Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Parma

For one person, living is cheaper in Parma: $1,858 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Parma
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Parma Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Parma

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Parma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,858 in Parma.

Rome $1,998
Parma $1,858

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,922 in Parma.

Rome $3,117
Parma $2,922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,986 in Parma.

Rome $4,236
Parma $3,986

Living in Rome is roughly 8% more expensive than in Parma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Parma 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$19.92 €17.72

-16.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$72.5 €64.5

-9.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.65 €12.14

-18.83%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$2.24 €1.99

-6.25%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$3.40 €3.02

-14.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.62 €1.44

-8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$6.19 €5.50

-9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$6.00 €5.34

11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.38 €1.23

24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.71 €2.41

-16.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.65 €2.36

12.83%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.28 €3.81

10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$18.34 €16.32

-20.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$12.85 €11.43

-1.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$17.07 €15.19

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.26 €2.01

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.66 €1.48

37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.86 €1.65

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.47 €2.20

-2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.33 €1.19

3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.38 €1.23

12.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.64 €1.45

-19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.54 €0.48

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.78 €6.03

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$7.71 €6.86

-29.44%

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

$1.92 €1.70

36.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.85 €1.64

-11.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$41.06 €36.52

-4.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$5.68 €5.05

14.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.48 €1.31

13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$28.28 €25.15

17.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.95 €1.74

11.28%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.1K €32.1K

-2.11%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.3K €31.4K

0.21%

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

$203 €181

$236 €210

-13.93%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$11.61 €10.33

-0.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$27.54 €24.50

16.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$62.0 €55.2

6.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$26.85 €23.88

-14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$12.30 €10.94

-8.70%

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

$484 €430

$560 €498

-13.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$4,443 €3,952

271.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$90.9 €80.8

-21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$43.60 €38.78

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$95.6 €85.1

-11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$166 €148

-26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$843 €750

44.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$639 €569

37.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,517 €1,349

67.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,260 €1,121

36.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$3,439 €3,059

140.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,380 €2,117

29.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$2,034 €1,809

-4.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.46

1.73%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Parma: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Parma

$639 34.4% 27.5% $242

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Parma

$327 17.6% 0.7% $2.2

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Parma

$290 15.6% 15.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Parma

$275 14.8% 11.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Parma

$178 9.6% 26.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Parma

$87 4.7% 1.9% $1.7

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Parma

$62 3.3% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $843 in Parma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parma pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rome vs $72.0 in Parma. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $327, with Parma cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Parma

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

193,315

💱 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 Parma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Parma. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Rome versus $843 in Parma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Rome versus $560 in Parma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,858 in Parma versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Parma but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Parma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Parma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rome and Parma 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 Parma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.