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: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,542 in Biella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,336 in Biella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,130 in Biella.

Living in Rome is roughly 31% more expensive than Biella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Biella 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$15.43 €13.29

11.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$70.9 €61.0

4.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.25 €9.69

4.36%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$1.66 €1.43

10.24%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$3.42 €2.95

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.30 €1.12

-2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.13 €4.41

14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.71 €4.05

11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.41 €1.22

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.11 €1.82

1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.35 €2.02

25.53%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$4.08 €3.52

10.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$14.71 €12.66

18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$9.87 €8.50

21.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$23.05 €19.84

-12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.54 €2.19

-3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.74 €1.50

28.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.71 €1.47

14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$3.29 €2.83

-21.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.66 €1.43

6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.70 €1.47

9.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.37 €1.18

-8.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.43 €0.37

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$7.01 €6.04

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$6.88 €5.93

-32.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.08 €1.79

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.93 €1.66

-7.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$39.54 €34.04

3.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$11.74 €10.10

-56.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.04 €1.75

-21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$57.4 €49.40

-38.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.09 €1.80

-6.70%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$28.3K €24.4K

3.64%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$32.4K €27.9K

-6.86%

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

$219 €189

$242 €208

-9.39%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$6.74 €5.80

63.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$29.76 €25.62

5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$69.6 €60.0

-7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$25.34 €21.81

-6.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$9.46 €8.14

24.00%

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

$528 €455

$558 €480

-5.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$7,896 €6,797

32.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$91.7 €78.9

-20.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$37.42 €32.22

-7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$79.9 €68.8

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$117 €101

1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$460 €396

188.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$406 €349

118.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$773 €665

244.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$641 €552

155.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$1,704 €1,467

412.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$877 €755

293.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,899 €1,635

8.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.47

-11.63%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Biella: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $460 in Biella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 8% 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $71.0 in Biella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $319 per month, with Biella cheaper across the board.

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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,027 vs $1,542 including rent). Biella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rome pays 8% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,325 in Rome versus $460 in Biella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $558 in Biella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,542 in Biella versus $2,027 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 31% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.