Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Dubuque, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,731 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,990

/mo nomad

Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Dubuque, IA

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

A single person spends $1,990 per month in Rome vs $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Rome $1,990
Dubuque, IA $1,731

A couple spends around $3,095 per month in Rome vs $2,538 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Rome $3,095
Dubuque, IA $2,538

A family of three spends $4,199 per month in Rome vs $3,345 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Rome $4,199
Dubuque, IA $3,345

Rome costs about 15% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rome and Dubuque, IA sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Dubuque, IA by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.84

$13.85 $13.85

20.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €59.9

$49.71 $49.71

35.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.06

$11.80 $11.80

-4.15%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.86

$4.99 $4.99

-58.12%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$2.02 $2.02

43.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$0.95 $0.95

53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.01

$3.01 $3.01

87.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.16

$4.53 $4.53

52.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$0.78 $0.78

112.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.71 $2.71

-15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.82 $2.82

7.45%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.03

$2.85 $2.85

58.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$14.05 $14.05

5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.95

$10.38 $10.38

18.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 €17.35

$10.63 $10.63

83.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$3.32 $3.32

-20.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.21 $1.21

89.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$3.26 $3.26

-30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.45 $2.45

-1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.36 $1.36

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.67 $1.67

-7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.42 $2.42

-43.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.79 $1.79

-69.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.37

$8.70 $8.70

-17.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$13.36 $13.36

-59.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.69 $1.69

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.82 $2.82

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.95 €34.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €29.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.88

$0.91 $0.91

131.87%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$24.5K $24.5K

44.84%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

47.71%

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

$203 €180

$176 $176

15.08%

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

$11.33 €10.08

$52.0 $52.0

-78.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €28.08

$50.7 $50.7

-37.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €58.4

$36.87 $36.87

78.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 €20.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 €10.16

$8.17 $8.17

39.90%

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

$497 €442

$812 $812

-38.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €64.5

$55.6 $55.6

30.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 €31.97

$35.65 $35.65

0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €75.7

$86.1 $86.1

-1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$88.7 $88.7

36.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,059

$985 $985

20.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €780

$725 $725

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 €2,229

$1,476 $1,476

69.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,497

$1,201 $1,201

40.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,438 €7,505

$1,732 $1,732

387.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 €2,809

$1,707 $1,707

85.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,962 €1,746

$3,768 $3,768

-47.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

5.25

-32.95%

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

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$876 44%

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9% 17.3% $152

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$325 16.3%

Dubuque, IA

$312 18% 4% $13

Eating Out

Rome

$252 12.7%

Dubuque, IA

$242 14% 3.9% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.4%

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1% 13.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$142 7.1%

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9% 15.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.5%

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1% 39.9% $35

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Dubuque, IA

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Rome versus $985 in Dubuque, IA. 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 92% higher in Dubuque, IA, 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 $67.0 in Rome versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $312 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

21:34 9:34 PM

7 h behind Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

59,667

💱 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

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Between locations

Rome Dubuque, IA 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rome
Dubuque, IA

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 Dubuque, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome costs about 15% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,986 per month in Rome and $2,596 in Dubuque, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubuque, IA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,990 in Rome and $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. That's a gap of about 15%.

Kindergarten costs $497 per month in Rome and $812 in Dubuque, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,731, than in Rome at $1,990. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dubuque, IA costs $1,731 versus $1,990 in Rome. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dubuque, IA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.