Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Pavia Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Pavia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,740 in Pavia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,807 in Pavia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,875 in Pavia.

Living in Rome is roughly 17% more expensive than Pavia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Pavia 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$17.16 €14.77

0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$81.7 €70.3

-9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$9.04 €7.78

29.87%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

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

$2.51 €2.16

$3.66 €3.15

-31.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.75 €1.51

-27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.63 €4.85

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$5.84 €5.03

-10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.76 €1.51

-3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$3.27 €2.81

-34.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.80 €2.41

5.36%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.71 €3.20

21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$23.77 €20.47

-26.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$10.39 €8.94

15.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$34.51 €29.71

-41.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.59 €2.23

-5.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.27 €1.95

-1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.21 €2.76

-39.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$4.22 €3.63

-38.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.19 €1.89

-19.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.87 €2.47

-35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.08 €1.79

-39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.72 €0.62

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$7.35 €6.32

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$4.26 €3.67

8.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.86 €1.60

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.41 €1.21

93.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.72 €1.48

4.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.30

$40.13 €34.55

2.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$4.59 €3.95

11.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.16 €1.00

37.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.20

$36.35 €31.29

-3.49%

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

$40.0K €34.5K

-26.75%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$37.0K €31.9K

-18.49%

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

$219 €189

$223 €192

-1.69%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$13.15 €11.32

-16.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.95

$27.96 €24.07

11.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$51.7 €44.50

24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.49

$29.30 €25.22

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$12.95 €11.15

-9.42%

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

$528 €455

$606 €522

-12.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,974

$6,658 €5,732

56.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$111 €95.2

-33.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.76

$54.9 €47.25

-37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$87.2 €75.1

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$127 €109

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,140

$779 €671

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$473 €407

87.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,291

$1,067 €919

149.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,408

$984 €847

66.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,516

$3,594 €3,094

142.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,972

$2,178 €1,875

58.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$2,216 €1,908

-7.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.21

-6.18%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pavia: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $779 in Pavia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pavia 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 $82.0 in Pavia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $414 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 Pavia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pavia is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pavia earns 8% less. 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $779 in Pavia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $606 in Pavia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rome pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,740 in Pavia versus $2,027 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pavia but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Pavia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pavia 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 Pavia 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 Pavia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.