For one person, living is cheaper in Terni: $1,286 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Terni and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,286 in Terni versus $1,998 in Rome.
Terni $1,286
Rome $1,998
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,984 in Terni versus $3,117 in Rome.
Terni $1,984
Rome $3,117
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,683 in Terni versus $4,236 in Rome.
Terni $2,683
Rome $4,236
🌍
Living in Terni costs roughly 36% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Terni is 5% below, Rome is 48% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Terni
Rome
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.99€15.11
$16.69€14.84
1.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1€60.6
$65.8€58.5
3.51%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.15€11.69
$11.08€9.85
18.68%
Cappuccino
$1.63€1.45
$2.10€1.87
-22.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62€2.33
$2.91€2.59
-9.97%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00€0.89
$1.48€1.32
-32.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.49€3.99
$5.62€5.00
-20.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56€4.95
$6.68€5.94
-16.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Terni
Rome
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.25€1.11
$1.72€1.53
-27.33%
White Bread(500g)
$1.70€1.51
$2.27€2.02
-25.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20€1.95
$2.99€2.66
-26.42%
Eggs
$3.34€2.97
$4.75€4.23
-29.68%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.53€12.04
$14.53€12.92
-6.88%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.89€7.91
$12.63€11.24
-29.61%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.44€11.96
$19.86€17.67
-32.33%
Apples(1kg)
$1.14€1.01
$2.64€2.35
-56.82%
Banana(1kg)
$1.15€1.02
$2.28€2.03
-49.56%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.14€1.01
$2.46€2.19
-53.66%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.28€2.02
$2.42€2.15
-5.79%
Potato(1kg)
$0.76€0.68
$1.38€1.22
-44.93%
Onion(1kg)
$1.42€1.26
$1.55€1.38
-8.39%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.75€0.67
$1.32€1.17
-43.18%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.32€0.28
$0.55€0.49
-41.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.60€5.87
$7.31€6.50
-9.71%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.70€5.07
$5.44€4.84
4.78%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13€1.01
$1.58€1.40
-28.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59€1.42
$2.62€2.33
-39.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Terni
Rome
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.58€1.41
$1.63€1.45
-3.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$33.00€29.35
$39.26€34.92
-15.94%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.49€4.88
$6.51€5.79
-15.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.42€1.26
$1.68€1.50
-15.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.78€22.04
$33.24€29.57
-25.45%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.11€1.88
$2.17€1.93
-2.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K€29.6K
$35.3K€31.4K
-5.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K€30.7K
$35.4K€31.5K
-2.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Terni
Rome
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$148€132
$203€181
-26.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.26€7.35
$11.50€10.22
-28.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.52€27.15
$32.03€28.49
-4.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Terni
Rome
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$56.0€49.77
$65.9€58.6
-15.06%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.27€10.03
$22.89€20.36
-50.76%
Cinema Ticket
$10.30€9.16
$11.23€9.99
-8.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Terni
Rome
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$333€296
$484€430
-31.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.1K€10.7K
$16.5K€14.7K
-26.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Terni
Rome
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.8€73.6
$71.0€63.1
16.60%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.90€29.26
$36.51€32.47
-9.89%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101€89.6
$84.9€75.5
18.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.7€70.0
$122€108
-35.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Terni
Rome
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$339€301
$1,222€1,087
-72.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$357€318
$881€784
-59.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$637€566
$2,537€2,257
-74.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$527€469
$1,721€1,530
-69.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,348€1,199
$8,274€7,360
-83.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$789€702
$3,084€2,743
-74.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Terni
Rome
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,454€1,293
$1,942€1,728
-25.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.02
3.52
-14.20%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Terni: October 13, 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
Terni
$357 27.8%
Rome
$881 44.1% ↑ 147%$524
🍽Eating Out
Terni
$243 18.9%
Rome
$251 12.6% ↑ 3.3%$8
🛒Groceries & Markets
Terni
$238 18.5%
Rome
$329 16.5% ↑ 38.5%$92
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Terni
$187 14.5%
Rome
$246 12.3% ↑ 31.8%$59
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Terni
$133 10.3%
Rome
$141 7.1% ↑ 6.5%$8.6
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Terni
$77 6%
Rome
$88 4.4% ↑ 15.4%$12
🚌Getting Around
Terni
$52 4%
Rome
$61 3% ↑ 16.9%$8.8
🏠Accommodation & Living
Terni
$527 19.7%
Rome
$1.7K 40.6% ↑ 226%$1.2K
🍽Eating Out
Terni
$831 31%
Rome
$833 19.7% ↑ 0.3%$2.1
🛒Groceries & Markets
Terni
$563 21%
Rome
$786 18.6% ↑ 39.7%$223
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Terni
$195 7.3%
Rome
$258 6.1% ↑ 32.1%$63
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Terni
$295 11%
Rome
$314 7.4% ↑ 6.5%$19
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Terni
$164 6.1%
Rome
$200 4.7% ↑ 21.4%$35
🚌Getting Around
Terni
$107 4%
Rome
$125 2.9% ↑ 16.5%$18
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Terni and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Rome pays 34% 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: $68.0 in Terni vs $66.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $329, with Terni 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
Terni vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Terni or Rome?
Terni wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Terni the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Terni or in Rome?
On paper, salaries run 34% 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 Terni compared to Rome?
Rent for a central apartment: $339 in Terni 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 Terni compared to Rome?
All in, you'll spend $1,286 per month in Terni versus $1,998 in Rome – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Terni compared to Rome?
A monthly transit pass in Terni runs roughly 19% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Terni or in Rome?
At $1,286 in Terni versus $1,998 in Rome, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Terni but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Terni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Terni or Rome?
Both work as nomad bases, but Terni delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,286 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Terni hard to pass up.
How safe is Terni compared to Rome?
Safety-wise, Terni 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 Terni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.