Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Pistoia

For one person, living is cheaper in Pistoia: $1,647 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Pistoia
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Pistoia Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Pistoia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Pistoia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,647 in Pistoia.

Rome $1,998
Pistoia $1,647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,632 in Pistoia.

Rome $3,117
Pistoia $2,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,617 in Pistoia.

Rome $4,236
Pistoia $3,617

Living in Rome is roughly 21% more expensive than in Pistoia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Pistoia 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$22.64 €20.14

-26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$90.6 €80.6

-27.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.53 €12.04

-18.11%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$1.66 €1.48

26.51%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.92 €2.60

-0.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.41 €1.25

4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.53 €4.92

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$4.58 €4.08

45.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.51 €1.35

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.03 €1.81

11.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.36 €1.21

119.85%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$3.46 €3.08

37.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$19.84 €17.65

-26.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$13.51 €12.02

-6.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$20.82 €18.52

-4.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.59 €2.30

1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.29 €2.04

-0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.15 €2.80

-21.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.04 €2.70

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.81 €1.61

-23.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.13 €1.01

37.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.36 €1.21

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.67 €0.60

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.54 €5.82

11.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$8.79 €7.82

-38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.55 €1.38

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.51 €2.23

4.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.92 €1.70

-15.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$54.8 €48.74

-28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$6.57 €5.84

-0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.41 €1.26

19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$32.49 €28.90

2.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.96 €1.74

10.71%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$31.5K €28.0K

12.23%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.3K €31.4K

0.33%

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

$203 €181

$187 €167

8.38%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$10.24 €9.11

12.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$30.65 €27.26

4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$75.6 €67.2

-12.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$28.84 €25.65

-20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$9.89 €8.80

13.55%

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

$484 €430

$439 €390

10.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$2,710 €2,410

509.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$82.8 €73.7

-14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$33.35 €29.66

9.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$98.6 €87.7

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$108 €95.9

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$743 €661

64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$456 €405

93.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,116 €992

127.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$794 €706

116.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$2,885 €2,566

186.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,172 €1,932

41.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,900 €1,690

2.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.29

6.99%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pistoia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Pistoia

$456 27.7% 48.3% $426

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Pistoia

$350 21.3% 6.4% $21

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Pistoia

$296 18% 17.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Pistoia

$228 13.9% 7.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Pistoia

$145 8.8% 2.7% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Pistoia

$95 5.8% 8% $7

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Pistoia

$76 4.6% 25.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $743 in Pistoia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Rome vs $91.0 in Pistoia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $350 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Pistoia

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

90,315

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Pistoia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pistoia is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Rome, 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: $1,222 in Rome versus $743 in Pistoia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pistoia – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $66.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Rome versus $1,647 in Pistoia – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,647 in Pistoia versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pistoia but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Pistoia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pistoia 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 Pistoia 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 Pistoia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.