Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Siena

For one person, living is cheaper in Siena: $1,836 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Siena
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Siena Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Siena

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,836

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Siena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,836 in Siena.

Rome $1,998
Siena $1,836

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,784 in Siena.

Rome $3,117
Siena $2,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,733 in Siena.

Rome $4,236
Siena $3,733

Living in Rome is roughly 9% more expensive than in Siena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Siena 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$15.36 €13.66

8.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$90.9 €80.9

-27.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.54 €12.05

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$1.89 €1.68

11.11%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$2.96 €2.63

-1.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.41 €1.26

4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$6.19 €5.51

-9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.59 €4.98

19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.45 €1.29

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.24 €2.00

1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.64 €1.46

82.32%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.03 €3.58

17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$13.54 €12.04

7.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$11.93 €10.61

5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$21.56 €19.18

-7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.57 €2.29

2.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.15 €1.91

6.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.13 €2.79

-21.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.16 €2.81

-23.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.82 €1.62

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.57 €1.40

-1.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.37 €1.22

-3.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.52 €0.46

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.66 €5.93

9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$6.53 €5.81

-16.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.51 €1.34

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.94 €1.73

-15.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$41.73 €37.12

-5.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$6.45 €5.74

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.39 €1.24

20.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$32.32 €28.74

2.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.08 €1.85

4.33%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$27.6K €24.6K

28.07%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.5K €31.6K

-0.35%

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

$203 €181

$194 €173

4.47%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$13.47 €11.98

-14.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$31.20 €27.75

2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$70.4 €62.7

-6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.30 €10.05

-0.62%

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

$484 €430

$576 €513

-16.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$14.7K €13.1K

12.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$84.0 €74.7

-15.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$37.04 €32.95

-1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$95.9 €85.3

-11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$107 €95.0

14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$1,138 €1,013

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$725 €645

21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,720 €1,530

47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,122 €998

53.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$4,381 €3,897

88.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$3,930 €3,495

-21.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,882 €1,674

3.21%

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 Siena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Siena

$725 39.5% 17.7% $156

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Siena

$325 17.7% 1.4% $4.5

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Siena

$246 13.4% 2.1% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Siena

$239 13% 3.1% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Siena

$146 7.9% 3% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Siena

$93 5.1% 5.3% $4.7

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Siena

$63 3.4% 3.6% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $1,138 in Siena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 3% 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 Siena. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $325, with Siena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Siena

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

53,903

💱 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 Siena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siena wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Siena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% 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 $1,138 in Siena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Rome versus $1,836 in Siena – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Siena runs roughly 6% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,836 in Siena versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Siena but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Siena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Siena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,836 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Siena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Siena 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 Siena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.