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Philadelphia vs Rome

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Philadelphia, PA vs Rome, IT at a glance — Rome, IT is 3% cheaper than Philadelphia, PA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,200/mo versus $1,600/mo. Top income tax: 43% vs 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Rome, IT, you'd need

$72,455 / year

Rome, IT is 3% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Rome, IT vs Philadelphia, PA)

  • Housing-4%
  • Food & groceries+3%
  • Transport-27%
  • Utilities+21%
  • Healthcare-19%
  • Goods & services+1%

◎ How Philadelphia, PA and Rome, IT compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Philadelphia, PARome, IT

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Philadelphia, PARome, IT
Cost of living
Overall cost index104100
Housing114110
Food97100
Transport10375
Utilities99120
Healthcare9980
Goods & services99100
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,600/mo$1,200/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,250/mo$900/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,900/mo$2,400/mo
Buy price / m² centre$4,500$6,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$964$998
Inexpensive meal$18$15
Monthly transit pass$96$38
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%43%
VAT / sales tax0%22%
Social security (employee)7.7%—
Corporate tax21%24%
Capital gains20%26%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$1,900/mo
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓—
GDP per capita$90,027✓$43,309✓
Inflation (annual)—1.5%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyNativeLow
Coworking spaces5040
Time zoneUTC-5UTC+1
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)6568
Safety index4555
Healthcare index8078
Pollution index4560
Internet speed200 Mbps100 Mbps
Walkability7985
Public transport6875
Family-friendly6064
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$450/mo—
Life expectancy79 yr✓84 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+1 °C+8 °C
July avg+26 °C+25 °C
Sunny days / year207200
Rainfall / year1,060 mm800 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Italy. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Philadelphia vs Rome — in your currency

PhiladelphiaRome
1-bed rent, city centre$1,600$1,200
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,250$900
Inexpensive meal$18$15
Monthly transit pass$96$38
Utilities (monthly)$170$180

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Philadelphia

History, cheesesteaks and East-Coast walkability at a discount to New York, an hour away.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
45/100
Climate
❄ 1°C · ☀ 26°C · 207 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Center City · Fishtown · University City

Good to know before you move to Rome

Living inside an open-air museum — unbeatable food and history, but slow bureaucracy and patchy transit.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
Italian
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
100 Mbps
English
Rarely spoken
Safety
55/100
Climate
❄ 8°C · ☀ 25°C · 200 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F/L · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Trastevere · Monti · Prati

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Philadelphia to Rome: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Philadelphia to Rome, your cost of living will be roughly 3% cheaper. Rome’s cost-of-living index is 100 versus 104 for Philadelphia (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Philadelphia cheaper than Rome?

Rome is about 3% cheaper than Philadelphia overall — its cost-of-living index is 100 versus 104 for Philadelphia.

Which is more expensive, Philadelphia or Rome?

Philadelphia is more expensive than Rome. Its cost-of-living index is 104 vs 100 (US = 100) — about 4% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Philadelphia or Rome?

Rent is cheaper in Rome — about $1,200/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,600 in Philadelphia.

How much do you need to earn in Rome to live like in Philadelphia?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Philadelphia is worth about $72,455 in Rome. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Philadelphia or Rome?

United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 43% in Italy.

◷ More comparisons from Philadelphia

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.