Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Modena

For one person, living is cheaper in Modena: $1,867 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Modena
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Modena Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Modena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Modena

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

A single person spends $1,998 per month in Rome vs $1,867 in Modena, rent included.

Rome $1,998
Modena $1,867

A couple spends around $3,117 per month in Rome vs $3,058 in Modena, rent included.

Rome $3,117
Modena $3,058

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Rome vs $4,248 in Modena, rent included.

Rome $4,236
Modena $4,248

Rome costs about 7% more than Modena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rome and Modena sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, Modena by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$21.97 €19.54

-24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$89.5 €79.6

-26.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.30 €11.83

-16.69%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$1.90 €1.69

10.53%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$3.08 €2.74

-5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.61 €1.43

-8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$6.64 €5.91

-15.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.59 €4.98

19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.43 €1.27

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.41 €2.14

-5.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.68 €1.50

77.98%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.92 €4.38

-3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$19.68 €17.51

-26.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$13.74 €12.22

-8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$21.61 €19.22

-8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.58 €2.30

2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.43 €2.16

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.13 €2.79

-21.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.17 €2.82

-23.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.45 €2.18

-43.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.73 €1.53

-10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.36 €1.21

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.67 €0.60

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.73 €5.99

8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$8.96 €7.97

-39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.56 €1.39

1.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.55 €2.27

2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.26 €2.01

-27.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$39.70 €35.31

-1.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$6.78 €6.03

-3.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.45 €1.29

15.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$32.76 €29.14

1.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.13 €1.89

1.88%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.2K €32.2K

-2.48%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$34.7K €30.9K

2.06%

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

$203 €181

$192 €171

5.78%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$13.35 €11.87

-13.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$30.52 €27.14

4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$78.7 €70.0

-16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$22.86 €20.34

0.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.33 €10.07

-0.88%

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

$484 €430

$562 €500

-13.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$15.2K €13.6K

8.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$83.1 €73.9

-14.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$42.39 €37.70

-13.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$98.3 €87.4

-13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$106 €94.7

14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$856 €761

42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$649 €577

35.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,670 €1,486

51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,377 €1,225

24.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$3,583 €3,187

130.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,191 €1,949

40.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$2,076 €1,846

-6.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.29

6.99%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Modena: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Modena

$649 34.8% 26.3% $232

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Modena

$368 19.7% 11.9% $39

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Modena

$302 16.2% 20.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Modena

$236 12.6% 4.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Modena

$149 8% 5.1% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Modena

$101 5.4% 14.8% $13

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Modena

$63 3.4% 3.4% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Rome versus $856 in Modena. 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 7% higher in Modena, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Rome versus $90.0 in Modena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $368 – making Rome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Modena

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

184,973

💱 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 Modena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome costs about 7% more than Modena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,998 per month in Rome and $2,801 in Modena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Rome and $90.0 in Modena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,998 in Rome and $1,867 in Modena. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Modena, where all-in costs run around $1,867, than in Rome at $1,998. In Modena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Modena costs $1,867 versus $1,998 in Rome. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Modena. 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.