Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Carrara

For one person, living is cheaper in Carrara: $1,729 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Carrara
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Carrara Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Carrara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Carrara

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Rome vs $1,729 in Carrara, rent included.

Rome $1,997
Carrara $1,729

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Rome vs $2,591 in Carrara, rent included.

Rome $3,132
Carrara $2,591

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Rome vs $3,453 in Carrara, rent included.

Rome $4,266
Carrara $3,453

Rome costs about 16% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rome and Carrara sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Carrara by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.67

$22.62 €20.18

-27.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.6

$78.0 €69.6

-12.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.94

$10.00 €8.92

11.40%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.80

$1.72 €1.53

17.44%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$2.66 €2.37

12.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.09 €0.97

35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.08

$6.86 €6.12

-17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.04

$6.20 €5.53

9.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.59 €1.42

6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.15 €1.91

1.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.91 €2.59

5.84%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.23

$3.45 €3.08

37.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.07

$12.68 €11.32

15.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.11

$12.14 €10.83

2.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.38

$25.81 €23.03

-24.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.53 €2.25

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.29 €2.05

2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$3.24 €2.89

-28.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.09

$3.31 €2.95

-29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.81 €1.61

-24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$1.85 €1.65

-12.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.42 €1.26

-7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$0.33 €0.29

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.27

$6.61 €5.90

6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$7.87 €7.02

-28.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.95 €1.74

-15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.26 €2.02

11.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.94 €1.73

-15.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.32

$38.47 €34.33

2.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.04

$3.59 €3.20

88.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.26 €1.13

30.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.35

$30.82 €27.50

10.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.03 €1.81

6.90%

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

$35.4K €31.6K

$35.2K €31.4K

0.47%

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

$36.6K €32.7K

$38.5K €34.4K

-4.94%

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

$210 €187

$240 €214

-12.57%

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

$11.53 €10.29

$11.47 €10.24

0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.84

$33.46 €29.85

-3.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.0

$35.74 €31.89

81.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €20.99

$24.18 €21.57

-2.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.10

$11.12 €9.92

1.80%

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

$488 €435

$765 €683

-36.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$9,862 €8,799

69.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.5

$22.26 €19.86

219.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €32.87

$39.02 €34.81

-5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.2

$88.0 €78.5

-2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$136 €121

-5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,157

$534 €476

143.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €781

$565 €504

54.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,305

$1,148 €1,024

125.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,552

$807 €720

115.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,563

$2,969 €2,649

185.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,890

$2,046 €1,826

58.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,738

$1,656 €1,478

17.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.16

11.39%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carrara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Carrara

$565 32.7% 35.5% $311

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Carrara

$344 19.9% 5.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Carrara

$285 16.5% 12.3% $31

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Carrara

$293 17% 17.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Carrara

$128 7.4% 11.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Carrara

$58 3.4% 33.8% $30

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Carrara

$56 3.3% 8.2% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,297 in Rome versus $534 in Carrara. 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 18% higher in Rome. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rome versus $78 in Carrara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $344 – making Rome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Carrara

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

63,133

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rome Carrara 310 km

From you

Rome
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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 Carrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome costs about 16% more than Carrara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Rome and $2,593 in Carrara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carrara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $534 there versus $1,297 in Rome.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Rome – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rome and $78 in Carrara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,729 in Carrara to $1,997 in Rome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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