Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Crema

For one person, living is cheaper in Crema: $1,567 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Crema
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Crema Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Crema

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Crema

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Rome vs $1,567 in Crema, rent included.

Rome $1,997
Crema $1,567

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Rome vs $2,100 in Crema, rent included.

Rome $3,132
Crema $2,100

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Rome vs $2,633 in Crema, rent included.

Rome $4,266
Crema $2,633

Rome costs about 27% more than Crema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rome and Crema sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Crema by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.77

$17.06 €15.32

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €61.0

$56.6 €50.8

20.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €10.01

$10.18 €9.14

9.43%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.82

$1.67 €1.50

20.96%

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

$3.00 €2.70

$3.68 €3.31

-18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.53 €1.38

-3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$5.71 €5.13

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.08

$5.65 €5.07

19.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.13 €1.01

49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.69 €1.52

29.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.78 €2.50

10.79%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$3.40 €3.06

39.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.16

$12.51 €11.24

17.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.18

$8.86 €7.96

40.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.50

$15.62 €14.03

24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.34

$2.29 €2.06

13.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.36 €1.22

72.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.41 €1.26

65.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.33 €2.09

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.36 €1.23

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

$1.52 €1.37

5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.30 €1.17

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.40 €0.36

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.32

$7.01 €6.30

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$5.67 €5.10

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.48

$1.36 €1.22

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.26

$1.02 €0.92

146.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.08

$4.52 €4.06

49.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.20 €1.08

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.56

$34.31 €30.82

-0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.95 €1.76

11.28%

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

$35.4K €31.8K

$36.7K €33.0K

-3.66%

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

$36.6K €32.9K

$35.2K €31.6K

4.09%

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

$210 €188

$271 €243

-22.57%

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

$11.53 €10.36

$10.17 €9.14

13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €29.03

$28.16 €25.29

14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.14

$27.81 €24.98

-15.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.17

$12.96 €11.64

-12.65%

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

$488 €438

$556 €499

-12.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$10.2K €9,173

63.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.9

$54.6 €49.06

30.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.09

$44.35 €39.84

-16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.7

$89.2 €80.2

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$90.4 €81.2

41.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,165

$734 €659

76.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €786

$592 €532

47.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,321

$1,241 €1,114

108.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,562

$548 €492

217.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,615

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,750

$2,315 €2,080

-15.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.62

-2.76%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Crema: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Crema

$592 37.8% 32.3% $283

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Crema

$256 16.3% 21.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Crema

$309 19.7% 21.9% $56

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Crema

$248 15.8% 0.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Crema

$125 8% 13.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Crema

$26 * 1.7% 70.4% $62

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Crema

$11 * 0.7% 82.8% $51

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 $734 in Crema. 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 19% higher in Crema, 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 $57 in Crema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $256 – making Crema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Crema

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

32,981

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Crema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Rome and $2,350 in Crema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Crema, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $734 there versus $1,297 in Rome.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rome and $57 in Crema. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Rome, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,997 in Rome and $1,567 in Crema. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,567 in Crema to $1,997 in Rome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.