Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Scalea

For one person, living is cheaper in Scalea: $1,723 a month against $1,997 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Scalea
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Scalea Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Scalea

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Scalea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $1,723 in Scalea.

Rome $1,997
Scalea $1,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $2,482 in Scalea.

Rome $3,132
Scalea $2,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $3,241 in Scalea.

Rome $4,266
Scalea $3,241

Living in Rome is roughly 16% more expensive than in Scalea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Scalea 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.77

$16.80 €15.09

-2.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €61.0

$56.6 €50.8

20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €10.01

$11.02 €9.90

1.09%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.82

$2.10 €1.89

-3.81%

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

$3.00 €2.70

$2.96 €2.66

1.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$2.08 €1.87

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$6.59 €5.92

-13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.08

$4.13 €3.71

63.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.26 €1.13

34.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.68 €1.50

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$2.62 €2.35

17.56%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$3.41 €3.06

39.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.16

$11.04 €9.92

32.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.18

$11.70 €10.51

6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.50

$15.79 €14.18

23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.34

$1.99 €1.78

30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.73 €1.56

35.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.39 €1.25

67.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.64 €2.37

-11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.74 €1.56

-21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

$1.30 €1.17

23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.28 €1.15

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.46 €0.42

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.32

$6.82 €6.12

3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$7.81 €7.01

-28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.48

$1.83 €1.64

-10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.26

$1.53 €1.37

64.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.66 €1.49

-1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.56

$38.62 €34.69

2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.08

$4.57 €4.11

48.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.14 €1.02

44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.56

$22.00 €19.76

54.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.12 €1.91

2.36%

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

$35.4K €31.8K

$36.0K €32.3K

-1.73%

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

$36.6K €32.9K

$37.6K €33.8K

-2.65%

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

$210 €188

$315 €283

-33.34%

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

$11.53 €10.36

$10.52 €9.45

9.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €29.03

$34.57 €31.05

-6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.4

$53.1 €47.73

22.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.14

$22.55 €20.26

4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.17

$9.07 €8.14

24.81%

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

$488 €438

$445 €400

9.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €15.0K

$6,807 €6,114

145.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.9

$83.0 €74.6

-14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €33.09

$34.18 €30.70

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.7

$84.9 €76.3

0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$129 €116

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,165

$700 €629

85.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €786

$556 €500

57.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,321

$1,099 €987

135.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,562

$819 €735

112.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,615

$1,452 €1,304

483.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,910

$1,141 €1,025

183.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,750

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.55

-0.85%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Scalea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Scalea

$556 32.3% 36.5% $319

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Scalea

$278 16.1% 14.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Scalea

$360 20.9% 41.8% $106

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Scalea

$254 14.7% 2% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Scalea

$149 8.6% 3% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Scalea

$71 4.1% 18.7% $16

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Scalea

$56 3.2% 9.2% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $700 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Rome vs $57 in Scalea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $278 per month, with Scalea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Scalea

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

10,913

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rome Scalea 360 km

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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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scalea wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Scalea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,996 in Rome and $2,585 in Scalea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,297 in Rome versus $700 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,997 per month in Rome versus $1,723 in Scalea – Scalea is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Scalea gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rome and Scalea are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.