Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,575 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,474 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,374 in Heraklion.

Living in Rome is roughly 29% more expensive than Heraklion, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Heraklion 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$14.13 €12.17

21.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$58.4 €50.3

26.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.56 €9.95

1.56%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$3.89 €3.35

-52.96%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.18 €1.87

15.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.60 €0.52

111.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.96 €5.13

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$5.76 €4.96

-9.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.84 €1.58

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.49 €1.28

43.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.70 €2.33

9.26%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$5.56 €4.79

-18.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$16.98 €14.62

2.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$11.37 €9.78

5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$14.65 €12.61

37.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.25 €1.94

8.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.13 €1.83

4.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.45 €1.25

34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.84 €1.59

40.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.30 €1.12

36.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.53 €1.32

21.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.87 €0.75

44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.66 €0.57

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$5.29 €4.55

34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$8.05 €6.93

-42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.09 €1.80

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.39 €2.92

-19.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.59 €1.37

12.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$46.27 €39.84

-11.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$4.53 €3.90

13.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$11.60 €9.99

202.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.16 €1.86

-9.72%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$35.0K €30.2K

-16.34%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$25.8K €22.2K

17.10%

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

$219 €189

$216 €186

1.64%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$22.89 €19.71

-51.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$37.02 €31.87

-15.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$52.7 €45.36

21.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$39.87 €34.33

-40.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$9.36 €8.05

25.32%

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

$528 €455

$431 €371

22.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$4,159 €3,580

150.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$100 €86.4

-26.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$46.48 €40.02

-25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$89.6 €77.1

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$133 €114

-10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$555 €478

138.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$424 €365

108.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$1,044 €899

154.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$875 €753

87.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$4,014 €3,455

117.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$2,848 €2,452

21.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,156 €995

78.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.44

-11.04%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $555 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 78% 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $58.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $309 per month, with Heraklion cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Rome pays 78% more on average, 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $555 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $431 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,575 in Heraklion versus $2,027 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 29% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.