Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Imperia

For one person, living is cheaper in Imperia: $1,701 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Imperia
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Imperia Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,990

/mo nomad

Imperia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Imperia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Rome versus $1,701 in Imperia.

Rome $1,990
Imperia $1,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,095 in Rome versus $2,550 in Imperia.

Rome $3,095
Imperia $2,550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,199 in Rome versus $3,400 in Imperia.

Rome $4,199
Imperia $3,400

Living in Rome is roughly 17% more expensive than in Imperia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Imperia 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.84

$13.58 €12.08

22.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €59.9

$62.6 €55.7

7.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.06

$11.08 €9.85

2.08%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.86

$1.67 €1.49

25.15%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$3.66 €3.26

-21.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.44 €1.28

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.01

$5.78 €5.14

-2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.16

$5.39 €4.79

28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.75 €1.55

-5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.12 €1.89

7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$3.52 €3.13

-13.92%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.03

$4.14 €3.68

9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$12.50 €11.12

18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.95

$12.12 €10.78

1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 €17.35

$22.74 €20.23

-14.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.38 €2.12

10.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.31 €2.05

-0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$3.30 €2.94

-30.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$4.17 €3.71

-42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.40 €2.13

-43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.72 €1.53

-9.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.25 €1.11

9.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.53 €0.47

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.37

$7.38 €6.56

-2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.65 €4.14

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.14 €1.02

40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.52 €2.24

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.89 €1.68

-10.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.95 €34.64

$55.8 €49.60

-30.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.93

$7.80 €6.94

-14.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.18 €1.94

-21.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €29.87

$64.9 €57.7

-48.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.20 €1.96

-4.09%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$37.0K €32.9K

-3.98%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

-0.07%

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

$203 €180

$136 €121

49.69%

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

$11.33 €10.08

$10.10 €8.98

12.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €28.08

$29.96 €26.65

5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €58.4

$70.5 €62.7

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 €20.89

$25.55 €22.73

-8.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 €10.16

$11.23 €9.99

1.78%

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

$497 €442

$836 €744

-40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$18.5K €16.5K

-10.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €64.5

$91.1 €81.1

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 €31.97

$39.73 €35.34

-9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €75.7

$105 €93.0

-18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$128 €114

-4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,059

$790 €702

50.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €780

$627 €558

39.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 €2,229

$1,690 €1,503

48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,497

$910 €809

84.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,438 €7,505

$2,799 €2,490

201.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 €2,809

$2,030 €1,806

55.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,962 €1,746

$1,753 €1,559

11.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.18

10.69%

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

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Last update for Imperia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$876 44%

Imperia

$627 36.9% 28.4% $249

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$325 16.3%

Imperia

$337 19.8% 3.8% $12

Eating Out

Rome

$252 12.7%

Imperia

$222 13.1% 11.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.4%

Imperia

$176 10.3% 28.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$142 7.1%

Imperia

$163 9.6% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.5%

Imperia

$93 5.5% 5% $4.4

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Imperia

$82 4.8% 34.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Rome and $790 in Imperia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 12% 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: $67.0 in Rome vs $63.0 in Imperia. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $337, with Rome cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Imperia

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

41,999

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rome vs Imperia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperia is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,191 in Rome versus $790 in Imperia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Rome pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperia – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $67.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,701 in Imperia versus $1,990 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Imperia but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Imperia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperia 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 Imperia 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 Imperia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.