Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Messina

For one person, living is cheaper in Messina: $1,379 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
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Messina Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Messina

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Rome vs $1,379 in Messina, rent included.

Rome $1,997
Messina $1,379

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Rome vs $2,392 in Messina, rent included.

Rome $3,132
Messina $2,392

A family of three spends $4,266 per month in Rome vs $3,404 in Messina, rent included.

Rome $4,266
Messina $3,404

Rome costs about 45% more than Messina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.73

$16.90 €15.14

-2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.9

$67.8 €60.7

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.98

$12.41 €11.12

-10.23%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.81

$1.97 €1.77

2.54%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$2.36 €2.11

27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.19 €1.07

24.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$4.55 €4.07

25.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.06

$3.33 €2.98

103.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.30 €1.17

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.84 €1.65

19.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.76

$2.74 €2.45

12.41%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.24

$2.89 €2.58

64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.12

$14.49 €12.97

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.15

$10.55 €9.45

18.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.45

$16.82 €15.06

15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.91 €2.61

-10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.65 €1.47

42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.14 €1.02

104.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$3.40 €3.04

-31.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$0.65 €0.58

109.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$1.52 €1.36

5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.42 €1.27

-7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$0.40 €0.36

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.30

$6.87 €6.15

2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$5.75 €5.15

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.67 €1.50

-1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.32 €2.08

8.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.65 €1.47

-0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.45

$41.21 €36.91

-3.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.06

$5.72 €5.12

18.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.14 €1.02

44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.47

$38.73 €34.68

-12.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.05 €1.84

5.85%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

$34.9K €31.3K

1.23%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$31.2K €28.0K

17.22%

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

$210 €188

$178 €159

17.97%

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

$11.53 €10.33

$10.17 €9.11

13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.95

$25.62 €22.94

26.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.2

$46.70 €41.83

39.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.07

$16.57 €14.84

42.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.14

$9.57 €8.58

18.29%

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

$488 €437

$337 €302

44.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$5,512 €4,936

202.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.7

$71.2 €63.8

-0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €32.99

$30.95 €27.72

19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.5

$86.9 €77.8

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$125 €112

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,161

$522 €468

148.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €784

$373 €334

134.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,314

$1,199 €1,074

115.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,558

$1,096 €981

58.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,592

$2,011 €1,801

321.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,901

$1,655 €1,482

95.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,745

$1,675 €1,500

16.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.39

3.83%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Messina: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Messina

$373 27.1% 57.4% $502

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Messina

$287 20.8% 12.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Messina

$214 15.5% 15.8% $40

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Messina

$240 17.4% 3.8% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Messina

$142 10.3% 2.1% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Messina

$66 4.8% 24.9% $22

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Messina

$59 4.3% 3.1% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,297 in Rome versus $522 in Messina. 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 16% 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 Messina. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Rome vs $287 in Messina – so Messina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Messina

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

217,734

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Messina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome costs about 45% more than Messina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Rome and $2,069 in Messina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Messina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $1,297 in Rome.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,997 in Rome and $1,379 in Messina. That makes Messina about 31% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $488 per month in Rome and $337 in Messina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,997 in Rome and $1,379 in Messina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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