Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Heraklion

For one person, living is cheaper in Heraklion: $1,594 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Heraklion
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Heraklion Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Heraklion

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Heraklion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,594 in Heraklion.

Rome $1,998
Heraklion $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,499 in Heraklion.

Rome $3,117
Heraklion $2,499

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,403 in Heraklion.

Rome $4,236
Heraklion $3,403

Living in Rome is roughly 25% more expensive than in Heraklion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Heraklion 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$12.89 €11.47

29.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$56.1 €49.86

17.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$9.92 €8.82

11.69%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$3.83 €3.41

-45.17%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.44 €2.17

19.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$0.79 €0.70

87.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.42 €4.82

3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.27 €4.69

26.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.69 €1.51

1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.42 €1.27

59.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.58 €2.29

15.89%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.46 €3.97

6.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$15.91 €14.15

-8.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$10.54 €9.38

19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$15.14 €13.46

31.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.17 €1.93

21.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.14 €1.91

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.37 €1.22

79.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.68 €1.50

44.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.23 €1.09

12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.23 €1.09

26.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$0.93 €0.83

41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.72 €0.64

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$4.94 €4.39

47.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$7.60 €6.76

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$2.34 €2.08

-32.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.86 €2.54

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.46 €1.30

11.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$67.6 €60.1

-41.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$4.37 €3.89

48.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.13 €1.01

48.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$11.14 €9.91

198.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.16 €1.92

0.46%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$27.3K €24.3K

29.35%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$24.0K €21.3K

47.68%

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

$203 €181

$194 €173

4.45%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$30.65 €27.26

-62.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$38.76 €34.48

-17.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$49.10 €43.68

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$39.52 €35.15

-42.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$8.74 €7.77

28.49%

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

$484 €430

$409 €364

18.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$3,997 €3,555

313.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$90.1 €80.1

-21.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$42.03 €37.39

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$85.2 €75.8

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$136 €121

-10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$640 €569

90.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$498 €443

76.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,089 €969

132.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$987 €878

74.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$4,043 €3,597

104.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,746 €2,442

12.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,128 €1,004

72.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

4.44

-20.72%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Heraklion

$498 31.2% 43.5% $383

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Heraklion

$294 18.4% 10.7% $35

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Heraklion

$229 14.4% 8.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Heraklion

$264 16.5% 7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Heraklion

$159 10% 12.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Heraklion

$67 4.2% 24.6% $22

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Heraklion

$83 5.2% 37.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $640 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 72% 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: $66.0 in Rome vs $56.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $294 per month, with Heraklion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇬🇷 Heraklion

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

13:47 1:47 PM

1 h ahead of Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

140,730

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rome Heraklion 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Rome
Heraklion

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $1,222 in Rome versus $640 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Rome versus $409 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,594 in Heraklion versus $1,998 in Rome, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Heraklion 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 Heraklion 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 Heraklion 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.