Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Palermo Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Palermo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,027 per month in Rome vs $1,566 in Palermo, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,143 per month in Rome vs $2,384 in Palermo, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,260 per month in Rome vs $3,202 in Palermo, rent included.

Rome costs about 29% more than Palermo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rome and Palermo sit above the global median – Rome by 51%, Palermo by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$14.05 €12.10

22.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$58.4 €50.3

26.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.63 €10.01

0.95%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$2.01 €1.73

-8.96%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.28 €1.96

10.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.28 €1.10

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.72 €4.92

2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.14 €3.56

26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.41 €1.21

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.11 €1.81

1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.86 €2.46

3.15%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.43 €2.95

31.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$14.37 €12.38

21.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$12.76 €10.99

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$17.93 €15.44

12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.85 €2.45

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.34 €2.02

-4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.03 €2.61

-35.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$3.08 €2.65

-16.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.72 €1.48

2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.25 €1.08

48.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.91 €1.65

-34.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.41 €0.35

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$6.53 €5.63

9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$7.84 €6.75

-40.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.17 €1.87

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.23 €2.78

-15.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.63 €1.41

9.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.31

$36.75 €31.64

11.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.42

$4.68 €4.03

9.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.46 €1.26

9.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.21

$46.92 €40.41

-25.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.02 €1.74

-3.47%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$35.1K €30.2K

-16.48%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$29.7K €25.6K

1.67%

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

$219 €189

$228 €197

-3.93%

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

$11.01 €9.48

$14.61 €12.58

-24.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.96

$29.62 €25.50

5.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$45.73 €39.37

40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.50

$32.48 €27.97

-26.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$9.62 €8.29

21.93%

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

$528 €455

$398 €343

32.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,976

$10.9K €9,384

-4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$88.2 €75.9

-16.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.77

$32.02 €27.57

7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$90.4 €77.9

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$128 €110

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,141

$731 €629

81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$482 €415

83.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,292

$1,018 €877

161.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,409

$804 €693

103.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,518

$2,757 €2,374

216.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,973

$1,354 €1,166

154.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,598 €1,376

28.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.72

-16.31%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Palermo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,325 in Rome versus $731 in Palermo. 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 29% higher in Rome, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Rome versus $58.0 in Palermo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $330 – making Palermo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Palermo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,041 per month in Rome and $2,349 in Palermo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 12% less in Palermo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $528 per month in Rome and $398 in Palermo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palermo, where all-in costs run around $1,566, than in Rome at $2,027. In Palermo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palermo – 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 Palermo. 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.