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: $2,031 in Rome versus $1,643 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,167 in Rome versus $2,592 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,304 in Rome versus $3,540 in Heraklion.

Living in Rome is roughly 24% more expensive than in Heraklion, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Heraklion 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.00

$15.37 €13.21

13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 €61.0

$57.9 €49.76

22.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.13

$10.61 €9.12

11.12%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.94

$4.13 €3.55

-45.28%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.55 €2.20

21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.75 €0.64

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.03

$5.67 €4.88

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.86

$5.47 €4.70

24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.86 €1.60

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.56 €1.34

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.60 €2.23

25.00%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.07

$4.77 €4.10

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 €13.16

$16.53 €14.21

-7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 €10.71

$10.91 €9.38

14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 €16.41

$15.49 €13.32

23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.33 €2.01

14.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.20 €1.89

12.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.45 €1.25

76.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.09

$2.06 €1.78

18.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.26 €1.08

15.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.31 €1.12

22.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.99 €0.85

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.43

$0.79 €0.67

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 €6.08

$5.18 €4.46

36.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$7.67 €6.59

-40.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.13 €1.83

-18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.52

$3.06 €2.63

-4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.49 €1.28

13.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.92 €35.18

$68.5 €58.9

-40.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 €6.57

$4.66 €4.01

63.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.14 €0.98

56.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €29.76

$11.47 €9.86

201.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.19 €1.88

-6.39%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$29.6K €25.4K

25.45%

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

$36.0K €30.9K

$25.7K €22.1K

39.77%

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

$220 €189

$204 €175

7.98%

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

$12.41 €10.67

$32.27 €27.75

-61.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 €26.96

$40.36 €34.70

-22.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 €58.8

$50.4 €43.37

35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 €21.79

$41.01 €35.26

-38.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 €9.89

$9.43 €8.11

21.95%

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

$504 €433

$420 €361

20.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$4,194 €3,606

315.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 €64.0

$87.1 €74.9

-14.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €32.61

$45.02 €38.70

-15.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €75.0

$88.1 €75.7

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$141 €121

-11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 €1,070

$648 €557

91.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 €762

$514 €442

72.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 €2,267

$1,161 €998

127.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,543

$1,029 €884

74.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,673 €7,457

$3,893 €3,347

122.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,283 €2,822

$2,836 €2,438

15.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,674

$1,158 €995

68.15%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,244 in Rome and $648 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 68% 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 $58.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $307 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. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% 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 $648 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $504 in Rome versus $420 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 $1,643 in Heraklion versus $2,031 in Rome, a $2,500 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 24% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.