🇮🇹 Italy · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Rome? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
Utilities and internet, one personEUR 110–180 / month
Groceries, one personEUR 230–350 / month
ATAC monthly Metrebus passEUR 35 / month, EUR 250 / year for the Roma urban network
Good to know
Population
≈2.75 million in the comune — the largest municipality in the EU by area — and ≈4.2 million in the metropolitan city
Languages
Italian. English is common in the international-organisation and tourism layers and rare in public offices
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) with daylight saving from late March to late October
Power plug
Types C, F and L, 230 V — the Italian three-pin L socket is still common in older buildings
Climate
Mediterranean — hot dry summers reaching the high thirties, mild wet winters, and long benign springs and autumns
Local holiday
29 June, Santi Pietro e Paolo — a public holiday in Rome alone
Administration
Fifteen municipi, each with its own anagrafe, social services and school administration
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Rome checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Rome
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.