City comparison
Rome vs Florence: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Rome is the cheaper of the two — our estimate for a single person is about €50 a month less than Florence, mostly because of rent. Both are in Italy, so the visa rules, taxes and healthcare system are the same — the choice comes down to cost, climate and lifestyle.
Choose Rome for
- Flights home
- Public transport
- Beach life
- Nightlife
- Lower living costs
Choose Florence for
- Safety
- Walkability
- Calm, slower pace
Rome vs Florence at a glance
| Rome | Florence | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Single budget / month | €2,100 | €2,150 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,200 | €3,200 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,300 | €1,250 |
| Winter highs (Dec–Feb) | 13°C / 55°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Summer highs (Jun–Aug) | 30°C / 86°F | 31°C / 88°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,724 | — |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Mid-size city |
| Coastal | No | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | No |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Rome or Florence?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,100 a month for one person in Rome and €2,150 in Florence, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,200 vs €3,200, and for a family of four €4,600 vs €4,400.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,300 in Rome against €1,250 in Florence, while a monthly transit pass costs €35 vs —. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 13°C (55°F) in Rome and 12°C (53°F) in Florence. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 31°C.
2,724 hours of sunshine a year · 752 mm of rain a year · Source: Ciampino station, 1991-2020 normals via NOAA, as tabulated on Wikipedia (Rome). Ciampino is an airport station south-east of the center, so nights run cooler than in the historic center.
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12°C / 54°F | 3°C / 38°F |
| Feb | 13°C / 55°F | 3°C / 38°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 60°F | 6°C / 43°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 66°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| May | 22°C / 72°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 83°F | 17°C / 62°F |
| Jul | 31°C / 88°F | 19°C / 67°F |
| Aug | 32°C / 89°F | 20°C / 68°F |
| Sep | 27°C / 80°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Oct | 22°C / 72°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Nov | 17°C / 62°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Dec | 13°C / 55°F | 5°C / 40°F |
788 mm of rain a year · Source: Florence Airport (Peretola) station, 1991-2020 normals via NOAA, as tabulated on Wikipedia (Florence). The page gives about 6 sunshine hours a day on average but no annual total, so it is left null.
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11°C / 52°F | 2°C / 36°F |
| Feb | 13°C / 55°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 61°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| Apr | 20°C / 68°F | 8°C / 47°F |
| May | 24°C / 76°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Jun | 29°C / 84°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Jul | 32°C / 90°F | 18°C / 65°F |
| Aug | 32°C / 90°F | 19°C / 65°F |
| Sep | 27°C / 81°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Oct | 22°C / 71°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Nov | 16°C / 60°F | 6°C / 44°F |
| Dec | 11°C / 53°F | 3°C / 37°F |
Daily life
Rome is a capital / metropolis; Florence is a mid-size city. Rome is the Italian city with the biggest expat community and the most direct flights home, and it is heavy on history and light on efficiency. Expect a one-bed in the center to run about €1,300 a month, a comfortable single budget of about €2,100, and plenty of bureaucracy. Best for people who want big-city Italy more than ease. Florence is a compact, walkable Renaissance city that rewards a slower life and punishes anyone who needs big-city services. Rents run high for the size of the city (about €1,250 for a center one-bed), and the airport has few transatlantic links. It suits retirees, art lovers and students more than career movers.
Living in Rome: the upsides and downsides
- Largest international community in Italy and many English-friendly services
- Direct flights to the US and Canada from Fiumicino
- World-class museums, food and neighborhood markets at every turn
- Downside: Rome's hot August, plus crowds year-round in the center
- Downside: Patchy public transit with only three metro lines
Living in Florence: the upsides and downsides
- The whole center is walkable, with art on every corner
- Fast trains to Rome, Bologna and Milan
- Tuscan countryside, wine and hill towns within easy reach
- Downside: Tourism crowds and short-let pressure on rents
- Downside: Few direct flights to North America
Visas and residency
Both cities are in Italy, so you’d use the same residence routes either way:
- Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) — Citizenship by descent, changing
- Italy Digital Nomad Visa (Remote Worker Visa) — Digital nomad visa, open, €2,125/mo income
- Italy Elective Residency Visa — Retirement visa, open, €2,583/mo income
- Italy Investor Visa (Golden Visa) — Golden visa, open, €250,000 investment
Read the full guides: living in Rome and living in Florence.
Related comparisons
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.