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 Wigan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,998 in Rome versus $1,964 in Wigan.
Rome $1,998
Wigan $1,964
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,117 in Rome versus $2,893 in Wigan.
Rome $3,117
Wigan $2,893
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Rome versus $3,823 in Wigan.
Rome $4,236
Wigan $3,823
🌍
Living in Rome is roughly 2% more expensive than in Wigan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome48% above, Wigan45% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€14.84
$19.72£14.80
-15.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8€58.5
$68.3£51.2
-3.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.08€9.85
$9.87£7.40
12.26%
Cappuccino
$2.10€1.87
$3.39£2.54
-38.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91€2.59
$2.37£1.77
22.78%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48€1.32
$1.53£1.15
-3.27%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.62€5.00
$4.54£3.40
23.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.68€5.94
$4.21£3.16
58.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.72€1.53
$1.27£0.95
35.43%
White Bread(500g)
$2.27€2.02
$1.36£1.02
66.91%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.99€2.66
$1.29£0.97
131.78%
Eggs
$4.75€4.23
$3.54£2.66
34.18%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.53€12.92
$5.43£4.08
167.59%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.63€11.24
$5.56£4.17
127.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$19.86€17.67
$7.80£5.85
154.62%
Apples(1kg)
$2.64€2.35
$1.51£1.13
74.83%
Banana(1kg)
$2.28€2.03
$1.67£1.25
36.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.46€2.19
$3.53£2.65
-30.31%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.42€2.15
$3.82£2.87
-36.65%
Potato(1kg)
$1.38€1.22
$1.79£1.34
-22.91%
Onion(1kg)
$1.55€1.38
$1.71£1.29
-9.36%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.32€1.17
$1.20£0.90
10.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$1.91£1.43
-71.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.31€6.50
$22.51£16.89
-67.53%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.44€4.84
$8.98£6.74
-39.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58€1.40
$4.39£3.30
-64.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62€2.33
$3.26£2.45
-19.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Rome
Wigan
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.63€1.45
$2.70£2.02
-39.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$39.26€34.92
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$6.51€5.79
$4.33£3.25
50.35%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.68€1.50
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.24€29.57
$33.05£24.79
0.57%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.17€1.93
$1.91£1.44
13.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K€31.4K
$38.1K£28.6K
-7.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K€31.5K
$40.5K£30.4K
-12.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$203€181
$343£258
-40.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.50€10.22
$16.01£12.01
-28.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.03€28.49
$38.96£29.23
-17.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$65.9€58.6
$59.0£44.26
11.66%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.89€20.36
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.23€9.99
$17.13£12.85
-34.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$484€430
$797£598
-39.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.5K€14.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.0€63.1
$110£82.4
-35.39%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.51€32.47
$55.9£41.97
-34.73%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$84.9€75.5
$110£82.8
-23.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122€108
$114£85.3
7.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rome
Wigan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,222€1,087
$975£732
25.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$881€784
$760£570
15.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,537€2,257
$1,593£1,195
59.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,721€1,530
$1,343£1,008
28.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$8,274€7,360
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,084€2,743
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rome
Wigan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,942€1,728
$2,670£2,003
-27.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.52
6.4
-45.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026
Last update for Wigan: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rome
$881 44.1%
Wigan
$760 38.7% ↓ 13.8%$121
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rome
$329 16.5%
Wigan
$247 12.6% ↓ 25%$82
🍽Eating Out
Rome
$251 12.6%
Wigan
$275 14% ↑ 9.5%$24
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
$246 12.3%
Wigan
$398 20.3% ↑ 61.6%$152
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rome
$141 7.1%
Wigan
$175 8.9% ↑ 24.1%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rome
$88 4.4%
Wigan
$93 4.8% ↑ 5.6%$4.9
🚌Getting Around
Rome
$61 3%
Wigan
$15 * 0.8% ↓ 75.1%$46
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rome
$1.7K 40.6%
Wigan
$1.3K 35.1% ↓ 21.9%$377
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rome
$786 18.6%
Wigan
$549 14.4% ↓ 30.1%$237
🍽Eating Out
Rome
$833 19.7%
Wigan
$904 23.6% ↑ 8.5%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rome
$258 6.1%
Wigan
$414 10.8% ↑ 60.6%$156
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rome
$314 7.4%
Wigan
$390 10.2% ↑ 24.1%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rome
$200 4.7%
Wigan
$187 * 4.9% ↓ 6.5%$13
🚌Getting Around
Rome
$125 2.9%
Wigan
$36 * 0.9% ↓ 71.4%$89
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Rome and $975 in Wigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Wigan pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $66.0 in Rome vs $68.0 in Wigan. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $247, with Wigan cheaper for home cooking.
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 Wigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rome or Wigan?
Wigan wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wigan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Rome or in Wigan?
On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Wigan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Rome compared to Wigan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Rome versus $975 in Wigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Rome or in Wigan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Rome compared to Wigan?
All in, you'll spend $1,998 per month in Rome versus $1,964 in Wigan – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Rome or in Wigan?
At $1,964 in Wigan versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wigan but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Wigan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Rome or Wigan?
Both work as nomad bases, but Wigan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,964 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wigan hard to pass up.
How safe is Rome compared to Wigan?
Safety-wise, Rome and Wigan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Wigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.