Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Palermo

For one person, living is cheaper in Palermo: $1,566 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Palermo
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Palermo Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Palermo

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Palermo

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

A single person spends $1,998 per month in Rome vs $1,566 in Palermo, rent included.

Rome $1,998
Palermo $1,566

A couple spends around $3,117 per month in Rome vs $2,314 in Palermo, rent included.

Rome $3,117
Palermo $2,314

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Rome vs $3,061 in Palermo, rent included.

Rome $4,236
Palermo $3,061

Rome costs about 28% more than Palermo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rome and Palermo sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, Palermo by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$15.02 €13.36

11.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$55.7 €49.51

18.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$11.25 €10.01

-1.51%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$2.04 €1.81

2.94%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.36 €2.10

23.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.27 €1.13

16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.74 €5.10

-2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$4.02 €3.58

66.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.26 €1.12

36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.77 €1.57

28.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.74 €2.44

9.12%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$2.99 €2.66

58.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$14.93 €13.28

-2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$11.99 €10.67

5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$17.07 €15.18

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.91 €2.59

-9.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.11 €1.88

8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.93 €2.60

-16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.06 €2.72

-20.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.71 €1.52

-19.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.50 €1.34

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.78 €1.59

-25.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.40 €0.35

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.86 €6.10

6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$7.30 €6.50

-25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$2.17 €1.93

-27.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$3.00 €2.67

-12.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.58 €1.41

3.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$36.13 €32.14

8.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$3.29 €2.92

97.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.14 €1.01

47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$38.46 €34.21

-13.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.07 €1.84

4.83%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.0K €32.0K

-1.88%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.1K €31.2K

1.01%

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

$203 €181

$228 €203

-10.89%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$9.87 €8.78

16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$26.63 €23.68

20.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$46.70 €41.54

41.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$31.87 €28.35

-28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$8.81 €7.84

27.47%

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

$484 €430

$439 €391

10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$5,629 €5,007

193.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$71.7 €63.8

-1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$30.89 €27.47

18.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$86.8 €77.2

-2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$125 €111

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$731 €650

67.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$500 €445

76.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,091 €971

132.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$730 €649

135.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$2,641 €2,349

213.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$1,263 €1,124

144.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,635 €1,455

18.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.39

3.83%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Palermo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Palermo

$500 31.9% 43.2% $381

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Palermo

$315 20.1% 4.4% $14

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Palermo

$230 14.7% 8.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Palermo

$264 16.9% 7.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Palermo

$142 9% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Palermo

$64 4.1% 27.2% $24

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Palermo

$51 3.3% 15.3% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 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 19% 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 $66.0 in Rome versus $56.0 in Palermo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $315 – making Palermo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Palermo

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

628,165

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 28%, 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 $2,349 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 9% less in Palermo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Rome and $439 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 $1,998. 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.