Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Lucca Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Lucca

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,027 per month in Rome vs $1,897 in Lucca, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,143 per month in Rome vs $2,783 in Lucca, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,260 per month in Rome vs $3,669 in Lucca, rent included.

Rome costs about 7% more than Lucca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Rome and Lucca sit above the global median – Rome by 51%, Lucca by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$17.62 €15.17

-2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$73.4 €63.2

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.69 €10.07

0.43%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$1.67 €1.44

9.58%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.72 €2.34

-7.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.14 €0.98

11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.93 €5.10

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.51 €3.88

15.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.78 €1.53

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.51 €2.16

-14.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.86 €2.46

3.15%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.47 €2.99

29.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$18.30 €15.76

-4.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$13.66 €11.76

-12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$21.97 €18.92

-8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.44 €2.10

0.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.81 €1.56

23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.67 €2.30

-26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$3.12 €2.69

-17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.82 €1.57

-2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.89 €1.63

-1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.80 €1.55

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.46 €0.40

19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$7.07 €6.09

0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$7.88 €6.79

-41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.86 €1.61

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.44 €2.10

11.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.98 €1.71

-9.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.31

$35.20 €30.31

16.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.42

$4.67 €4.02

9.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.16 €1.00

37.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.21

$28.87 €24.86

21.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.01 €1.73

-2.99%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$33.0K €28.5K

-11.27%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$33.7K €29.0K

-10.40%

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

$219 €189

$245 €211

-10.34%

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

$11.01 €9.48

$13.39 €11.53

-17.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.96

$29.94 €25.78

4.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$69.2 €59.6

-7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.50

$22.83 €19.66

4.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$9.90 €8.53

18.48%

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

$528 €455

$515 €443

2.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,976

$9,160 €7,888

13.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$93.2 €80.3

-21.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.77

$53.7 €46.25

-35.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$88.7 €76.4

-1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$136 €117

-12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,141

$796 €685

66.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$663 €571

33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,292

$1,546 €1,332

72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,409

$951 €819

72.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,518

$4,151 €3,575

110.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,973

$2,205 €1,899

56.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,817 €1,565

13.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.6

-14.13%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lucca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,325 in Rome versus $796 in Lucca. 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 13% 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 $74.0 in Rome versus $73.0 in Lucca. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Rome vs $359 in Lucca – so Rome 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 Lucca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,041 per month in Rome and $2,845 in Lucca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,027 in Rome and $1,897 in Lucca. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Lucca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lucca, where all-in costs run around $1,897, than in Rome at $2,027. In Lucca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lucca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Lucca. 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.