Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Cantù

For one person, living is cheaper in Cantù: $1,667 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
Learn more

Rome Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Cantù
Learn more

Cantù Living Index

Jump to prices

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Cantù

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Cantù

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $1,667 in Cantù.

Rome $1,997
Cantù $1,667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $2,668 in Cantù.

Rome $3,132
Cantù $2,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $3,670 in Cantù.

Rome $4,266
Cantù $3,670

Living in Rome is roughly 20% more expensive than in Cantù, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Cantù 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.74

$22.30 €19.99

-26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.9

$90.8 €81.4

-25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.98

$11.09 €9.94

0.45%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.81

$1.80 €1.61

12.22%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$2.91 €2.61

3.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.71 €1.53

-13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$5.62 €5.04

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.06

$6.17 €5.53

9.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.39 €1.25

21.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.25 €2.02

-2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.76

$3.58 €3.21

-13.97%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$3.98 €3.57

19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.12

$15.19 €13.61

-3.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.16

$12.84 €11.50

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.46

$18.22 €16.32

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.84 €2.54

-8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.62 €1.45

45.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$3.07 €2.75

-24.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.35 €2.11

-0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.89 €1.69

-28.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$1.82 €1.63

-11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.66 €1.48

-20.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$0.60 €0.54

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.30

$6.62 €5.93

6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.03

$5.53 €4.96

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$0.87 €0.78

88.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$1.66 €1.48

51.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.77 €1.59

-7.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.47

$46.47 €41.64

-14.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.06

$5.75 €5.15

17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.29 €2.05

-27.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.49

$38.40 €34.41

-11.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.01 €1.81

7.96%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

$35.8K €32.0K

-1.09%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$35.0K €31.4K

4.51%

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

$210 €188

$194 €174

7.93%

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

$11.53 €10.33

$12.72 €11.40

-9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.96

$27.58 €24.72

17.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.3

$54.8 €49.14

18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.08

$24.80 €22.23

-5.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.15

$11.66 €10.45

-2.92%

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

$488 €437

$719 €645

-32.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$7,047 €6,314

136.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.7

$88.5 €79.3

-19.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.01

$43.93 €39.37

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.5

$109 €97.6

-21.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$129 €116

-0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,162

$657 €589

97.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €784

$504 €451

73.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,315

$1,080 €968

139.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,559

$910 €816

91.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,596

$3,348 €3,000

153.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,902

$2,237 €2,004

44.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,746

$2,753 €2,467

-29.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.65

-3.56%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cantù: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Cantù

$504 30.2% 42.5% $372

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Cantù

$321 19.3% 1.5% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Cantù

$235 14.1% 7.5% $19

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Cantù

$292 17.5% 17.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Cantù

$167 10% 15.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Cantù

$78 4.7% 10.8% $9.5

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Cantù

$71 4.2% 15.7% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $657 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Rome vs $91 in Cantù. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $321, with Cantù cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Cantù

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

35,153

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rome Cantù 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rome
Cantù

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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,997 in Rome and $1,667 in Cantù, so Cantù is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Rome. 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: $1,297 in Rome versus $657 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rome runs roughly 15% less than in Cantù. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,997 per month in Rome versus $1,667 in Cantù – Cantù is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cantù gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Cantù are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.