Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Catania

For one person, living is cheaper in Catania: $1,561 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Catania
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Catania Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,990

/mo nomad

Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Catania

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Rome versus $1,561 in Catania.

Rome $1,990
Catania $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,095 in Rome versus $2,390 in Catania.

Rome $3,095
Catania $2,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,199 in Rome versus $3,219 in Catania.

Rome $4,199
Catania $3,219

Living in Rome is roughly 27% more expensive than in Catania, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Catania 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.84

$17.12 €15.23

-2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €59.9

$55.8 €49.62

20.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.06

$11.11 €9.88

1.80%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.86

$2.10 €1.86

-0.48%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$2.90 €2.58

-0.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.07 €1.84

-29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.01

$6.70 €5.96

-15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.16

$4.09 €3.64

69.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.31 €1.17

26.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.59 €1.41

43.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.68 €2.39

13.06%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.03

$3.41 €3.03

32.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$11.37 €10.12

29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.95

$12.04 €10.71

2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 €17.35

$15.66 €13.93

24.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.99 €1.77

32.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.68 €1.50

36.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.38 €1.23

65.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.66 €2.37

-9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.76 €1.56

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.31 €1.16

18.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.23 €1.09

11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.47 €0.42

17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.37

$6.57 €5.84

8.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$7.89 €7.02

-30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.75 €1.56

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.53 €1.36

65.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.60 €1.43

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.95 €34.64

$36.97 €32.89

5.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.93

$4.44 €3.95

50.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.10 €0.98

55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €29.87

$22.19 €19.74

51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.13 €1.90

-0.94%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$36.7K €32.6K

-3.11%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

-0.03%

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

$203 €180

$315 €280

-35.66%

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

$11.33 €10.08

$10.58 €9.41

7.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €28.08

$34.75 €30.91

-9.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €58.4

$60.0 €53.4

9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 €20.89

$14.53 €12.92

61.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 €10.16

$9.16 €8.15

24.78%

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

$497 €442

$447 €397

11.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$6,707 €5,966

147.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €64.5

$85.8 €76.3

-15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 €31.97

$33.89 €30.15

6.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €75.7

$88.2 €78.4

-3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$128 €114

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,059

$607 €539

96.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €780

$381 €339

129.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 €2,229

$1,153 €1,026

117.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,497

$783 €696

115.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,438 €7,505

$2,254 €2,005

274.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 €2,809

$1,522 €1,354

107.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,962 €1,746

$1,763 €1,568

11.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.55

-0.85%

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

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Last update for Catania: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$876 44%

Catania

$381 24.4% 56.5% $495

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$325 16.3%

Catania

$280 17.9% 14.1% $46

Eating Out

Rome

$252 12.7%

Catania

$257 16.5% 2% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.4%

Catania

$361 23.1% 46.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$142 7.1%

Catania

$151 9.7% 6.6% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.5%

Catania

$78 5% 11.5% $10

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Catania

$53 3.4% 12.6% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Rome and $607 in Catania. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rome vs $56.0 in Catania for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $280 per month, with Catania cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Catania

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

298,037

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Catania 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Catania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Catania is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Rome, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,191 in Rome versus $607 in Catania. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,990 per month in Rome versus $1,561 in Catania – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Catania runs roughly 5% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,561 in Catania versus $1,990 in Rome, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Catania but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Catania the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Catania is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rome and Catania 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 Catania gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.