Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Cento

For one person, living is cheaper in Cento: $1,633 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Cento
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Cento Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Cento

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Cento

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $1,633 in Cento.

Rome $1,997
Cento $1,633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $2,650 in Cento.

Rome $3,132
Cento $2,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $3,667 in Cento.

Rome $4,266
Cento $3,667

Living in Rome is roughly 22% more expensive than in Cento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Cento 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.77

$20.03 €17.99

-17.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €61.0

$89.7 €80.6

-24.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €10.01

$13.20 €11.86

-15.61%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.82

$2.20 €1.98

-8.18%

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

$3.00 €2.70

$3.36 €3.02

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.63 €1.46

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$6.17 €5.55

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.08

$5.69 €5.11

18.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.41 €1.27

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.85 €2.56

-23.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.69 €2.42

14.50%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$4.00 €3.60

18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.16

$18.66 €16.76

-21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.18

$12.21 €10.96

1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.50

$16.89 €15.17

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.34

$2.26 €2.03

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.71 €1.54

37.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.92 €1.72

21.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.55 €2.29

-8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.29 €1.16

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

$1.42 €1.28

13.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.73 €1.55

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.32

$6.64 €5.97

5.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$7.99 €7.17

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.48

$1.61 €1.44

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.26

$1.83 €1.64

37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.63 €1.47

0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.56

$45.29 €40.68

-12.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.08

$4.70 €4.22

44.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.49 €1.34

10.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.56

$28.07 €25.22

21.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.10 €1.89

3.33%

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

$35.4K €31.8K

$35.1K €31.5K

0.75%

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

$36.6K €32.9K

$37.3K €33.5K

-1.88%

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

$210 €188

$232 €209

-9.69%

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

$11.53 €10.36

$11.22 €10.08

2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €29.03

$27.50 €24.70

17.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.4

$50.9 €45.76

27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.14

$23.95 €21.51

-1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.17

$9.95 €8.94

13.77%

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

$488 €438

$428 €385

13.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$4,500 €4,043

270.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.9

$90.8 €81.6

-21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.09

$43.38 €38.97

-15.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.7

$96.5 €86.7

-11.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$148 €133

-13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,165

$555 €498

133.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €786

$442 €397

97.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,321

$1,041 €935

148.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,562

$913 €820

90.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,615

$2,638 €2,369

221.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,910

$1,842 €1,654

75.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,750

$1,741 €1,564

11.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.19

10.34%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cento: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Cento

$442 27.1% 49.5% $433

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Cento

$327 20% 0.2% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Cento

$271 16.6% 6.9% $17

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Cento

$288 17.7% 15.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Cento

$170 10.4% 17.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Cento

$71 4.3% 19.2% $17

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Cento

$64 3.9% 4.6% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $555 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 12% 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: $68 in Rome vs $90 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $327 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Cento

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

35,582

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Cento 330 km

From you

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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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,297 in Rome versus $555 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $488 in Rome versus $428 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rome – a meal for two runs $68 versus $90 in Cento. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Cento wins on affordability, Rome on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.