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Rome vs Tel Aviv cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐น Rome
๐ฎ๐ฑ Tel Aviv
At a glance
- Where Tel Aviv is clearly cheaper: Taxi (34%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (28%โ), Scooter rental (16%โ)
- Where Rome is clearly cheaper: Coffee (61%โ), Transit (50%โ), Bottled water (39%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tel Aviv is easier to travel (2.2 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Rome 3 vs Tel Aviv 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Rome | Tel Aviv | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 15$17.4 | โช 69$18.6 | Rome โ6% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 6.8$7.91 | โช 31$8.38 | Rome โ6% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โช 180$48.6 | Rome โ28% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โช 20$5.41 | Rome โ61% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 6$6.98 | โช 29$7.84 | Rome โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | โช 50$13.5 | Rome โ23% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1$1.16 | โช 7$1.89 | Rome โ39% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | โช 10$2.7 | Rome โ23% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 14$16.3 | โช 40$10.8 | Tel Aviv โ34% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | โช 28$7.57 | Tel Aviv โ28% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โช 13$3.51 | Rome โ50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 50$58.1 | โช 180$48.6 | Tel Aviv โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 130$151 | โช 690$186 | Rome โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,050$1,221 | โช 6,200$1,676 | Rome โ27% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โช 18$4.86 | Rome โ16% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 13$15.1 | โช 56$15.1 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 20$23.3 | โช 80$21.6 | Tel Aviv โ7% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 55$64 | โช 320$86.5 | Rome โ26% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 45$52.3 | โช 290$78.4 | Rome โ33% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โช 81$21.9 | Rome 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, Rome or Tel Aviv?
Rome is 17% cheaper than Tel Aviv. Daily budget $290 vs $338; a month $4,804 vs $6,045.
Which is easier to travel, Rome or Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv is easier: Tel Aviv 2.2/5 vs Rome 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Rome and Tel Aviv?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Rome is about $4,804 and Tel Aviv about $6,045 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.