Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Joplin, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,997 a month against $2,055 in Joplin, MO, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Joplin, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Joplin, MO
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Joplin, MO Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Joplin, MO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $2,055 in Joplin, MO.

Rome $1,997
Joplin, MO $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $2,808 in Joplin, MO.

Rome $3,132
Joplin, MO $2,808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $3,560 in Joplin, MO.

Rome $4,266
Joplin, MO $3,560

Living in Rome costs roughly 3% less than in Joplin, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Joplin, MO 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.67

$14.81 $14.81

11.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.6

$59.3 $59.3

14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.94

$10.30 $10.30

8.16%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.80

$4.59 $4.59

-55.99%

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

$3.00 €2.68

$1.95 $1.95

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.87 $1.87

-20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.08

$4.88 $4.88

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.04

$5.89 $5.89

14.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.89 $0.89

89.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.71 $2.71

-19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.09 $2.09

47.37%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.23

$3.17 $3.17

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.07

$8.77 $8.77

67.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.11

$6.90 $6.90

80.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.38

$17.61 $17.61

10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$3.92 $3.92

-33.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.19 $1.19

97.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.52 $2.52

-7.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.09

$2.13 $2.13

9.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.26 $1.26

7.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.32 $2.32

-30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.81 $1.81

-27.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$2.26 $2.26

-77.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.27

$9.55 $9.55

-26.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$15.02 $15.02

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.71 $1.71

-4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$1.47 $1.47

70.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.97 $1.97

-16.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.32

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.04

$2.43 $2.43

178.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.59 $1.59

3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.35

$40.22 $40.22

-15.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$0.77 $0.77

181.82%

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

$35.4K €31.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

26.57%

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

$36.6K €32.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

43.78%

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

$210 €187

$276 $276

-24.00%

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

$11.53 €10.29

$42.40 $42.40

-72.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.84

$70.1 $70.1

-53.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.0

$14.86 $14.86

337.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €20.99

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.10

$13.57 $13.57

-16.58%

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

$488 €435

$901 $901

-45.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$15.9K $15.9K

4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.5

$39.99 $39.99

77.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €32.87

$31.28 $31.28

17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.2

$101 $101

-15.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$71.3 $71.3

79.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,157

$1,266 $1,266

2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €781

$939 $939

-6.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,305

$1,695 $1,695

52.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,552

$1,262 $1,262

37.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,563

$1,483 $1,483

471.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,890

$1,492 $1,492

117.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,738

$3,311 $3,311

-41.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

6.49

-45.76%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Joplin, MO: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Joplin, MO

$939 45.7% 7.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Joplin, MO

$303 14.7% 7.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Joplin, MO

$388 18.9% 53.2% $135

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Joplin, MO

$256 12.5% 2.7% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Joplin, MO

$110 5.3% 24.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Joplin, MO

$42 2% 52.1% $46

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Joplin, MO

$18 * 0.9% 70.2% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $1,266 in Joplin, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joplin, MO pays 70% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Rome vs $59 in Joplin, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $303 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇺🇸 Joplin, MO

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

09:56 9:56 AM

7 h behind Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

51,762

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Joplin, MO 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rome
Joplin, MO

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 Joplin, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in utilities and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Rome. 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: $1,297 in Rome versus $1,266 in Joplin, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Joplin, MO pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,997 per month in Rome versus $2,055 in Joplin, MO – Rome is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Rome wins on affordability, Joplin, MO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.