Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Padova Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Padova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,995 in Rome versus $2,060 in Padova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,115 in Rome versus $3,098 in Padova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,234 in Rome versus $4,135 in Padova.

Living in Rome costs roughly 3% less than in Padova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 49% above, Padova 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.02

$18.66 €15.97

-5.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 €63.6

$81.5 €69.7

-8.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.63 €9.96

$11.51 €9.86

1.04%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.51

$2.01 €1.72

-11.94%

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

$2.40 €2.05

$3.59 €3.07

-33.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.81 €1.55

-29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.90

$6.77 €5.80

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 €4.39

$4.60 €3.94

11.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.59 €1.36

11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.61 €2.23

-17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.62

$3.21 €2.75

-4.67%

Eggs

$4.43 €3.79

$4.25 €3.64

4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 €15.11

$15.70 €13.44

12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.08 €10.34

$12.83 €10.98

-5.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 €17.21

$20.08 €17.19

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.74 €2.35

-14.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.00

$2.41 €2.06

-2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.72 €2.33

-28.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$3.63 €3.10

-28.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.33 €1.99

-23.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.03 €1.74

-4.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.64 €1.40

-21.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$0.39 €0.34

41.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €5.83

$7.37 €6.30

-7.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 €3.99

$7.11 €6.09

-34.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.95 €1.67

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.61 €2.24

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.02 €1.73

-11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.73 €34.01

$50.3 €43.03

-20.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 €4.55

$10.28 €8.80

-48.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.37

$2.07 €1.77

-22.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 €30.27

$40.32 €34.51

-12.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.02 €1.73

-0.99%

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

$28.7K €24.6K

$34.7K €29.7K

-17.26%

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

$29.8K €25.5K

$37.5K €32.1K

-20.54%

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

$217 €186

$298 €255

-27.05%

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

$11.17 €9.56

$11.84 €10.13

-5.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 €26.26

$31.24 €26.74

-1.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 €53.4

$57.7 €49.39

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.80 €20.37

$27.44 €23.49

-13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.01

$11.76 €10.07

-0.60%

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

$531 €455

$639 €547

-16.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,006

$11.3K €9,702

-7.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €62.1

$70.5 €60.4

2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 €30.28

$42.40 €36.30

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 €75.2

$102 €87.5

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$130 €111

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 €1,155

$1,020 €873

32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €755

$764 €654

15.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 €2,293

$1,714 €1,467

56.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 €1,382

$1,241 €1,062

30.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,678 €7,428

$4,268 €3,653

103.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 €2,999

$2,444 €2,092

43.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,157 €1,846

$1,999 €1,711

7.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.47

-11.63%

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

Last update for Rome: April 28, 2026

Last update for Padova: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,349 in Rome and $1,020 in Padova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $81.0 in Padova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $352 per month, with Rome 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 Padova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Padova differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,995 vs $2,060 including rent). Rome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rome pays 8% 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: $1,349 in Rome versus $1,020 in Padova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Padova. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rome – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $81.0 in Padova. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,995 in Rome versus $2,060 in Padova, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Padova. The gap between the two cities makes Rome 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 Padova 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Padova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.