Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,873 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,972 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $4,071 in Hamilton.

Living in Rome is roughly 8% more expensive than Hamilton, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Hamilton 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$13.98 NZ$23.61

23.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$83.6 NZ$141

-11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$8.86 NZ$14.96

32.51%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$3.52 NZ$5.95

-48.01%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.34 NZ$3.95

7.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.95 NZ$4.98

-56.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$6.74 NZ$11.38

-13.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$6.01 NZ$10.14

-12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.65 NZ$2.79

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.32 NZ$2.24

62.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.93 NZ$3.26

52.85%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$5.79 NZ$9.77

-22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €14.99

$5.63 NZ$9.51

209.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.32

$8.28 NZ$13.98

44.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.37

$11.04 NZ$18.64

82.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.71 NZ$4.58

-9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.84 NZ$4.79

-21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.94 NZ$4.96

-33.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$6.57 NZ$11.09

-60.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.23 NZ$3.77

-20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.93 NZ$3.26

-3.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.70 NZ$4.55

-53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$1.07 NZ$1.81

-48.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.13

$25.78 NZ$43.52

-72.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$11.15 NZ$18.83

-58.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$3.57 NZ$6.03

-45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$4.25 NZ$7.17

-35.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.68 NZ$2.84

6.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.27

$46.94 NZ$79.3

-12.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$4.33 NZ$7.30

18.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.92 NZ$3.25

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.18

$41.50 NZ$70.1

-15.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.65 NZ$2.79

18.18%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$23.9K NZ$40.4K

22.63%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$23.3K NZ$39.4K

29.31%

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

$219 €189

$90.9 NZ$153

141.35%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$38.51 NZ$65.0

-71.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.93

$54.0 NZ$91.2

-42.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.1

$31.91 NZ$53.9

100.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.48

$16.55 NZ$27.95

43.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.09

$13.40 NZ$22.62

-12.46%

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

$528 €454

$830 NZ$1,401

-36.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,966

$18.3K NZ$30.8K

-42.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.0

$61.7 NZ$104

18.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.74

$40.63 NZ$68.6

-14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.8

$88.1 NZ$149

-1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$117 NZ$198

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,139

$971 NZ$1,639

36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €761

$869 NZ$1,468

1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,289

$1,213 NZ$2,048

119.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,407

$1,621 NZ$2,737

0.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,510

$4,122 NZ$6,960

111.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,970

$4,679 NZ$7,899

-26.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,770

$2,752 NZ$4,646

-25.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

6.83

-42.17%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $971 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rome vs $84.0 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $310, with Hamilton 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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hamilton earns 34% less. 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $971 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $74.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,027 per month in Rome versus $1,873 in Hamilton – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,873 in Hamilton versus $2,027 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rome and Hamilton 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.