Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and L'Aquila

For one person, living is cheaper in L'Aquila: $1,573 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in L'Aquila
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L'Aquila Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

L'Aquila

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in L'Aquila

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

A single person spends $1,998 per month in Rome vs $1,573 in L'Aquila, rent included.

Rome $1,998
L'Aquila $1,573

A couple spends around $3,117 per month in Rome vs $2,426 in L'Aquila, rent included.

Rome $3,117
L'Aquila $2,426

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Rome vs $3,279 in L'Aquila, rent included.

Rome $4,236
L'Aquila $3,279

Rome costs about 27% more than L'Aquila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rome and L'Aquila sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, L'Aquila by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$22.60 €20.11

-26.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$66.4 €59.1

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.58 €12.08

-18.41%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$1.82 €1.62

15.38%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.77 €2.47

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.09 €0.97

35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.56 €4.94

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$4.35 €3.87

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.42 €1.27

21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.88 €2.56

-21.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.24 €2.00

33.48%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$3.39 €3.02

40.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$17.89 €15.91

-18.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$12.31 €10.95

2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$17.90 €15.92

10.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.09 €1.86

26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.92 €1.71

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.19 €1.94

12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.84 €2.53

-14.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.67 €1.48

-17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.74 €1.54

-10.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.55 €1.38

-14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.40 €0.35

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.26 €5.57

16.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$5.52 €4.91

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.27 €1.13

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.80 €1.60

45.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.72 €1.53

-5.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$38.51 €34.26

1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$5.31 €4.72

22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.43 €1.27

17.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$24.84 €22.09

33.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.01 €1.79

7.96%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$34.4K €30.6K

2.74%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.7K €31.8K

-0.77%

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

$203 €181

$197 €175

3.14%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$14.90 €13.26

-22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$31.36 €27.90

2.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$54.8 €48.71

20.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$28.12 €25.01

-18.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$8.45 €7.52

32.90%

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

$484 €430

$135 €120

258.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$12.4K €11.1K

32.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$99.4 €88.4

-28.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$35.44 €31.53

3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$98.3 €87.4

-13.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$111 €98.4

10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$546 €486

123.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$431 €383

104.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$842 €749

201.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$691 €615

149.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$2,781 €2,474

197.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$1,653 €1,471

86.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,848 €1,643

5.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.02

16.56%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for L'Aquila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

L'Aquila

$431 27.4% 51.1% $451

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

L'Aquila

$320 20.3% 2.8% $9.4

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

L'Aquila

$295 18.8% 17.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

L'Aquila

$243 15.5% 1.4% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

L'Aquila

$155 9.8% 9.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

L'Aquila

$72 4.6% 18.9% $17

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

L'Aquila

$58 3.7% 4.8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Rome versus $546 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 5% 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 $66.0 in Rome versus $66.0 in L'Aquila. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Rome vs $320 in L'Aquila – so L'Aquila wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 L'Aquila

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

69,753

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rome L'Aquila 91 km

From you

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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 L'Aquila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,998 in Rome, $1,573 in L'Aquila – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,998 per month in Rome and $2,360 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 $484 per month in Rome and $135 in L'Aquila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in L'Aquila, where all-in costs run around $1,573, than in Rome at $1,998. 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 $1,573 in L'Aquila to $1,998 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.