Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Varese

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,997 a month against $2,113 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Varese despite lower rent and utilities.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Varese

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $2,113 in Varese.

Rome $1,997
Varese $2,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $3,466 in Varese.

Rome $3,132
Varese $3,466

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $4,818 in Varese.

Rome $4,266
Varese $4,818

Living in Rome costs roughly 5% less than in Varese, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Varese 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.73

$22.68 €20.31

-27.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.9

$102 €91.7

-33.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.98

$13.26 €11.88

-15.99%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.81

$2.25 €2.02

-10.22%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$3.54 €3.17

-15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.63 €1.46

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$6.61 €5.92

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.06

$6.53 €5.85

3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.71 €1.53

-1.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.59 €2.32

-15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.76

$3.55 €3.18

-13.24%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.24

$5.01 €4.48

-5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.12

$31.22 €27.96

-53.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.15

$12.97 €11.62

-4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.45

$27.61 €24.73

-29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.97 €2.66

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.95 €2.65

-20.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$3.11 €2.78

-25.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$3.32 €2.98

-29.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.51 €2.25

-45.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.15 €1.93

-25.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$2.22 €1.99

-40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$0.64 €0.57

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.30

$7.79 €6.98

-9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$9.03 €8.09

-37.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.75 €1.57

-6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$1.68 €1.50

49.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.66 €2.38

-38.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.45

$49.50 €44.33

-20.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.06

$5.55 €4.97

21.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.26 €2.02

-26.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.47

$39.89 €35.73

-14.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.15 €1.92

0.93%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

$36.9K €33.1K

-4.25%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$34.7K €31.1K

5.41%

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

$210 €188

$219 €197

-4.45%

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

$11.53 €10.33

$12.64 €11.32

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.95

$32.96 €29.52

-1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.2

$54.4 €48.73

19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.07

$24.78 €22.19

-5.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.14

$11.85 €10.62

-4.47%

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

$488 €437

$726 €650

-32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$7,098 €6,357

135.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.7

$110 €98.1

-35.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €32.99

$56.1 €50.2

-34.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.5

$111 €99.3

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$161 €144

-20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,161

$917 €821

41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €784

$742 €665

17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,314

$1,682 €1,506

53.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,558

$1,569 €1,406

10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,592

$2,516 €2,254

236.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,901

$1,712 €1,533

89.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,745

$2,420 €2,167

-19.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.73

-5.63%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Varese: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Varese

$742 35.1% 15.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Varese

$439 20.8% 34.7% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Varese

$265 12.5% 4.5% $12

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Varese

$315 14.9% 26.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Varese

$197 9.3% 36.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Varese

$78 3.7% 10.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Varese

$77 3.6% 25.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $917 in Varese. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Rome vs $102 in Varese for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $439 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Varese

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

80,511

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rome Varese 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rome
Varese

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 Varese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Rome. 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: $1,297 in Rome versus $917 in Varese. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,997 per month in Rome versus $2,113 in Varese – Rome is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Rome runs roughly 20% less than in Varese. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Varese are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Rome wins on affordability, Varese on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.