Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Luton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,990 a month against $2,486 in Luton, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Luton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Rome, Italy
Luton, United Kingdom
Rome
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,990
/mo nomad
Luton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,486
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Luton

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

A single person spends $1,990 per month in Rome vs $2,486 in Luton, rent included.

  • Rome $1,990
  • Luton $2,486

A couple spends around $3,095 per month in Rome vs $3,504 in Luton, rent included.

  • Rome $3,095
  • Luton $3,504

A family of three spends $4,199 per month in Rome vs $4,523 in Luton, rent included.

  • Rome $4,199
  • Luton $4,523

Rome is about 20% cheaper than Luton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Rome and Luton sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Luton by 83%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rome
Luton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.68 €14.87
$13.54 £10.12
23.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 €60.1
$65.6 £49.01
2.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.31 €10.08
$9.46 £7.07
19.56%
Cappuccino
$2.09 €1.86
$5.12 £3.83
-59.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 €2.58
$2.41 £1.80
19.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.76 £1.32
-17.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.63 €5.02
$5.82 £4.35
-3.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.93 €6.18
$6.13 £4.58
13.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rome
Luton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 €1.48
$1.52 £1.14
9.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.92 £1.43
18.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.03 €2.70
$2.71 £2.03
11.81%
Eggs
$4.53 €4.04
$4.21 £3.15
7.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.76 €13.16
$8.37 £6.26
76.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.31 €10.97
$8.04 £6.01
53.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.50 €17.38
$16.28 £12.17
19.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.64 €2.35
$3.06 £2.29
-13.73%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.42 £1.06
61.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.69 £1.27
34.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$3.26 £2.44
-26.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.38 £1.03
-1.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.76 £1.31
-11.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.23
$1.35 £1.01
1.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.30 £0.97
-57.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.16 €6.39
$23.52 £17.58
-69.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.45 €4.86
$8.11 £6.06
-32.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 €1.43
$3.13 £2.34
-48.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.26
$2.94 £2.20
-13.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Rome
Luton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 €1.52
$3.65 £2.73
-53.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.95 €34.71
$33.60 £25.12
15.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.67 €5.94
$7.20 £5.38
-7.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.98 £1.48
-13.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.59 €29.94
$16.05 £12.00
109.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.86 £1.39
13.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.7K
$39.3K £29.4K
-9.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K €33.0K
$40.6K £30.3K
-8.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
Luton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$362 £270
-43.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.33 €10.10
$17.80 £13.31
-36.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.57 €28.14
$35.55 £26.57
-11.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rome
Luton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.6 €58.5
$37.51 £28.04
74.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.49 €20.94
$26.49 £19.80
-11.33%
Cinema Ticket
$11.43 €10.18
$13.38 £10.00
-14.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rome
Luton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$497 €443
$1,604 £1,199
-69.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$29.0K £21.7K
-42.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rome
Luton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 €64.7
$53.2 £39.76
36.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.94 €32.03
$40.70 £30.42
-11.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 €75.9
$74.3 £55.5
14.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$91.4 £68.3
32.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rome
Luton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,191 €1,062
$1,472 £1,100
-19.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$876 €781
$1,279 £956
-31.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,506 €2,234
$2,109 £1,577
18.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,683 €1,500
$2,031 £1,518
-17.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,438 €7,521
$4,588 £3,430
83.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 €2,814
$5,694 £4,257
-44.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rome
Luton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,962 €1,749
$3,195 £2,388
-38.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
5.21
-32.44%

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

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Last update for Luton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rome
$876
Luton
$1.3K 45.9% $403
Groceries & Markets
Rome
$325
Luton
$290 11% $36
Eating Out
Rome
$252
Luton
$256 1.7% $4.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
$246
Luton
$415 68.9% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Rome
$142
Luton
$117 17.6% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Rome
$88
Luton
$64 27.4% $24
Getting Around
Rome
$61
Luton
$65 7.1% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Rome versus $1,472 in Luton. 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 63% higher in Luton. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Rome versus $66 in Luton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $290 – making Luton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Rome
🇬🇧 Luton
🕒 Local time
07:38 7:38 AM
06:38 6:38 AM
1 h behind Rome
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,848,084 Capital
203,200
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.748 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.839 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rome Luton 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Rome
  • Luton

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 Luton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rome cheaper than Luton?
Yes – Luton is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,986 per month in Rome and $3,729 in Luton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rome, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,191 there versus $1,472 in Luton.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 14% less in Luton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Rome and in Luton?
Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Luton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is Rome or Luton more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rome – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rome. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Luton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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