Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trieste and Rome

For one person, living is cheaper in Trieste: $1,896 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

92

Cost of Living Index in Trieste
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Trieste Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Trieste

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,896

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,896 in Trieste versus $1,998 in Rome.

Trieste $1,896
Rome $1,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,854 in Trieste versus $3,117 in Rome.

Trieste $2,854
Rome $3,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Trieste versus $4,236 in Rome.

Trieste $3,812
Rome $4,236

Living in Trieste costs roughly 5% less than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trieste 40% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.88 €19.46

$16.69 €14.84

31.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 €65.6

$65.8 €58.5

12.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 €11.79

$11.08 €9.85

19.58%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.92

$2.10 €1.87

2.86%

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

$3.62 €3.22

$2.91 €2.59

24.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.02

$1.48 €1.32

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$5.62 €5.00

1.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €5.08

$6.68 €5.94

-14.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.72 €1.53

26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 €2.76

$2.27 €2.02

36.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.28

$2.99 €2.66

23.41%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.73

$4.75 €4.23

-11.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.99 €13.34

$14.53 €12.92

3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 €10.18

$12.63 €11.24

-9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 €15.61

$19.86 €17.67

-11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.64 €2.35

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.28 €2.03

-4.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 €2.80

$2.46 €2.19

28.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.82

$2.42 €2.15

77.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.38 €1.22

70.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.55 €1.38

56.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.32 €1.17

69.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.55 €0.49

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.83

$7.31 €6.50

-10.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$5.44 €4.84

43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.58 €1.40

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.62 €2.33

-4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.63 €1.45

1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €37.67

$39.26 €34.92

7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 €7.78

$6.51 €5.79

34.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.68 €1.50

11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.93 €29.29

$33.24 €29.57

-0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.17 €1.93

-2.30%

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

$35.9K €31.9K

$35.3K €31.4K

1.56%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$35.4K €31.5K

0.15%

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

$220 €196

$203 €181

8.31%

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

$9.80 €8.72

$11.50 €10.22

-14.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.59 €27.21

$32.03 €28.49

-4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €45.81

$65.9 €58.6

-21.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.56 €36.97

$22.89 €20.36

81.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 €7.74

$11.23 €9.99

-22.53%

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

$790 €703

$484 €430

63.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.2K

$16.5K €14.7K

-30.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.2

$71.0 €63.1

54.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.27 €30.49

$36.51 €32.47

-6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$84.9 €75.5

33.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$122 €108

8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 €733

$1,222 €1,087

-32.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 €588

$881 €784

-24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 €1,200

$2,537 €2,257

-46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 €897

$1,721 €1,530

-41.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,597 €3,200

$8,274 €7,360

-56.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,146 €1,909

$3,084 €2,743

-30.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,874 €1,667

$1,942 €1,728

-3.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.26

3.52

-7.39%

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

Last update for Trieste: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trieste

$661 34.9%

Rome

$881 44.1% 33.2% $220

Groceries & Markets

Trieste

$359 19%

Rome

$329 16.5% 8.4% $30

Eating Out

Trieste

$304 16%

Rome

$251 12.6% 17.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trieste

$260 13.7%

Rome

$246 12.3% 5.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Trieste

$175 9.2%

Rome

$141 7.1% 19.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Trieste

$69 3.6%

Rome

$88 4.4% 28.2% $19

Getting Around

Trieste

$67 3.5%

Rome

$61 3% 9.5% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Trieste and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 4% 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: $74.0 in Trieste vs $66.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $329 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Trieste

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Trieste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,609

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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Trieste vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trieste wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Trieste the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $824 in Trieste versus $1,222 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,896 per month in Trieste versus $1,998 in Rome – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Trieste runs roughly 8% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,896 in Trieste versus $1,998 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Trieste but tight or insufficient in Rome. The gap between the two cities makes Trieste the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Trieste delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,896 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Trieste hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Trieste 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 Trieste gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.