Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Novara Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Novara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,986 in Rome versus $1,473 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,073 in Rome versus $2,315 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,159 in Rome versus $3,156 in Novara.

Living in Rome is roughly 35% more expensive than in Novara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 49% above, Novara 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.35

$17.22 €15.07

1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.5

$58.9 €51.5

29.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 €10.21

$9.44 €8.26

23.62%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.55

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

$2.45 €2.14

$3.40 €2.97

-27.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.48 €1.30

-14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.03

$5.84 €5.11

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.43

$5.23 €4.57

-3.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.51 €1.32

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.94 €1.69

6.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.62

$2.93 €2.56

2.05%

Eggs

$4.52 €3.95

$3.27 €2.86

38.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 €15.47

$12.77 €11.17

38.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.28

$9.21 €8.06

27.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 €17.99

$13.72 €12.00

49.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.64 €2.31

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.75 €1.53

34.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$3.37 €2.95

-40.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.34

$2.28 €1.99

17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.99 €1.74

-11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.13 €0.99

63.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.06 €0.93

19.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.51 €0.45

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €5.95

$7.10 €6.21

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$5.61 €4.90

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.59 €1.39

22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.42

$1.82 €1.59

51.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.71 €1.50

0.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 €36.02

$39.26 €34.35

4.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.57

$4.68 €4.10

11.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.17 €1.90

-27.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.86 €30.50

$35.42 €30.99

-1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.00 €1.75

1.50%

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

$29.0K €25.4K

$28.8K €25.2K

0.86%

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

$29.9K €26.1K

$30.9K €27.1K

-3.42%

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

$222 €195

$171 €150

30.00%

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

$10.96 €9.59

$13.15 €11.51

-16.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.99 €27.11

$31.30 €27.39

-0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €56.1

$66.3 €58.0

-3.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 €20.98

$19.89 €17.40

20.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 €10.18

$12.80 €11.19

-9.14%

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

$539 €472

$533 €466

1.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,353

$10.5K €9,149

2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €64.0

$85.9 €75.1

-14.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 €30.26

$34.67 €30.34

-0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.8

$86.8 €76.0

-0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$127 €111

-6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,162

$655 €573

102.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 €758

$450 €393

92.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,271

$1,099 €962

136.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 €1,402

$811 €709

97.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,434 €7,379

$2,855 €2,498

195.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 €3,031

$1,916 €1,676

80.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,703

$2,102 €1,839

-7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.21

-6.18%

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

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Last update for Novara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,328 in Rome and $655 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novara pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Rome vs $59.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $275 per month, with Novara cheaper across the board.

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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Novara differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,986 vs $1,473 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Novara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,328 in Rome versus $655 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Rome versus $533 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,473 in Novara versus $1,986 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.