Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Rome

For one person, living costs are similar in Varese and in Rome: $2,082 and $1,998 a month, rent and utilities included.

102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index

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Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,082

/mo nomad

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,082 in Varese versus $1,998 in Rome.

Varese $2,082
Rome $1,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Varese versus $3,117 in Rome.

Varese $3,466
Rome $3,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,849 in Varese versus $4,236 in Rome.

Varese $4,849
Rome $4,236

Living in Varese is roughly 4% more expensive than in Rome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varese 54% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 €19.63

$16.69 €14.84

32.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.9

$65.8 €58.5

53.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.37

$11.08 €9.85

25.54%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.95

$2.10 €1.87

4.76%

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

$3.50 €3.11

$2.91 €2.59

20.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.48 €1.32

14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 €5.84

$5.62 €5.00

16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 €5.87

$6.68 €5.94

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.72 €1.53

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.27 €2.02

14.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.99 €2.66

15.05%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.55

$4.75 €4.23

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.18 €27.73

$14.53 €12.92

114.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.41

$12.63 €11.24

1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.34 €24.32

$19.86 €17.67

37.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.64 €2.35

6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.28 €2.03

22.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$2.46 €2.19

19.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.42 €2.15

35.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.38 €1.22

88.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.55 €1.38

43.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.32 €1.17

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.55 €0.49

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 €7.12

$7.31 €6.50

9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$5.44 €4.84

60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.58 €1.40

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.62 €2.33

-38.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.63 €1.45

57.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.71 €44.21

$39.26 €34.92

26.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$6.51 €5.79

-13.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.68 €1.50

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.25 €34.92

$33.24 €29.57

18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.17 €1.93

-1.38%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$35.3K €31.4K

3.36%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$35.4K €31.5K

-2.86%

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

$220 €196

$203 €181

8.52%

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

$12.94 €11.51

$11.50 €10.22

12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 €28.73

$32.03 €28.49

0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.89

$65.9 €58.6

-16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 €21.91

$22.89 €20.36

7.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 €9.94

$11.23 €9.99

-0.53%

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

$733 €652

$484 €430

51.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,069 €6,288

$16.5K €14.7K

-57.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.3

$71.0 €63.1

50.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 €50.5

$36.51 €32.47

55.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 €117

$84.9 €75.5

54.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$122 €108

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 €838

$1,222 €1,087

-22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €631

$881 €784

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,528

$2,537 €2,257

-32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,426

$1,721 €1,530

-6.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 €2,246

$8,274 €7,360

-69.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,519

$3,084 €2,743

-44.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,127

$1,942 €1,728

23.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

3.52

5.97%

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

Last update for Varese: 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

Varese

$709 34.1%

Rome

$881 44.1% 24.3% $172

Groceries & Markets

Varese

$434 20.8%

Rome

$329 16.5% 24.1% $105

Eating Out

Varese

$311 15%

Rome

$251 12.6% 19.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varese

$266 12.8%

Rome

$246 12.3% 7.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Varese

$208 10%

Rome

$141 7.1% 31.9% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Varese

$77 3.7%

Rome

$88 4.4% 14.3% $11

Getting Around

Varese

$77 3.7%

Rome

$61 3% 21.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $942 in Varese and $1,222 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 23% 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: $101 in Varese vs $66.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $329 per month, with Rome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Varese

🇮🇹 Rome

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

Same time as Varese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,511

2,848,084 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Varese Rome 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Varese
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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

Varese vs Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Varese. 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 23% higher in Varese, 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: $942 in Varese 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 $2,082 per month in Varese versus $1,998 in Rome – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rome runs roughly 27% less than in Varese. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,998 in Rome versus $2,082 in Varese, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rome but tight or insufficient in Varese. 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 $1,998 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varese 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 4% less than in Varese. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.