Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toowoomba and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Rome: $1,998 a month against $2,110 in Toowoomba, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toowoomba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Toowoomba
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,110
/mo nomad
Rome
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,998
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba and in Rome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,110 in Toowoomba versus $1,998 in Rome.

  • Toowoomba $2,110
  • Rome $1,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,921 in Toowoomba versus $3,117 in Rome.

  • Toowoomba $2,921
  • Rome $3,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Toowoomba versus $4,236 in Rome.

  • Toowoomba $3,732
  • Rome $4,236

Living in Toowoomba is roughly 6% more expensive than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toowoomba 56% above, Rome 48% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 A$23.82
$16.69 €14.84
-0.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.1 A$104
$65.8 €58.5
9.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.30 A$13.38
$11.08 €9.85
-16.06%
Cappuccino
$3.81 A$5.48
$2.10 €1.87
81.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 A$3.90
$2.91 €2.59
-6.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 A$3.37
$1.48 €1.32
58.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.78 A$9.75
$5.62 €5.00
20.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 A$10.22
$6.68 €5.94
6.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 A$2.16
$1.72 €1.53
-12.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 A$3.27
$2.27 €2.02
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 A$2.80
$2.99 €2.66
-35.12%
Eggs
$4.55 A$6.55
$4.75 €4.23
-4.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.62 A$12.40
$14.53 €12.92
-40.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.89 A$12.79
$12.63 €11.24
-29.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.73 A$16.87
$19.86 €17.67
-40.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.53
$2.64 €2.35
19.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 A$2.58
$2.28 €2.03
-21.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 A$1.97
$2.46 €2.19
-44.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.15 A$3.09
$2.42 €2.15
-11.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.59
$1.38 €1.22
80.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 A$3.20
$1.55 €1.38
43.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.39 A$3.45
$1.32 €1.17
81.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 A$1.42
$0.55 €0.49
80.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$34.77 A$50.0
$7.31 €6.50
375.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.72 A$19.75
$5.44 €4.84
152.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.59 A$6.60
$1.58 €1.40
190.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.53 A$9.39
$2.62 €2.33
149.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 A$4.38
$1.63 €1.45
86.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$39.26 €34.92
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 A$3.20
$6.51 €5.79
-65.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.61 A$2.31
$1.68 €1.50
-4.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.11 A$49.08
$33.24 €29.57
2.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 A$1.90
$2.17 €1.93
-39.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K A$38.4K
$35.3K €31.4K
-24.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K A$33.5K
$35.4K €31.5K
-34.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$74.5 A$107
$203 €181
-63.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.11 A$43.33
$11.50 €10.22
161.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.1 A$77.8
$32.03 €28.49
68.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.16 A$59.2
$65.9 €58.6
-37.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.69 A$25.46
$22.89 €20.36
-22.72%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85 A$19.92
$11.23 €9.99
23.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,039 A$2,934
$484 €430
321.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,996 A$10.1K
$16.5K €14.7K
-57.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.1 A$108
$71.0 €63.1
5.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.8 A$77.4
$36.51 €32.47
47.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.8 A$108
$84.9 €75.5
-11.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 A$176
$122 €108
0.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,215 A$1,748
$1,222 €1,087
-0.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 A$1,626
$881 €784
28.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,618 A$2,328
$2,537 €2,257
-36.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 A$2,028
$1,721 €1,530
-18.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 A$4,881
$8,274 €7,360
-59.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,674 A$3,847
$3,084 €2,743
-13.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toowoomba
Rome
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,869 A$5,567
$1,942 €1,728
99.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.69
3.52
61.65%

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

Last update for Toowoomba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toowoomba
$1.1K
Rome
$881 22% $249
Groceries & Markets
Toowoomba
$309
Rome
$329 6.7% $21
Eating Out
Toowoomba
$274
Rome
$251 8.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toowoomba
$159
Rome
$246 55.4% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Toowoomba
$147
Rome
$141 3.6% $5.3
Sport & Entertainment
Toowoomba
$69
Rome
$88 28.3% $19
Getting Around
Toowoomba
$22 *
Rome
$61 171% $38

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 $1,215 in Toowoomba and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toowoomba pays 99% 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: $72.0 in Toowoomba vs $66.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $329, with Toowoomba cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Toowoomba
🇮🇹 Rome
🕒 Local time
22:40 10:40 PM
14:40 2:40 PM
8 h behind Toowoomba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
108,398
2,848,084 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toowoomba Rome 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Toowoomba
  • Rome

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
Toowoomba vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toowoomba or Rome?
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.
Are salaries higher in Toowoomba or in Rome?
Average pay runs 99% higher in Toowoomba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Toowoomba compared to Rome?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,215 in Toowoomba versus $1,222 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Toowoomba or in Rome?
Shoppers in Toowoomba pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Toowoomba compared to Rome?
All in, you'll spend $2,110 per month in Toowoomba versus $1,998 in Rome – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Toowoomba or in Rome?
At $1,998 in Rome versus $2,110 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Toowoomba or Rome?
Both work as nomad bases, but Rome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,998 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rome hard to pass up.
How safe is Toowoomba compared to Rome?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
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.

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