Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Bologna

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,998 a month against $2,168 in Bologna, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
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Bologna Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Bologna

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

A single person spends $1,998 per month in Rome vs $2,168 in Bologna, rent included.

Rome $1,998
Bologna $2,168

A couple spends around $3,117 per month in Rome vs $3,357 in Bologna, rent included.

Rome $3,117
Bologna $3,357

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Rome vs $4,546 in Bologna, rent included.

Rome $4,236
Bologna $4,546

Rome is about 8% cheaper than Bologna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rome and Bologna sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, Bologna by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$22.66 €20.16

-26.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$87.8 €78.1

-25.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.46 €11.98

-17.68%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$2.24 €1.99

-6.25%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$3.52 €3.13

-17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.81 €1.61

-18.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$6.68 €5.94

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.63 €5.01

18.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.40 €1.25

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.99 €2.66

-24.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.89 €2.57

3.46%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.01 €3.57

18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$20.41 €18.15

-28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$12.24 €10.88

3.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$21.03 €18.70

-5.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.48 €2.21

6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.40 €2.13

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.55 €2.27

-3.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.31 €2.95

-26.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.88 €1.67

-26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.71 €1.52

-9.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.35 €1.20

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.56 €0.50

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.88 €6.12

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$7.96 €7.08

-31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.91 €1.70

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.83 €2.52

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.63 €2.34

-38.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$42.76 €38.03

-8.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$4.64 €4.13

40.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.65 €1.47

1.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$31.98 €28.45

3.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.14 €1.90

1.40%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.8K €32.8K

-4.05%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$36.4K €32.4K

-2.73%

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

$203 €181

$249 €221

-18.33%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$11.10 €9.88

3.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$31.22 €27.77

2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$63.1 €56.1

4.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$26.63 €23.69

-14.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$9.87 €8.78

13.78%

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

$484 €430

$768 €683

-37.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$93.5 €83.1

-24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$46.18 €41.08

-20.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$122 €109

-30.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$146 €129

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$1,141 €1,015

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$867 €771

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$2,081 €1,851

21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,574 €1,400

9.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$5,130 €4,563

61.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$3,737 €3,324

-17.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$2,103 €1,870

-7.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.19

10.34%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bologna: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Bologna

$867 40% 1.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Bologna

$363 16.7% 10.2% $34

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Bologna

$314 14.5% 25.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Bologna

$291 13.4% 18% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Bologna

$183 8.5% 29.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Bologna

$83 3.8% 6.3% $5.5

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Bologna

$66 3.1% 9% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Rome versus $1,141 in Bologna. 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 8% higher in Bologna, 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 $66.0 in Rome versus $88.0 in Bologna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $363 – making Rome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Bologna

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

386,663

💱 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 Bologna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bologna costs about 8% more than Rome, 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 $2,998 per month in Rome and $3,251 in Bologna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rome, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Rome. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Rome and $768 in Bologna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rome, where all-in costs run around $1,998, than in Bologna at $2,168. In Rome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bologna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rome costs $1,998 versus $2,168 in Bologna. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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