Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Ferrara Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Ferrara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Rome versus $1,629 in Ferrara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,167 in Rome versus $2,584 in Ferrara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,304 in Rome versus $3,539 in Ferrara.

Living in Rome is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ferrara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Ferrara 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.00

$18.28 €15.72

-4.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 €61.0

$69.4 €59.7

2.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.13

$11.60 €9.97

1.64%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.94

$1.95 €1.68

15.90%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.73 €2.35

13.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.23 €1.06

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.03

$5.73 €4.93

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.86

$5.78 €4.97

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.72 €1.48

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.96 €2.54

-22.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.79

$3.13 €2.69

3.83%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.07

$4.76 €4.09

-0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 €13.16

$18.29 €15.72

-16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 €10.71

$11.51 €9.89

8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 €16.41

$26.00 €22.35

-26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.08 €2.65

-13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.48 €1.27

66.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$3.93 €3.38

-34.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.09

$4.50 €3.87

-45.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$2.56 €2.20

-42.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.49 €2.14

-35.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.93 €1.66

-25.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.43

$0.36 €0.31

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 €6.08

$7.14 €6.13

-0.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$4.52 €3.89

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.48 €1.27

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.17 €1.87

35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.31 €1.99

-26.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.92 €35.18

$31.02 €26.67

31.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 €6.57

$8.47 €7.28

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.99 €1.71

-10.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €29.76

$34.38 €29.56

0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.14 €1.84

-4.21%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$37.9K €32.6K

-2.04%

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

$36.0K €30.9K

$37.4K €32.1K

-3.75%

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

$220 €189

$144 €124

52.65%

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

$12.41 €10.67

$9.80 €8.43

26.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 €26.96

$29.61 €25.46

5.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 €58.8

$39.40 €33.87

73.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 €21.79

$16.88 €14.51

50.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 €9.89

$9.47 €8.14

21.44%

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

$504 €433

$344 €295

46.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$10.6K €9,135

64.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 €64.0

$99.3 €85.4

-25.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €32.61

$35.44 €30.47

7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €75.0

$107 €91.7

-18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$108 €92.9

15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 €1,070

$655 €563

90.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 €762

$542 €466

63.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 €2,267

$1,294 €1,112

103.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,543

$924 €794

94.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,673 €7,457

$2,420 €2,080

258.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,283 €2,822

$1,828 €1,571

79.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,674

$1,694 €1,456

14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.37

4.45%

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

Last update for Rome: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ferrara: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,244 in Rome and $655 in Ferrara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 15% 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: $71.0 in Rome vs $69.0 in Ferrara. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $377, with Rome cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ferrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ferrara wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ferrara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,244 in Rome versus $655 in Ferrara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ferrara – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $71.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,031 per month in Rome versus $1,629 in Ferrara – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,629 in Ferrara versus $2,031 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ferrara but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Ferrara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ferrara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,629 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ferrara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Ferrara 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 Ferrara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.