Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Venice

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,997 a month against $2,122 in Venice, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Venice despite lower rent and utilities.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Venice
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Venice Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,997

/mo nomad

Venice

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Venice

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Rome versus $2,122 in Venice.

Rome $1,997
Venice $2,122

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Rome versus $3,228 in Venice.

Rome $3,132
Venice $3,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,266 in Rome versus $4,335 in Venice.

Rome $4,266
Venice $4,335

Living in Rome costs roughly 6% less than in Venice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Venice 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.73

$22.16 €19.85

-25.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.9

$96.3 €86.2

-29.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 €9.98

$12.32 €11.04

-9.58%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.81

$2.16 €1.93

-6.48%

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

$3.00 €2.69

$3.51 €3.14

-14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.93 €1.73

-23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$6.52 €5.84

-12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.06

$5.46 €4.89

23.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.91 €1.71

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.73 €2.45

-19.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.76

$3.83 €3.43

-19.58%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.24

$5.13 €4.60

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 €13.12

$14.80 €13.25

-1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 €11.15

$15.83 €14.18

-21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.45

$28.39 €25.42

-31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$3.60 €3.22

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$3.02 €2.71

-22.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.90 €2.60

-19.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$5.33 €4.77

-56.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.99 €1.78

-31.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.09 €1.87

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$2.09 €1.87

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.45

$0.70 €0.62

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.30

$6.65 €5.96

5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.76 €6.06

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.74 €1.56

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.28 €2.04

10.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.73 €1.55

-5.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 €35.45

$41.33 €37.02

-4.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 €6.06

$4.58 €4.10

47.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.75 €1.57

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.47

$33.45 €29.96

1.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.11 €1.89

2.84%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

$35.6K €31.9K

-0.65%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$37.7K €33.7K

-2.83%

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

$210 €188

$276 €247

-23.98%

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

$11.53 €10.33

$10.01 €8.97

15.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.95

$33.57 €30.06

-3.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 €58.2

$79.5 €71.2

-18.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 €21.07

$23.30 €20.87

0.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.14

$11.37 €10.19

-0.44%

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

$488 €437

$626 €561

-22.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$6,832 €6,118

144.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €63.7

$93.5 €83.7

-23.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 €32.99

$37.26 €33.37

-1.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 €76.5

$121 €108

-29.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$174 €156

-26.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 €1,161

$1,295 €1,160

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €784

$723 €648

21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,314

$2,764 €2,475

-6.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,558

$1,122 €1,005

55.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,477 €7,592

$6,816 €6,104

24.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 €2,901

$2,932 €2,626

10.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,745

$1,678 €1,503

16.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.15

11.75%

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

Last update for Rome: October 25, 2026

Last update for Venice: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$875 43.8%

Venice

$723 34.1% 17.4% $152

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$326 16.3%

Venice

$419 19.7% 28.6% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$254 12.7%

Venice

$319 15.1% 26% $66

Eating Out

Rome

$249 12.5%

Venice

$305 14.4% 22.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$145 7.2%

Venice

$191 9% 32.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Venice

$102 4.8% 16.6% $15

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Venice

$62 2.9% 0.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Rome and $1,295 in Venice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Rome vs $96 in Venice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $419 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Venice

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

43,879

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Venice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Venice. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,297 in Rome versus $1,295 in Venice. 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 $2,122 in Venice – Rome is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Rome runs roughly 4% less than in Venice. 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 Venice are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.