Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scalea and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Scalea: $1,727 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Scalea
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Scalea Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Scalea

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,727

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scalea and in Rome

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Scalea and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,727 in Scalea versus $1,990 in Rome.

Scalea $1,727
Rome $1,990

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,568 in Scalea versus $3,095 in Rome.

Scalea $2,568
Rome $3,095

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,408 in Scalea versus $4,199 in Rome.

Scalea $3,408
Rome $4,199

Living in Scalea costs roughly 13% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scalea 27% above, Rome 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 €15.09

$16.68 €14.84

1.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 €49.17

$67.4 €59.9

-17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 €10.01

$11.31 €10.06

-0.44%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.86

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

$2.97 €2.64

$2.89 €2.57

2.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.46 €1.30

45.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €6.04

$5.63 €5.01

20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$6.93 €6.16

-38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.66 €1.48

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.41

$2.28 €2.03

-30.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$3.03 €2.70

-13.20%

Eggs

$3.48 €3.10

$4.53 €4.03

-23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.12

$14.76 €13.13

-22.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 €10.57

$12.31 €10.95

-3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 €13.87

$19.50 €17.35

-20.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.64 €2.35

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.29 €2.04

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.28 €2.03

-39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.41 €2.14

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.36 €1.21

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.55 €1.38

-17.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.37 €1.22

-5.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.39

$0.55 €0.49

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €6.10

$7.16 €6.37

-4.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 €6.83

$5.45 €4.85

40.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.60 €1.43

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.53 €2.25

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.70 €1.51

-6.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.36 €38.57

$38.95 €34.64

11.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.06

$6.67 €5.93

-31.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.71 €1.53

-36.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.07 €19.63

$33.59 €29.87

-34.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.11 €1.88

1.42%

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

$36.3K €32.3K

$35.5K €31.6K

2.20%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$37.0K €32.9K

-1.36%

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

$306 €272

$203 €180

50.98%

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

$10.58 €9.41

$11.33 €10.08

-6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.67 €30.84

$31.57 €28.08

9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 €49.99

$65.6 €58.4

-14.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 €23.55

$23.49 €20.89

12.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 €7.93

$11.43 €10.16

-22.05%

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

$457 €407

$497 €442

-7.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,688 €5,949

$16.6K €14.8K

-59.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 €73.5

$72.5 €64.5

13.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.33 €29.64

$35.94 €31.97

-7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 €78.2

$85.1 €75.7

3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$121 €108

5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 €585

$1,191 €1,059

-44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 €496

$876 €780

-36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €940

$2,506 €2,229

-57.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 €868

$1,683 €1,497

-42.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,430 €1,272

$8,438 €7,505

-83.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 €1,041

$3,157 €2,809

-62.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,962 €1,746

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

3.52

0.85%

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

Last update for Scalea: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scalea

$558 32.3%

Rome

$876 44% 57.1% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scalea

$351 20.4%

Rome

$246 12.4% 30.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Scalea

$277 16%

Rome

$325 16.3% 17.4% $48

Eating Out

Scalea

$258 14.9%

Rome

$252 12.7% 2.2% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Scalea

$150 8.7%

Rome

$142 7.1% 5.2% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Scalea

$74 4.3%

Rome

$88 4.5% 19.5% $14

Getting Around

Scalea

$60 3.5%

Rome

$61 3.1% 2.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Scalea and $1,191 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Scalea vs $67.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $325 per month, with Scalea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Scalea

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Scalea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,913

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Scalea vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scalea wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Scalea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,591 in Scalea and $2,986 in Rome to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $658 in Scalea versus $1,191 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,727 per month in Scalea versus $1,990 in Rome – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Scalea runs roughly 11% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,727 in Scalea versus $1,990 in Rome, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Scalea but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Scalea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Scalea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,727 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Scalea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Scalea and Rome 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 Scalea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.