Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Olbia Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Olbia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,722 in Olbia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,469 in Olbia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,216 in Olbia.

Living in Rome is roughly 18% more expensive than Olbia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Olbia 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$17.67 €15.21

-2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$81.7 €70.4

-9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.15 €9.60

5.29%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$1.72 €1.48

6.40%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.88 €2.48

-12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.36 €1.17

-6.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.50 €3.87

30.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.55 €3.92

14.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.61 €1.38

4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.86 €1.60

15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.66 €2.29

10.90%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$2.30 €1.98

96.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$16.98 €14.61

2.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$10.89 €9.37

10.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$18.72 €16.12

7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.10 €1.80

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.68 €1.44

32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.28 €1.96

-14.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$3.00 €2.58

-14.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.46 €1.26

21.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.50 €1.29

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.47 €1.27

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.43 €0.37

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$7.03 €6.05

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$8.25 €7.10

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.70 €1.47

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.43 €1.23

90.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.37 €1.18

30.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$26.23 €22.58

56.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$3.73 €3.21

37.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.11 €0.96

44.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$29.12 €25.07

20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.10 €1.81

-7.14%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$32.9K €28.3K

-10.87%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$29.4K €25.3K

2.56%

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

$219 €189

$178 €153

23.61%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$13.23 €11.39

-16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$31.02 €26.71

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$53.5 €46.01

19.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$8.02 €6.90

196.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$7.87 €6.77

49.05%

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

$528 €455

$334 €287

58.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$8,069 €6,947

29.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$91.4 €78.7

-19.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$49.68 €42.77

-30.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$84.7 €72.9

2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$117 €101

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$924 €795

43.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$686 €590

29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$1,410 €1,214

88.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$795 €684

105.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$3,404 €2,931

156.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$2,835 €2,441

21.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$2,018 €1,737

1.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.87

-18.89%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Olbia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $924 in Olbia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 2% 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $82.0 in Olbia. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $307, with Olbia cheaper for home cooking.

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 Olbia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olbia wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olbia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rome pays 2% more on average, 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $924 in Olbia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $334 in Olbia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,722 in Olbia versus $2,027 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Olbia but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Olbia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Olbia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,722 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olbia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Olbia 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 Olbia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.