Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Split

For one person, living is cheaper in Split: $1,822 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Split

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,822 in Split.

Rome $1,998
Split $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,797 in Split.

Rome $3,117
Split $2,797

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,771 in Split.

Rome $4,236
Split $3,771

Living in Rome is roughly 10% more expensive than in Split, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Split 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$16.50 €14.68

1.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$73.4 €65.3

-10.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$11.32 €10.07

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$2.74 €2.44

-23.36%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$4.10 €3.65

-29.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.87 €2.55

-48.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$4.63 €4.12

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.15 €4.58

29.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.27 €1.13

35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.13 €1.89

6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.59 €3.19

-16.71%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.15 €3.70

14.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$13.87 €12.34

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$9.59 €8.53

31.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$13.18 €11.73

50.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.13 €1.90

23.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.84 €1.64

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.89 €1.68

30.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.86 €2.54

-15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.59 €1.42

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.15 €1.02

34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.30 €1.15

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$1.25 €1.11

-56.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$5.72 €5.09

27.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$9.09 €8.08

-40.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.74 €1.55

-9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.31 €2.05

13.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.65 €1.47

-1.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$39.56 €35.19

-0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$3.59 €3.20

81.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.10 €1.87

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$29.27 €26.04

13.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.85 €1.64

17.30%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$28.2K €25.1K

25.45%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$24.9K €22.1K

42.35%

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

$203 €181

$207 €184

-1.74%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$19.93 €17.73

-42.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$41.20 €36.65

-22.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$62.2 €55.3

5.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

$12.92 €11.50

77.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$9.15 €8.14

22.73%

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

$484 €430

$604 €537

-19.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$11.9K €10.5K

39.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$92.3 €82.1

-23.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$40.17 €35.73

-9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$112 €99.7

-24.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$96.1 €85.5

26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$1,024 €911

19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$704 €626

25.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,942 €1,728

30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$1,275 €1,134

34.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$7,185 €6,391

15.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$5,032 €4,476

-38.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$1,576 €1,402

23.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.44

2.33%

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

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Split: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Split

$704 38.6% 20.1% $177

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Split

$296 16.3% 10% $33

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Split

$260 14.3% 3.7% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Split

$268 14.7% 8.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Split

$153 8.4% 8.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Split

$80 4.4% 8.9% $7.9

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Split

$60 3.3% 0.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $1,024 in Split. 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: $66.0 in Rome vs $73.0 in Split. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $296, with Split cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇭🇷 Split

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

149,830

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Split wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Split the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $1,024 in Split. 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 $1,822 in Split – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Split runs roughly 1% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,822 in Split versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Split but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Split the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Split delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,822 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Split hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Split 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 Split gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.