Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Biella Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Biella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,066 in Rome versus $1,495 in Biella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,252 in Rome versus $2,312 in Biella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,438 in Rome versus $3,129 in Biella.

Living in Rome is roughly 38% more expensive than in Biella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 50% above, Biella 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 €15.17

$17.78 €15.33

-1.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 €59.4

$68.4 €59.0

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 €9.97

$11.00 €9.48

5.18%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.94

$1.89 €1.63

19.05%

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

$3.11 €2.68

$3.41 €2.94

-8.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.34 €1.15

11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.09

$5.19 €4.47

13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 €5.87

$4.54 €3.92

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.34 €1.16

32.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.27 €1.95

0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 €2.69

$3.07 €2.65

1.63%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.89

$3.91 €3.37

15.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 €13.04

$14.61 €12.59

3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 €10.74

$9.13 €7.87

36.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.91 €16.30

$21.76 €18.76

-13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.29 €2.84

-19.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.15 €1.85

10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$1.98 €1.71

31.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$4.84 €4.17

-51.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.94 €1.68

-25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.91 €1.65

-15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.53 €1.32

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$0.34 €0.29

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.42 €6.40

$7.03 €6.06

5.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.16 €3.59

$6.92 €5.96

-39.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.08 €1.80

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.34

$2.68 €2.31

1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.99 €1.72

-11.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.05 €34.53

$38.62 €33.29

3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.63 €6.58

$14.84 €12.79

-48.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.77 €1.53

-3.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.52 €29.76

$29.85 €25.73

15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.09 €1.80

-0.48%

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

$36.8K €31.8K

$37.9K €32.7K

-2.88%

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

$36.5K €31.5K

$36.1K €31.2K

1.05%

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

$215 €185

$200 €173

7.19%

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

$12.52 €10.80

$8.06 €6.95

55.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.79 €27.40

$28.34 €24.43

12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 €60.3

$71.1 €61.3

-1.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.16 €21.69

$25.10 €21.64

0.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 €9.88

$9.06 €7.81

26.49%

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

$516 €444

$733 €632

-29.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K €15.4K

$10.5K €9,022

70.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.8 €63.6

$87.6 €75.5

-15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 €33.43

$44.38 €38.26

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 €75.8

$87.3 €75.2

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €105

$114 €98.7

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 €1,075

$429 €370

190.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 €765

$383 €330

131.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 €2,248

$727 €627

258.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 €1,494

$579 €499

199.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,745 €7,538

$1,677 €1,446

421.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,273 €2,821

$875 €754

274.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,963 €1,692

-0.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.4

3.53%

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

Last update for Rome: September 5, 2026

Last update for Biella: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,247 in Rome and $429 in Biella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Rome vs $68.0 in Biella. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $330, with Rome cheaper for home cooking.

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 Biella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Biella differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,066 vs $1,495 including rent). Biella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Biella. 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: $1,247 in Rome versus $429 in Biella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $516 in Rome versus $733 in Biella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rome pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,495 in Biella versus $2,066 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Biella but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Biella 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 Biella 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 Biella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.