Cost of Living Comparison Between Toowoomba and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Toowoomba and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,152 in Toowoomba versus $2,031 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,974 in Toowoomba versus $3,167 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,796 in Toowoomba versus $4,304 in Rome.

Living in Toowoomba is roughly 6% more expensive than in Rome, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toowoomba 57% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 A$23.79

$17.45 €15.05

-2.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 A$106

$70.9 €61.2

6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 A$13.51

$11.79 €10.17

-18.07%

Cappuccino

$3.81 A$5.33

$2.26 €1.95

68.58%

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

$2.79 A$3.91

$3.10 €2.68

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.39

$1.55 €1.34

56.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 A$9.78

$5.86 €5.05

19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 A$10.19

$6.82 €5.88

6.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.37

$1.80 €1.56

-6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.40

$2.28 €1.97

6.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.70

$3.25 €2.80

-40.62%

Eggs

$4.77 A$6.67

$4.74 €4.09

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.75

$15.31 €13.21

-40.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$12.84

$12.46 €10.75

-26.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 A$17.10

$19.09 €16.46

-35.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.58

$2.67 €2.31

22.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.52

$2.47 €2.13

-27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 A$2.04

$2.56 €2.21

-42.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.93

$2.44 €2.10

-13.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.58

$1.46 €1.26

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.19

$1.61 €1.39

41.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.32

$1.44 €1.24

64.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 A$1.48

$0.51 €0.44

107.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.13 A$50.5

$7.07 €6.10

411.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 A$19.87

$4.54 €3.92

212.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.56

$1.73 €1.49

171.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 A$9.49

$2.93 €2.53

131.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 A$4.33

$1.69 €1.46

83.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.92 €35.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 A$3.03

$7.64 €6.59

-71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.24

$1.78 €1.54

-10.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.47 A$49.61

$34.61 €29.85

2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.81

$2.05 €1.77

-36.59%

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

$27.4K A$38.4K

$37.1K €32.0K

-26.09%

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

$24.0K A$33.6K

$36.0K €31.0K

-33.22%

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

$76.2 A$107

$220 €190

-65.34%

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

$30.74 A$42.99

$12.41 €10.70

147.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 A$76.7

$31.36 €27.05

74.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.29 A$59.2

$68.4 €59.0

-38.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 A$24.90

$25.35 €21.86

-29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 A$20.10

$11.50 €9.92

24.96%

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

$2,174 A$3,041

$504 €435

331.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,245 A$10.1K

$17.4K €15.0K

-58.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$108

$74.4 €64.2

3.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 A$79.1

$37.93 €32.71

49.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 A$109

$87.3 €75.3

-10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$175

$124 €107

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 A$1,734

$1,244 €1,073

-0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 A$1,631

$887 €765

31.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 A$2,267

$2,637 €2,274

-38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 A$2,037

$1,795 €1,548

-18.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,563 A$4,984

$8,673 €7,481

-58.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,720 A$3,804

$3,283 €2,831

-17.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,010 A$5,609

$1,947 €1,679

105.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.73

3.52

62.78%

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

Last update for Toowoomba: August 31, 2026

Last update for Rome: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Toowoomba and $1,244 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toowoomba pays 106% 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: $75.0 in Toowoomba vs $71.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $332, with Toowoomba cheaper for home cooking.

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

Toowoomba vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Toowoomba. 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 106% higher in Toowoomba, 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: $1,240 in Toowoomba versus $1,244 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Toowoomba pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,152 per month in Toowoomba versus $2,031 in Rome – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,031 in Rome versus $2,152 in Toowoomba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Toowoomba. The gap between the two cities makes Rome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Toowoomba 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 Rome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Toowoomba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.