Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Massa

For one person, living is cheaper in Massa: $1,579 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Massa
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Massa Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Massa

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Massa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,579 in Massa.

Rome $1,998
Massa $1,579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,524 in Massa.

Rome $3,117
Massa $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,470 in Massa.

Rome $4,236
Massa $3,470

Living in Rome is roughly 27% more expensive than in Massa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Massa 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$17.00 €15.12

-1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$73.4 €65.3

-10.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.60 €12.10

-18.53%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$2.26 €2.01

-7.08%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.31 €2.05

25.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.15 €1.02

28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$4.54 €4.04

23.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$6.03 €5.36

10.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.40 €1.25

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.76 €2.46

-17.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.59 €2.30

15.44%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.25 €3.78

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$18.31 €16.29

-20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$13.06 €11.62

-3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$17.36 €15.44

14.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.26 €2.01

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.71 €1.52

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.96 €1.74

25.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.47 €2.20

-2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.30 €1.16

6.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.36 €1.21

13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.66 €1.47

-20.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.60 €0.53

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.53 €5.81

11.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$7.93 €7.05

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.60 €1.42

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.85 €1.64

41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.70 €1.51

-4.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$41.07 €36.53

-4.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$5.42 €4.82

20.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.47 €1.31

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$27.70 €24.64

20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.97 €1.75

10.15%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.6K €32.6K

-3.50%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

-0.04%

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

$203 €181

$237 €211

-14.31%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$11.74 €10.45

-2.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$27.78 €24.71

15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$55.1 €48.97

19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$23.85 €21.21

-4.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$9.21 €8.19

21.93%

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

$484 €430

$559 €497

-13.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$4,386 €3,902

276.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$87.8 €78.1

-19.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$42.33 €37.65

-13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$93.5 €83.1

-9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$156 €139

-22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$603 €536

102.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$414 €368

113.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,079 €960

135.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$851 €757

102.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$2,915 €2,593

183.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,038 €1,812

51.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,690 €1,504

14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.46

1.73%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Massa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Massa

$414 26.2% 53.1% $468

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Massa

$331 21% 0.6% $1.8

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Massa

$253 16% 0.6% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Massa

$276 17.5% 12.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Massa

$171 10.8% 20.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Massa

$73 4.7% 16.8% $15

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Massa

$61 3.8% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $603 in Massa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rome vs $73.0 in Massa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $331 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Massa

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

69,479

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Massa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Massa differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,998 vs $1,579 including rent). Massa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Rome, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Rome versus $603 in Massa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Massa – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $66.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Rome versus $1,579 in Massa – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,579 in Massa versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Massa but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Massa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rome and Massa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Massa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.