Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Cantù Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Cantù

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,986 in Rome versus $1,763 in Cantù.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,073 in Rome versus $2,698 in Cantù.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,159 in Rome versus $3,633 in Cantù.

Living in Rome is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cantù, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 49% above, Cantù 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.35

$17.60 €15.40

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.5

$80.6 €70.5

-5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 €10.21

$11.71 €10.24

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.55

$2.02 €1.76

-12.38%

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

$2.45 €2.14

$2.86 €2.50

-14.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.34 €1.17

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.03

$5.77 €5.04

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.43

$5.56 €4.86

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.65 €1.44

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.17 €1.03

76.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.62

$3.37 €2.95

-11.28%

Eggs

$4.52 €3.95

$4.07 €3.56

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 €15.47

$16.04 €14.03

10.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.28

$13.20 €11.55

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 €17.99

$18.27 €15.99

12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.64 €2.31

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.71 €1.49

38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.45 €2.14

-17.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.34

$2.94 €2.57

-9.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.71 €1.50

2.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.69 €1.48

9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.30 €1.14

-2.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.57 €0.50

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €5.95

$6.93 €6.06

-1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$5.53 €4.84

-28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.70

$2.15 €1.88

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.42

$2.71 €2.37

1.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.69 €1.48

1.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 €36.02

$43.79 €38.32

-6.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.57

$3.56 €3.11

46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.94 €1.70

-18.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.86 €30.50

$58.6 €51.2

-40.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.10 €1.84

-3.33%

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

$29.0K €25.4K

-0.04%

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

$29.9K €26.1K

$32.7K €28.6K

-8.54%

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

$222 €195

$243 €213

-8.51%

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

$10.96 €9.59

$15.42 €13.49

-28.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.99 €27.11

$30.53 €26.71

1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €56.1

$55.6 €48.68

15.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 €20.98

$23.36 €20.43

2.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 €10.18

$11.96 €10.46

-2.76%

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

$539 €472

$753 €658

-28.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,353

$4,094 €3,582

161.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €64.0

$92.7 €81.1

-21.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 €30.26

$40.00 €34.99

-13.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.8

$108 €94.5

-19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$139 €121

-14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,162

$766 €670

73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 €758

$580 €507

49.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,271

$1,229 €1,075

111.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 €1,402

$930 €814

72.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,434 €7,379

$2,758 €2,413

205.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 €3,031

$2,125 €1,859

62.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,703

$2,886 €2,525

-32.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.68

-15.60%

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

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Last update for Cantù: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,328 in Rome and $766 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Rome vs $81.0 in Cantù. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $323, with Cantù 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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Cantù differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,986 vs $1,763 including rent). Cantù is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Cantù. 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: $1,328 in Rome versus $766 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Rome versus $753 in Cantù. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,763 in Cantù versus $1,986 in Rome, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cantù but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Cantù 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 Cantù 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 Cantù gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.