Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Salerno Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Salerno

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,637 in Salerno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,610 in Salerno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,583 in Salerno.

Living in Rome is roughly 24% more expensive than Salerno, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Salerno 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.84

$14.85 €12.79

16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$64.2 €55.3

15.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$11.64 €10.03

0.86%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$1.84 €1.59

-0.54%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.43 €2.09

3.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.22 €1.05

4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$5.73 €4.94

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$5.17 €4.45

1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.70 €1.46

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.70 €1.47

25.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.47 €2.13

19.43%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$2.91 €2.51

54.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €15.00

$17.14 €14.76

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.33

$11.68 €10.06

2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.38

$17.47 €15.04

15.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.18 €1.88

12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.04 €1.76

9.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.76 €1.52

10.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.30 €1.98

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.72 €1.48

2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.05 €0.91

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.39 €0.34

41.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.14

$7.01 €6.04

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$4.68 €4.03

-1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.87 €1.61

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.27 €1.96

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.77 €1.52

1.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.31

$38.17 €32.87

7.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.42

$5.08 €4.38

0.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.58 €1.36

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.21

$35.10 €30.22

-0.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.03 €1.75

-3.94%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$28.5K €24.5K

3.03%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$29.3K €25.2K

3.12%

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

$219 €189

$85.1 €73.3

157.83%

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

$11.01 €9.48

$11.06 €9.53

-0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.96

$31.26 €26.92

0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.2

$46.62 €40.14

37.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.50

$11.51 €9.91

106.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.10

$10.79 €9.29

8.71%

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

$528 €455

$284 €244

86.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,976

$10.5K €9,030

-0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$72.8 €62.7

0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.77

$35.47 €30.54

-2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.9

$86.4 €74.4

0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$121 €104

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,141

$1,000 €861

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €762

$749 €645

18.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,292

$1,803 €1,552

47.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,409

$1,282 €1,104

27.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,518

$5,147 €4,432

69.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,973

$2,879 €2,479

19.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,772

$1,677 €1,444

22.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Salerno: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $1,000 in Salerno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 23% 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: $74.0 in Rome vs $64.0 in Salerno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $301 per month, with Salerno 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 Salerno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salerno wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Salerno the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rome pays 23% more on average, 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: $1,325 in Rome versus $1,000 in Salerno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,027 per month in Rome versus $1,637 in Salerno – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Salerno runs roughly 7% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,637 in Salerno versus $2,027 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salerno but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Salerno the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Salerno delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,637 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Salerno hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Salerno 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 Salerno gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.