Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Riva del Garda

For one person, living is cheaper in Riva del Garda: $1,704 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Riva del Garda
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Riva del Garda Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,990

/mo nomad

Riva del Garda

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Riva del Garda

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 Riva del Garda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,990 per month in Rome vs $1,704 in Riva del Garda, rent included.

Rome $1,990
Riva del Garda $1,704

A couple spends around $3,095 per month in Rome vs $2,560 in Riva del Garda, rent included.

Rome $3,095
Riva del Garda $2,560

A family of three spends $4,199 per month in Rome vs $3,416 in Riva del Garda, rent included.

Rome $4,199
Riva del Garda $3,416

Rome costs about 17% more than Riva del Garda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rome and Riva del Garda sit above the global median – Rome by 47%, Riva del Garda by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.92

$16.45 €14.72

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.3

$59.3 €53.0

13.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.12

$13.44 €12.02

-15.85%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.87

$2.28 €2.04

-8.33%

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

$2.89 €2.59

$3.45 €3.09

-16.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.28 €2.04

-35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.04

$5.55 €4.96

1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.20

$4.53 €4.05

52.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.14 €1.02

45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.63 €2.35

-13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.71

$2.72 €2.43

11.40%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.05

$5.41 €4.84

-16.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €13.21

$12.88 €11.53

14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €11.01

$10.17 €9.10

21.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 €17.45

$17.07 €15.27

14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$1.65 €1.48

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.88 €1.68

21.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.64 €2.37

-13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.55 €2.28

-5.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.90 €1.70

-28.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.58 €1.42

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.09 €0.97

25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.23 €0.21

139.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.41

$7.92 €7.09

-9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.88

$7.88 €7.05

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.10 €0.98

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.27

$1.14 €1.02

121.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.71 €1.53

-0.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.95 €34.85

$42.58 €38.09

-8.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.97

$7.84 €7.01

-14.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.69 €1.51

1.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €30.05

$30.81 €27.57

9.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.99 €1.78

6.03%

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$36.1K €32.3K

-1.66%

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

$37.0K €33.1K

$34.9K €31.2K

5.97%

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

$203 €181

$211 €188

-3.72%

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

$11.33 €10.14

$11.29 €10.10

0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €28.24

$28.44 €25.44

11.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €58.7

$55.3 €49.43

18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 €21.02

$23.38 €20.92

0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 €10.22

$12.28 €10.99

-6.92%

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

$497 €444

$585 €523

-15.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$6,644 €5,944

149.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €64.9

$90.1 €80.6

-19.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 €32.15

$44.18 €39.52

-18.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €76.2

$145 €130

-41.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €109

$160 €144

-24.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,066

$724 €648

64.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €784

$558 €499

57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 €2,242

$1,172 €1,049

113.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,506

$886 €793

89.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,438 €7,549

$2,930 €2,621

187.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 €2,825

$2,045 €1,829

54.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,962 €1,756

$1,778 €1,591

10.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.11

13.18%

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

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Last update for Riva del Garda: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$876 44%

Riva del Garda

$558 32.8% 36.3% $318

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$325 16.3%

Riva del Garda

$293 17.2% 9.8% $32

Eating Out

Rome

$252 12.7%

Riva del Garda

$259 15.2% 2.8% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.4%

Riva del Garda

$250 14.7% 1.9% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$142 7.1%

Riva del Garda

$198 11.6% 39.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.5%

Riva del Garda

$80 4.7% 9.8% $8.7

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Riva del Garda

$66 3.9% 7.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Rome versus $724 in Riva del Garda. 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 10% 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 $67 in Rome versus $59 in Riva del Garda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $293 – making Riva del Garda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Riva del Garda

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

16,926

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rome vs Riva del Garda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,990 in Rome, $1,704 in Riva del Garda – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,986 per month in Rome and $2,556 in Riva del Garda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Riva del Garda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $724 there versus $1,191 in Rome.

Kindergarten costs $497 per month in Rome and $585 in Riva del Garda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Rome, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,990 in Rome and $1,704 in Riva del Garda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,704 in Riva del Garda to $1,990 in Rome. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Riva del Garda. 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.