Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Bologna is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bologna 1 vs Marseille 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bologna | Marseille | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Marseille โ12% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Bologna โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Marseille โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.7$1.98 | โฌ 3.3$3.84 | Bologna โ48% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 5.5$6.4 | โฌ 5.5$6.4 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 11$12.8 | Bologna โ27% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.7$0.81 | โฌ 1$1.16 | Bologna โ30% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Bologna โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 12$14 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Bologna โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.3$2.67 | โฌ 1.7$1.98 | Marseille โ26% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 25$29.1 | Bologna โ40% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 110$128 | โฌ 95$110 | Marseille โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 850$988 | โฌ 780$907 | Marseille โ8% |
| Laundry | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 2.7$3.14 | Marseille โ66% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 20$23.3 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Marseille โ30% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Bologna โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 55$64 | โฌ 55$64 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 45$52.3 | Bologna โ11% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 11$12.8 | Marseille โ8% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Marseille is 13% cheaper than Bologna. Daily budget $271 vs $241; a month $4,782 vs $4,031.
Bologna is easier: Bologna 2.0/5 vs Marseille 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bologna is about $4,782 and Marseille about $4,031 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.