Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Bergamo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bergamo: $1,600 a month against $1,998 in Rome, 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Bergamo
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Bergamo Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Bergamo

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,600

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Bergamo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,600 in Bergamo.

Rome $1,998
Bergamo $1,600

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,468 in Bergamo.

Rome $3,117
Bergamo $2,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,337 in Bergamo.

Rome $4,236
Bergamo $3,337

Living in Rome is roughly 25% more expensive than in Bergamo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Bergamo 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$15.55 €13.83

7.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$82.5 €73.3

-20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$11.14 €9.91

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$1.87 €1.67

12.30%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$3.30 €2.93

-11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.32 €1.18

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.73 €5.09

-1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.72 €5.08

16.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.40 €1.24

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.04 €1.81

11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.07 €2.73

-2.61%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$3.65 €3.24

30.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$15.14 €13.46

-4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$11.43 €10.17

10.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$16.08 €14.31

23.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.26 €2.01

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.63 €1.45

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.27 €2.02

8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.61 €2.32

-7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.74 €1.55

-20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$2.15 €1.91

-27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.85 €1.64

-28.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.48 €0.43

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$7.35 €6.54

-0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$4.21 €3.74

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.23 €1.10

28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.77 €1.58

48.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.87 €1.67

-12.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$45.04 €40.07

-12.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$10.13 €9.01

-35.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.17 €1.93

-22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$39.74 €35.34

-16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.00 €1.78

8.50%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.0K €32.0K

-1.70%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$34.9K €31.0K

1.58%

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

$203 €181

$192 €170

5.91%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$8.79 €7.82

30.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$27.88 €24.80

14.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$32.89 €29.25

100.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$22.56 €20.06

1.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$10.95 €9.74

2.56%

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

$484 €430

$563 €500

-14.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$13.6K €12.1K

21.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$71.7 €63.7

-0.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$31.80 €28.29

14.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$88.5 €78.7

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$106 €93.9

15.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$740 €658

65.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$574 €511

53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,383 €1,230

83.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$926 €824

85.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$3,442 €3,061

140.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,518 €2,240

22.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$2,412 €2,145

-19.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.05

15.41%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bergamo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Bergamo

$574 35.9% 34.8% $307

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Bergamo

$296 18.5% 10.1% $33

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Bergamo

$239 14.9% 4.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Bergamo

$228 14.3% 7.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Bergamo

$134 8.4% 5.3% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Bergamo

$55 3.4% 38% $34

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Bergamo

$74 4.6% 21.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $740 in Bergamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergamo pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rome vs $82.0 in Bergamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $296, with Bergamo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Bergamo

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

120,569

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bergamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Bergamo differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,998 vs $1,600 including rent). Bergamo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Bergamo. 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 $740 in Bergamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bergamo – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $66.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Rome versus $1,600 in Bergamo – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,600 in Bergamo versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bergamo but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Bergamo 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 Bergamo 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 Bergamo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.