Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Cortona

For one person, living is cheaper in Cortona: $1,433 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Cortona
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Cortona Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Cortona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Cortona

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Rome vs $1,433 in Cortona, rent included.

Rome $1,997
Cortona $1,433

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Rome vs $2,197 in Cortona, rent included.

Rome $3,132
Cortona $2,197

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Rome vs $2,961 in Cortona, rent included.

Rome $4,266
Cortona $2,961

Rome costs about 39% more than Cortona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rome and Cortona sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Cortona by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.74

$16.79 €15.04

-2.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.9

$67.6 €60.6

0.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.98

$11.36 €10.18

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.81

$2.12 €1.90

-4.72%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$2.84 €2.55

5.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$5.47 €4.90

4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.06

$6.78 €6.08

-0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.73 €1.55

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.20 €1.97

-0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.76

$2.97 €2.66

3.70%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.12

$14.81 €13.27

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.16

$12.15 €10.89

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.46

$19.44 €17.42

0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.55 €2.28

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.29 €2.06

2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.36 €2.12

-1.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.39 €2.15

-2.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.41 €1.27

-3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.38 €1.23

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$0.55 €0.50

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.30

$6.94 €6.22

1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.03

$5.69 €5.10

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.59 €1.43

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.53 €2.27

-0.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.06

$6.61 €5.93

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.63 €1.46

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.49

$33.47 €29.99

1.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.16 €1.94

0.46%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

-0.10%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$36.3K €32.5K

0.96%

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

$210 €188

$202 €181

3.55%

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

$11.53 €10.33

$11.25 €10.08

2.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.96

$32.35 €28.99

-0.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.3

$28.04 €25.13

131.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.08

$11.04 €9.89

113.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.15

$11.25 €10.08

0.62%

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

$488 €437

$478 €428

2.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

-0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.7

$72.0 €64.5

-1.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.01

$36.82 €32.99

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.5

$85.7 €76.8

-0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$126 €113

1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,162

$864 €774

50.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €784

$400 €358

118.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,315

$1,493 €1,338

73.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,559

$621 €556

180.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,596

$2,315 €2,074

266.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,902

$2,804 €2,513

15.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,746

$3,067 €2,749

-36.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cortona: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Cortona

$400 27.9% 54.3% $475

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Cortona

$326 22.7% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Cortona

$246 17.2% 2.9% $7.4

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Cortona

$252 17.6% 1.2% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Cortona

$144 10.1% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Cortona

$51 3.5% 42.3% $37

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Cortona

$15 * 1% 75.8% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,297 in Rome versus $864 in Cortona. 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 57% higher in Cortona, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

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

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Cortona

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

22,450

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rome Cortona 160 km

From you

Rome
Cortona

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 Cortona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,997 in Rome, $1,433 in Cortona – Cortona comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Rome and $2,150 in Cortona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cortona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $864 there versus $1,297 in Rome.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,997 in Rome and $1,433 in Cortona. That makes Cortona about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $488 per month in Rome and $478 in Cortona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,433 in Cortona to $1,997 in Rome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.