Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Toowoomba Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Toowoomba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,924 in Toowoomba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,682 in Toowoomba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,441 in Toowoomba.

Living in Rome is roughly 5% more expensive than Toowoomba, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$14.41 A$20.08

19.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$58.2 A$81.0

27.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$8.77 A$12.22

33.87%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$3.19 A$4.44

-42.63%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.55 A$3.56

-1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.99 A$2.78

-36.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$6.22 A$8.66

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$6.35 A$8.85

-17.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.48 A$2.06

14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.98 A$2.77

8.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.60 A$2.23

84.38%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.94 A$5.49

14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €14.99

$7.26 A$10.12

139.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.32

$7.90 A$11.01

51.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.37

$12.26 A$17.08

64.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.08 A$4.29

-20.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.11 A$2.94

5.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.32 A$3.23

-15.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.55 A$3.55

1.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.18 A$3.04

-18.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.33 A$3.25

-20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.97 A$2.75

-36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$2.11 A$2.94

-73.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.13

$25.57 A$35.63

-72.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$14.28 A$19.90

-67.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$4.30 A$5.99

-54.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$6.79 A$9.46

-59.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.61 A$3.64

-31.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.27

$63.9 A$89.1

-35.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$1.98 A$2.75

159.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.44 A$2.00

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.18

$32.04 A$44.64

9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.15 A$1.60

69.57%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$24.4K A$34.0K

20.05%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$20.8K A$29.0K

44.77%

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

$219 €189

$75.7 A$105

189.88%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$32.76 A$45.66

-66.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.93

$47.27 A$65.9

-33.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.1

$31.57 A$43.99

103.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.48

$15.60 A$21.73

52.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.09

$13.03 A$18.15

-9.98%

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

$528 €454

$484 A$675

9.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,966

$7,250 A$10.1K

43.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.0

$60.2 A$83.8

21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.74

$48.61 A$67.7

-28.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.8

$78.1 A$109

11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$125 A$174

-4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,139

$989 A$1,378

33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €761

$903 A$1,258

-2.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,289

$1,439 A$2,006

84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,407

$1,181 A$1,646

38.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,510

$3,437 A$4,790

154.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,970

$2,816 A$3,925

22.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,770

$4,034 A$5,622

-48.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

6.5

-39.23%

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

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Toowoomba: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $989 in Toowoomba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toowoomba pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rome vs $58.0 in Toowoomba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $313 per month, with Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toowoomba wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toowoomba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Toowoomba earns 96% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,325 in Rome versus $989 in Toowoomba. 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 $1,924 in Toowoomba – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Toowoomba runs roughly 56% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,924 in Toowoomba versus $2,027 in Rome, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Toowoomba but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Toowoomba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Toowoomba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,924 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toowoomba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome and Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba 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.