For one person, living is cheaper in Siena: $1,836 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Siena and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,836 in Siena versus $1,998 in Rome.
Siena $1,836
Rome $1,998
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,784 in Siena versus $3,117 in Rome.
Siena $2,784
Rome $3,117
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,733 in Siena versus $4,236 in Rome.
Siena $3,733
Rome $4,236
🌍
Living in Siena costs roughly 8% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities are pricier than the global median: Siena36% above, Rome48% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Siena
Rome
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.36€13.66
$16.69€14.84
-7.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.9€80.9
$65.8€58.5
38.19%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.54€12.05
$11.08€9.85
22.20%
Cappuccino
$1.89€1.68
$2.10€1.87
-10.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96€2.63
$2.91€2.59
1.72%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41€1.26
$1.48€1.32
-4.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.19€5.51
$5.62€5.00
10.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.59€4.98
$6.68€5.94
-16.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Siena
Rome
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.45€1.29
$1.72€1.53
-15.70%
White Bread(500g)
$2.24€2.00
$2.27€2.02
-1.32%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.64€1.46
$2.99€2.66
-45.15%
Eggs
$4.03€3.58
$4.75€4.23
-15.16%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.54€12.04
$14.53€12.92
-6.81%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.93€10.61
$12.63€11.24
-5.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$21.56€19.18
$19.86€17.67
8.56%
Apples(1kg)
$2.57€2.29
$2.64€2.35
-2.65%
Banana(1kg)
$2.15€1.91
$2.28€2.03
-5.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.13€2.79
$2.46€2.19
27.24%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.16€2.81
$2.42€2.15
30.58%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.62
$1.38€1.22
31.88%
Onion(1kg)
$1.57€1.40
$1.55€1.38
1.29%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.37€1.22
$1.32€1.17
3.79%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52€0.46
$0.55€0.49
-5.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66€5.93
$7.31€6.50
-8.89%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.53€5.81
$5.44€4.84
20.04%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51€1.34
$1.58€1.40
-4.43%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62€2.33
$2.62€2.33
-
🚌 Getting Around
Siena
Rome
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.94€1.73
$1.63€1.45
19.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.73€37.12
$39.26€34.92
6.29%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$6.45€5.74
$6.51€5.79
-0.92%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.39€1.24
$1.68€1.50
-17.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$32.32€28.74
$33.24€29.57
-2.77%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.08€1.85
$2.17€1.93
-4.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K€24.6K
$35.3K€31.4K
-21.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K€31.6K
$35.4K€31.5K
0.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siena
Rome
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$194€173
$203€181
-4.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.47€11.98
$11.50€10.22
17.13%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.20€27.75
$32.03€28.49
-2.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Siena
Rome
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$70.4€62.7
$65.9€58.6
6.94%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.89€20.36
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.30€10.05
$11.23€9.99
0.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Siena
Rome
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$576€513
$484€430
19.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.7K€13.1K
$16.5K€14.7K
-10.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Siena
Rome
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.0€74.7
$71.0€63.1
18.33%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.04€32.95
$36.51€32.47
1.45%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$95.9€85.3
$84.9€75.5
13.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107€95.0
$122€108
-12.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Siena
Rome
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,138€1,013
$1,222€1,087
-6.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$725€645
$881€784
-17.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,720€1,530
$2,537€2,257
-32.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,122€998
$1,721€1,530
-34.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,381€3,897
$8,274€7,360
-47.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,930€3,495
$3,084€2,743
27.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Siena
Rome
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,882€1,674
$1,942€1,728
-3.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.29
3.52
-6.53%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Siena: October 10, 2026
Last update for Rome: 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
Siena
$725 39.5%
Rome
$881 44.1% ↑ 21.6%$156
🛒Groceries & Markets
Siena
$325 17.7%
Rome
$329 16.5% ↑ 1.4%$4.5
🍽Eating Out
Siena
$246 13.4%
Rome
$251 12.6% ↑ 2.1%$5.2
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siena
$239 13%
Rome
$246 12.3% ↑ 3.2%$7.5
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Siena
$146 7.9%
Rome
$141 7.1% ↓ 2.9%$4.3
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Siena
$93 5.1%
Rome
$88 4.4% ↓ 5.1%$4.7
🚌Getting Around
Siena
$63 3.4%
Rome
$61 3% ↓ 3.5%$2.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
Siena
$1.1K 30.1%
Rome
$1.7K 40.6% ↑ 53.3%$598
🛒Groceries & Markets
Siena
$777 20.8%
Rome
$786 18.6% ↑ 1.2%$9.2
🍽Eating Out
Siena
$942 25.2%
Rome
$833 19.7% ↓ 11.6%$109
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siena
$252 6.8%
Rome
$258 6.1% ↑ 2.2%$5.6
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Siena
$324 8.7%
Rome
$314 7.4% ↓ 3%$9.6
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Siena
$186 * 5%
Rome
$200 4.7% ↑ 7.2%$13
🚌Getting Around
Siena
$130 3.5%
Rome
$125 2.9% ↓ 3.8%$4.9
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 $1,138 in Siena and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Rome pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $91.0 in Siena vs $66.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $329, with Siena 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
Siena vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Siena or Rome?
Siena wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Siena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Siena or in Rome?
On paper, salaries run 3% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Siena compared to Rome?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,138 in Siena versus $1,222 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Siena compared to Rome?
All in, you'll spend $1,836 per month in Siena versus $1,998 in Rome – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Siena compared to Rome?
A monthly transit pass in Siena runs roughly 6% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Siena or in Rome?
At $1,836 in Siena versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Siena but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Siena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Siena or Rome?
Both work as nomad bases, but Siena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,836 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Siena hard to pass up.
How safe is Siena compared to Rome?
Safety-wise, Siena 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Siena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.