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Palermo vs Rome cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐น Palermo
๐ฎ๐น Rome
At a glance
- Where Rome is clearly cheaper: Laundry (50%โ)
- Where Palermo is clearly cheaper: Street food (56%โ), Bottled water (50%โ), Studio rent (month) (48%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Palermo 3 vs Rome 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Palermo | Rome | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Palermo โ7% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 6.8$7.91 | Palermo โ56% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 30$34.9 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.6$1.86 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Palermo โ11% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 6$6.98 | Palermo โ33% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Palermo โ11% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.5$0.58 | โฌ 1$1.16 | Palermo โ50% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Palermo โ33% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Palermo โ21% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Palermo โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.4$1.63 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Palermo โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Palermo โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 85$98.8 | โฌ 130$151 | Palermo โ35% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 550$640 | โฌ 1,050$1,221 | Palermo โ48% |
| Laundry | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | Rome โ50% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 13$15.1 | Rome โ13% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Palermo โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 45$52.3 | โฌ 55$64 | Palermo โ18% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 50$58.1 | โฌ 45$52.3 | Rome โ10% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Palermo โ20% |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Palermo or Rome?
Palermo is 24% cheaper than Rome. Daily budget $224 vs $290; a month $3,566 vs $4,804.
Which is easier to travel, Palermo or Rome?
About the same: Palermo 2.8/5, Rome 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Palermo and Rome?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Palermo is about $3,566 and Rome about $4,804 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.