bari, rent included.

Rome $2,054
Bari $1,741

A couple spends around $3,178 per month in Rome vs $2,639 in Bari, rent included.

Rome $3,178
Bari $2,639

A family of three spends $4,301 per month in Rome vs $3,536 in Bari, rent included.

Rome $4,301
Bari $3,536

Rome costs about 18% more than Bari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rome and Bari sit above the global median – Rome by 52%, Bari by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.92 €15.92

$16.53 €14.68

8.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 €59.8

$66.1 €58.7

1.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.04

$11.11 €9.87

1.80%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.81

$1.93 €1.72

5.70%

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

$2.96 €2.63

$2.54 €2.26

16.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.25 €1.11

15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 €6.07

$3.88 €3.45

76.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 €6.12

$3.26 €2.90

111.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.50 €1.33

14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.77 €1.57

33.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.89 €2.56

4.15%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.29

$3.91 €3.48

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 €13.50

$15.18 €13.48

0.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.39

$11.27 €10.02

13.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 €18.00

$16.26 €14.44

24.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.25

$2.33 €2.07

9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.02 €1.79

13.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.06 €1.83

20.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$3.43 €3.05

-25.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.63 €1.45

-2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.58 €1.40

3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.13 €1.01

19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.42 €0.37

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.33

$6.84 €6.08

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$7.19 €6.38

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.95 €1.73

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.46 €2.18

8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.46

$1.09 €0.97

51.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 €34.09

$39.15 €34.78

-1.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.85

$3.85 €3.42

41.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 €1.40

$2.26 €2.00

-30.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.19 €32.15

$24.57 €21.82

47.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.03 €1.81

5.91%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$36.4K €32.3K

-2.63%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

$36.6K €32.5K

1.89%

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

$209 €185

$210 €186

-0.49%

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

$11.24 €9.99

$11.60 €10.30

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.64 €28.10

$31.23 €27.74

1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 €59.0

$45.31 €40.25

46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.35 €20.74

$25.66 €22.80

-9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.76

$8.23 €7.31

33.54%

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

$496 €441

$747 €664

-33.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K €21.0K

$8,198 €7,282

188.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 €68.6

$86.4 €76.7

-10.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 €33.80

$46.59 €41.38

-18.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 €80.1

$110 €98.0

-18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$145 €129

-12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 €1,197

$876 €778

53.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 €801

$657 €584

37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,707 €2,405

$1,620 €1,439

67.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,518

$1,095 €973

55.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,692 €7,721

$3,671 €3,261

136.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,223 €2,863

$2,196 €1,951

46.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,972 €1,751

$1,843 €1,637

6.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.92

-10.20%

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

Last update for Rome: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bari: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$901 43.9%

Bari

$657 37.8% 27.1% $244

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$337 16.4%

Bari

$306 17.6% 9.2% $31

Eating Out

Rome

$267 13%

Bari

$230 13.2% 14% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$252 12.3%

Bari

$253 14.5% 0.4% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$150 7.3%

Bari

$175 10% 16.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.3%

Bari

$62 3.6% 30.1% $27

Getting Around

Rome

$58 2.8%

Bari

$59 3.4% 0.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Rome versus $876 in Bari. 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 7% 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 $67 in Rome versus $66 in Bari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $306 – making Bari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Bari

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

326,344

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rome Bari 370 km

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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 Bari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome costs about 18% more than Bari, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,081 per month in Rome and $2,612 in Bari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bari, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $876 there versus $1,348 in Rome.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,054 in Rome and $1,741 in Bari. That makes Bari about 15% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Rome, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bari, where all-in costs run around $1,741, than in Rome at $2,054. In Bari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bari costs $1,741 versus $2,054 in Rome. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bari. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.