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: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,733 in Cantù.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,634 in Cantù.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,534 in Cantù.

Living in Rome is roughly 17% more expensive than Cantù, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Cantù 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$17.59 €15.13

-2.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$81.8 €70.3

-9.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$11.46 €9.86

2.44%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$1.92 €1.65

-4.69%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.88 €2.47

-12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.36 €1.17

-6.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$5.91 €5.09

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$5.63 €4.84

-7.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.66 €1.43

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.14 €0.98

87.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$3.56 €3.07

-17.13%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.98 €3.43

13.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €14.99

$15.88 €13.66

9.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.32

$13.54 €11.65

-11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.37

$18.22 €15.67

10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.75 €2.36

-10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.73 €1.48

28.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.46 €2.11

-20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.86 €2.46

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.70 €1.47

4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.78 €1.53

4.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.36 €1.17

-7.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.57 €0.49

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.13

$7.00 €6.02

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$4.75 €4.08

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.09 €1.80

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.67 €2.29

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.69 €1.46

5.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.27

$42.95 €36.95

-4.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$3.42 €2.94

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.02 €1.74

-20.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.18

$56.9 €48.90

-38.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.11 €1.82

-7.58%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$28.5K €24.5K

2.89%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$32.6K €28.1K

-7.57%

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

$219 €189

$244 €210

-10.04%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$15.29 €13.15

-27.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.93

$30.29 €26.06

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.1

$54.3 €46.69

18.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.48

$22.84 €19.65

4.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.09

$11.95 €10.28

-1.84%

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

$528 €454

$751 €646

-29.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,966

$4,103 €3,530

154.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.0

$93.3 €80.3

-21.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.74

$40.56 €34.89

-14.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.8

$108 €93.1

-19.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$139 €120

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,139

$753 €648

75.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €761

$573 €492

54.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,289

$1,223 €1,052

117.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,407

$940 €809

74.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,510

$2,547 €2,191

242.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,970

$2,133 €1,835

61.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,770

$2,952 €2,539

-30.28%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cantù: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $753 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rome vs $82.0 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 17% in total monthly costs ($2,027 vs $1,733 including rent). Cantù is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cantù earns 43% less. 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $753 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $751 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 $1,733 in Cantù versus $2,027 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 17% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.