Hi…
I’m Marko Hietanen from Finnland. I’m planning a trip to Rome. I thought the best way to cruise around Rome would be to have some knowledge of the language. Even though I speak English, I think it’s best if I know some Italian. So why not go down to Italy to learn while traveling. Now that I’m trying to figure out my expenses though, I kept asking myself the question, how much should I budget for living expenses in Rome?

Hope you can answer my question soon since I may traveling to Rome in a month or two…

Thanks on advance.

Marko

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Hi Marko…

Well, this is a hard question to answer as naturally everyone’s spending habits are different, however, below are some average prices for living expenses in Rome.

Rome doesn’t have to be an expensive place to live, providing you do as the locals do and shop at the market (not Supermarkets but food markets) as cooking at home will substantially lower your costs.

Pizza is a cheap way to eat out – the average price for pizza is around 7 euro (give or take), a glass of wine at around 5 euro and you can eat for around 10-15 euros (cheaper in some places).

The next best thing to a cheap Pizzeria is aperativo. Aperativo has become very fashionable in Italy and is served in Bar’s all over Rome. Usually, the Bar will have a buffet of cold / and sometimes hot dishes. The cost? It varies but usually will cost you anywhere from 5-8 euro which also includes a glass of wine or beer. If you are looking for a more substantial meal, budget around 25-30 euros for starters and main course (not including wine).

For the moment, let’s leave accommodation out of the equation, so taking into consideration monthly expenses such as food, going out, some sites, mobile phone recharge, monthly transport etc, you are probably looking at around 450 euros per month (this is just estimate and does not include alcoholic beverages and cover charges into Nightclubs).

Nightclubs can add to your expenses as many of the large and more popular clubs in Rome have a cover charge of around 15-20 euros, if you add drinks on top of that, too many nights out can really break the budget. A great option is heading to bar (there are hundreds in Rome), where you can sit and drink in a great atmosphere and with reasonably priced drinks.

I hope this information is useful to you. Don’t hesitate to ask if you still have some doubts. You can use the same form you used before: “Ask a Question about Rome“

Regards from Rome!
Carlie.

P.S. @ Everyone! Leave a comment if you have more information on how to budget your expenses in Rome, or you have any tips for cheaper solutions on student living. This F.A.Q. forum is an important resource for all those wanting to come to Rome.