Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Columbus, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,998 a month against $2,335 in Columbus, GA, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
Learn more

Rome Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, GA
Learn more

Columbus, GA Living Index

Jump to prices

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Columbus, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,335

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Columbus, GA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $2,335 in Columbus, GA.

Rome $1,998
Columbus, GA $2,335

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $3,064 in Columbus, GA.

Rome $3,117
Columbus, GA $3,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,794 in Columbus, GA.

Rome $4,236
Columbus, GA $3,794

Living in Rome costs roughly 14% less than in Columbus, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Columbus, GA 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$22.06 $22.06

-24.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$80.4 $80.4

-18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$9.85 $9.85

12.49%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$4.92 $4.92

-57.32%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.66 $2.66

9.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.96 $1.96

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$4.87 $4.87

15.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$6.89 $6.89

-3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.91 $0.91

89.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.05 $3.05

-25.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.96 $1.96

52.55%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$2.99 $2.99

58.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$5.90 $5.90

146.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$10.32 $10.32

22.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$8.99 $8.99

120.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$3.62 $3.62

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.33 $1.33

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.79 $2.79

-11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.55 $3.55

-31.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.70 $1.70

-18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.82 $1.82

-14.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.73 $1.73

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.73 $1.73

-68.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.83 $6.83

7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$14.81 $14.81

-63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.70 $1.70

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.23 $1.23

113.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.29 $1.29

26.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$52.5 $52.5

-25.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$1.95 $1.95

233.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.27 $1.27

32.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$20.76 $20.76

60.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.03 $1.03

110.68%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$37.4K $37.4K

-5.60%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

37.32%

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

$203 €181

$170 $170

19.05%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$46.40 $46.40

-75.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$64.1 $64.1

-50.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$25.42 $25.42

159.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$7.55 $7.55

203.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$12.63 $12.63

-11.08%

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

$484 €430

$996 $996

-51.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$13.9K $13.9K

19.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$45.27 $45.27

56.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$30.22 $30.22

20.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$91.4 $91.4

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$105 $105

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$1,399 $1,399

-12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$1,205 $1,205

-26.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,240 $1,240

38.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$6,059 $6,059

36.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$6,122 $6,122

-49.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$3,653 $3,653

-46.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

6.42

-45.17%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Columbus, GA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Columbus, GA

$1.2K 51.6% 36.8% $324

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Columbus, GA

$288 12.3% 12.6% $42

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Columbus, GA

$322 13.8% 28.2% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Columbus, GA

$281 12% 14% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Columbus, GA

$123 5.3% 13.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Columbus, GA

$51 2.2% 42.6% $38

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Columbus, GA

$66 2.8% 8.6% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $1,399 in Columbus, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbus, GA pays 88% 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: $66.0 in Rome vs $80.0 in Columbus, GA. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $288, with Columbus, GA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇺🇸 Columbus, GA

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

6 h behind Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

905,748

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rome Columbus, GA 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rome
Columbus, GA

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 Columbus, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Columbus, GA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Columbus, GA. 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: $1,222 in Rome versus $1,399 in Columbus, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Rome versus $2,335 in Columbus, GA – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rome runs roughly 34% less than in Columbus, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,998 in Rome versus $2,335 in Columbus, GA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Columbus, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Rome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,998 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Columbus, GA 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Columbus, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.