Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and L'Aquila Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and L'Aquila

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,031 per month in Rome vs $1,627 in L'Aquila, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,167 per month in Rome vs $2,465 in L'Aquila, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Rome vs $3,303 in L'Aquila, rent included.

Rome costs about 25% more than L'Aquila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rome and L'Aquila sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, L'Aquila by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.00

$23.35 €20.07

-25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 €61.0

$70.7 €60.8

0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.13

$14.11 €12.13

-16.44%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.94

$1.86 €1.60

21.51%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.84 €2.44

9.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.17 €1.01

32.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.03

$5.98 €5.14

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.86

$4.58 €3.94

48.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.51 €1.30

19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.99 €2.57

-23.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.29 €1.97

41.92%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.07

$3.50 €3.01

35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 €13.16

$15.14 €13.02

1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 €10.71

$12.22 €10.50

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 €16.41

$16.89 €14.52

13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.21 €1.90

20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.95 €1.68

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.35 €2.02

8.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.09

$3.08 €2.65

-20.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.62 €1.40

-9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.72 €1.48

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.54 €1.32

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.43

$0.39 €0.33

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 €6.08

$6.57 €5.65

7.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$5.66 €4.86

-19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.34 €1.15

29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.52

$1.50 €1.29

95.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.70 €1.46

-0.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.92 €35.18

$40.06 €34.44

2.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 €6.57

$5.62 €4.83

35.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.52 €1.31

17.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €29.76

$25.89 €22.25

33.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.08 €1.79

-1.44%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$36.0K €31.0K

3.04%

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

$36.0K €30.9K

$36.7K €31.5K

-1.98%

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

$220 €189

$203 €174

8.43%

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

$12.41 €10.67

$15.26 €13.12

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 €26.96

$32.84 €28.23

-4.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 €58.8

$58.1 €49.91

17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 €21.79

$28.52 €24.52

-11.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 €9.89

$9.13 €7.85

25.96%

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

$504 €433

$139 €119

263.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$12.8K €11.0K

36.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 €64.0

$101 €86.5

-26.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €32.61

$31.96 €27.48

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €75.0

$99.6 €85.6

-12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$115 €98.9

8.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 €1,070

$575 €494

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 €762

$444 €381

99.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 €2,267

$863 €742

205.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,543

$715 €615

150.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,673 €7,457

$2,828 €2,431

206.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,283 €2,822

$1,736 €1,492

89.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,674

$1,919 €1,649

1.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.04

15.79%

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

Last update for Rome: August 31, 2026

Last update for L'Aquila: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,244 in Rome versus $575 in L'Aquila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Rome, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Rome versus $71.0 in L'Aquila. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Rome vs $313 in L'Aquila – so L'Aquila wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 L'Aquila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,031 in Rome, $1,627 in L'Aquila – roughly 25% apart. Rome costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,046 per month in Rome and $2,441 in L'Aquila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in L'Aquila, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 2% less in L'Aquila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $504 per month in Rome and $139 in L'Aquila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in L'Aquila, where all-in costs run around $1,627, than in Rome at $2,031. In L'Aquila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,627 in L'Aquila to $2,031 in Rome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with L'Aquila. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.