Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Lecce

For one person, living is cheaper in Lecce: $1,445 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Lecce
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Lecce Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Lecce

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Lecce

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Rome vs $1,445 in Lecce, rent included.

Rome $1,997
Lecce $1,445

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Rome vs $2,321 in Lecce, rent included.

Rome $3,132
Lecce $2,321

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Rome vs $3,196 in Lecce, rent included.

Rome $4,266
Lecce $3,196

Rome costs about 38% more than Lecce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rome and Lecce sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Lecce by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.77

$16.84 €15.13

-2.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €61.0

$68.1 €61.2

-0.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €10.01

$10.18 €9.15

9.43%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.82

$1.98 €1.78

2.02%

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

$3.00 €2.70

$2.16 €1.94

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.09 €0.98

35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$3.87 €3.47

47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.08

$3.41 €3.06

98.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.43 €1.29

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.82 €1.64

20.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.27 €2.04

35.68%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$2.50 €2.25

89.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.16

$12.38 €11.12

18.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.18

$11.26 €10.12

10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.50

$16.31 €14.65

19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.34

$2.11 €1.89

23.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.94 €1.74

21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.92 €1.72

21.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$3.50 €3.15

-33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.65 €1.48

-17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.19 €1.07

10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.38 €0.34

34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.32

$6.86 €6.16

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$6.73 €6.05

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.48

$1.43 €1.29

14.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.26

$2.46 €2.21

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.37 €1.23

19.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.08

$5.53 €4.96

22.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.19 €1.97

-24.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.56

$23.41 €21.03

45.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.09 €1.87

3.83%

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

$35.4K €31.8K

$35.7K €32.1K

-0.87%

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

$36.6K €32.9K

$35.6K €32.0K

2.89%

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

$210 €188

$170 €153

23.29%

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

$11.53 €10.36

$11.62 €10.44

-0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €29.03

$27.90 €25.06

15.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.4

$80.6 €72.4

-19.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.14

$56.3 €50.5

-58.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.17

$8.61 €7.73

31.48%

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

$488 €438

$567 €509

-13.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$5,021 €4,510

232.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.9

$82.0 €73.7

-13.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.09

$48.10 €43.21

-23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.7

$88.0 €79.1

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$78.1 €70.1

63.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,165

$603 €542

114.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €786

$470 €422

86.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,321

$1,205 €1,083

114.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,562

$903 €811

92.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,615

$3,050 €2,740

177.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,910

$1,579 €1,418

105.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,750

$1,602 €1,439

21.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

4.82

-26.97%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lecce: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Lecce

$470 32.5% 46.3% $405

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Lecce

$284 19.7% 12.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Lecce

$210 14.5% 17.3% $44

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Lecce

$228 15.8% 8.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Lecce

$133 9.2% 7.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Lecce

$98 6.8% 11.6% $10

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Lecce

$22 * 1.5% 64.1% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,297 in Rome versus $603 in Lecce. 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 22% 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 $68 in Rome versus $68 in Lecce. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Rome vs $284 in Lecce – so Lecce wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Lecce

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

94,773

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Lecce 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rome
Lecce

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 Lecce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Rome and $2,168 in Lecce. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lecce, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $603 there versus $1,297 in Rome.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Rome, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $488 per month in Rome and $567 in Lecce. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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