Cost of Living · US vs IT
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇮🇹 Rome: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $1,489 in Italy — 38.21% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Italy
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -42.08%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -42.08%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -42.08%
Closest to United States prices
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -14.44%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -14.45%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -14.5%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | Italy | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $1,014 (937 EUR) | -42.08% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $811 (749 EUR) | -42.08% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $1,853 (1,713 EUR) | -42.08% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $11.72 (11 EUR) | -34.89% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $48.83 (45 EUR) | -34.89% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $7.45 (7 EUR) | -32.27% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $0.81 (1 EUR) | -26.36% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $2.34 (2 EUR) | -26.88% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $2.49 (2 EUR) | -26.76% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $7.32 (7 EUR) | -26.8% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $2.93 (3 EUR) | -26.75% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $3.51 (3 EUR) | -26.88% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $8.78 (8 EUR) | -26.83% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.46 (1 EUR) | -27% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $3.91 (4 EUR) | -34.83% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $6.84 (6 EUR) | -14.5% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $5.00 | $3.26 (3 EUR) | -34.8% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $1.68 (2 EUR) | -26.96% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $44.01 (41 EUR) | -32.29% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $1.86 (2 EUR) | -32.36% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $2.60 (2 EUR) | -35% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.17 (1 EUR) | -35% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.81 (1 EUR) | -14.74% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $135 (125 EUR) | -32.3% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $47.39 (44 EUR) | -32.3% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $30.47 (28 EUR) | -32.29% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $32.55 (30 EUR) | -34.9% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $14.00 | $9.12 (8 EUR) | -34.86% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $30.00 | $19.53 (18 EUR) | -34.9% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $47.05 (43 EUR) | -14.45% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $77.00 (71 EUR) | -14.44% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $163 (150 EUR) | -34.89% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Italy than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,489 in Italy versus $2,410 in United States — 38.21% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Italy?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.91 in Italy (≈ 3.61 EUR), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in Italy compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,014/month in Italy versus $1,750/month in United States (-42.08%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.