Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Ostia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostia: $1,756 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Ostia
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Ostia Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Ostia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Ostia

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

A single person spends $1,998 per month in Rome vs $1,756 in Ostia, rent included.

Rome $1,998
Ostia $1,756

A couple spends around $3,117 per month in Rome vs $2,594 in Ostia, rent included.

Rome $3,117
Ostia $2,594

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Rome vs $3,432 in Ostia, rent included.

Rome $4,236
Ostia $3,432

Rome costs about 14% more than Ostia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rome and Ostia sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, Ostia by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$16.51 €14.69

1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$66.0 €58.7

-0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$11.36 €10.10

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$2.25 €2.00

-6.67%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.33 €2.07

24.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.20 €1.06

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.46 €4.86

2.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$4.80 €4.27

39.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.67 €1.48

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.16 €1.92

5.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.00 €2.67

-0.33%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.54 €4.04

4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$14.92 €13.27

-2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$12.49 €11.11

1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$19.61 €17.44

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.59 €2.30

1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.06 €1.84

10.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.33 €2.07

5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.38 €2.11

1.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.44 €1.28

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.60 €1.42

-3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.51 €0.46

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.63 €5.90

10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$5.42 €4.82

0.37%

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

$2.50 €2.22

4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.65 €1.47

-1.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$39.01 €34.70

0.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$4.42 €3.93

47.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.24 €1.11

35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$23.16 €20.60

43.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.15 €1.91

0.93%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

0.21%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

0.03%

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

$203 €181

$197 €175

3.22%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$9.61 €8.55

19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$31.13 €27.69

2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$56.1 €49.93

17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$11.20 €9.96

104.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.07 €9.85

1.45%

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

$484 €430

$449 €400

7.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$8,805 €7,832

87.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$72.2 €64.2

-1.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$36.65 €32.60

-0.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$84.6 €75.2

0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$125 €111

-2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$853 €759

43.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$673 €599

30.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,130 €1,005

124.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$990 €881

73.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,992 €1,772

-2.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.5

0.57%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ostia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Ostia

$673 38.3% 23.6% $208

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Ostia

$324 18.4% 1.7% $5.6

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Ostia

$244 13.9% 2.7% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Ostia

$237 13.5% 3.7% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Ostia

$143 8.2% 1.2% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Ostia

$78 4.5% 11.4% $10

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Ostia

$56 3.2% 7.4% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Rome versus $853 in Ostia. 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 3% higher in Ostia, 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 $66.0 in Ostia. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Rome vs $324 in Ostia – so Ostia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Ostia

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

79,400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Ostia 25 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ostia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,998 per month in Rome and $2,634 in Ostia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Rome and $449 in Ostia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Rome, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ostia, where all-in costs run around $1,756, than in Rome at $1,998. In Ostia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Ostia. 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.