Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Siena Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Siena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,926 in Siena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,885 in Siena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,844 in Siena.

Living in Rome is roughly 5% more expensive than Siena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Siena 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$17.45 €15.01

-1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$80.0 €68.8

-7.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$11.40 €9.80

2.98%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$1.97 €1.69

-7.11%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$3.05 €2.62

-17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.36 €1.17

-6.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$5.75 €4.94

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$5.66 €4.87

-7.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.44 €1.24

17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.40 €2.06

-10.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.19 €1.89

34.70%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$4.33 €3.72

4.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €14.99

$14.35 €12.35

21.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.32

$12.97 €11.16

-7.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.37

$22.05 €18.97

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.74 €2.36

-10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.48 €2.13

-10.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.62 €3.12

-46.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$3.62 €3.12

-28.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.00 €1.72

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.84 €1.59

1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.49 €1.28

-15.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.62 €0.53

-11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.13

$7.07 €6.09

0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$6.88 €5.92

-32.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.71 €1.47

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.63 €2.26

3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.99 €1.71

-10.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.27

$40.93 €35.21

0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$6.75 €5.80

-24.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.13 €1.83

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.18

$32.90 €28.30

6.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.08 €1.79

-6.25%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$27.4K €23.5K

7.11%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$36.7K €31.6K

-17.83%

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

$219 €189

$267 €230

-17.88%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$12.76 €10.97

-13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.93

$30.95 €26.63

1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.1

$79.5 €68.4

-19.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.48

$23.50 €20.22

1.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.09

$9.10 €7.82

28.90%

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

$528 €454

$117 €101

351.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,966

$11.3K €9,762

-8.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.0

$91.9 €79.0

-20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.74

$38.14 €32.81

-9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.8

$91.3 €78.5

-4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$127 €109

-6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,139

$1,074 €924

23.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €761

$714 €614

23.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,289

$1,723 €1,482

54.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,407

$1,080 €929

51.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,510

$4,689 €4,034

86.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,970

$4,051 €3,485

-14.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,770

$1,954 €1,681

5.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

4.24

-6.84%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Siena: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $1,074 in Siena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 5% 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 $80.0 in Siena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $350 per month, with Rome 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 Siena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Siena differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,027 vs $1,926 including rent). Siena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rome pays 5% 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 $1,074 in Siena. 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 $1,926 in Siena – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Siena runs roughly 0% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,926 in Siena versus $2,027 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 $1,926 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 5% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.