Daily costs per person in euros. Rome is surprisingly affordable if you eat where locals eat, drink during aperitivo hours, and walk the compact centro storico.
Daily cost breakdown
Currency: EUR (Euro) (1 USD ≈ 0.92 EUR)
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Splurge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | €20–45 | €70–140 | €180+ | Hostels → boutique hotels → luxury hotels |
| Food | €15–25 | €30–55 | €70+ | Pizza al taglio & markets → trattorias → fine dining |
| Transport | €3–7 | €10–18 | €25+ | Walking & metro → taxis → private transfers |
| Activities | €0–15 | €20–40 | €60+ | Free churches → museums → guided tours |
| Drinks | €5–8 | €10–20 | €30+ | Aperitivo buffet → wine bars → rooftop cocktails |
| Daily Total | €43–100 | €140–273 | €365+ | $47–109 → $152–297 → $397+ |
Money-saving tips
Free churches & views
Rome's 900+ churches are free — including St. Peter's, the Pantheon, Santa Maria in Trastevere, and dozens with Caravaggio and Bernini masterpieces. Aventine Keyhole, Gianicolo, and Pincio viewpoints are also free.
Eat Roman
Pizza al taglio (by weight) costs €3–5 for a filling lunch. Supplì (fried rice balls) are €2–3. Mercato Testaccio and Mercato Trionfale have the best market food. Avoid restaurants with picture menus near the Colosseum.
Aperitivo culture
Most bars offer aperitivo 6–9pm — a €8–12 cocktail or Aperol Spritz comes with a free buffet spread. In some places this is a full dinner. Freni e Frizioni and Salotto 42 have generous spreads.
Roma Pass
The Roma Pass (€33/48hr or €53/72hr) includes free metro/bus travel and entry to 1–2 museums plus discounts. Worth it if you plan to visit the Colosseum and Borghese Gallery within 3 days.
Water fountains
Rome has 2,500+ nasoni (public drinking fountains) with cold, clean water. Block the spout and water shoots from a small hole on top — fill your bottle for free all day.
Walk everywhere
The centro storico is tiny — Colosseum to Vatican is 40 minutes on foot. Walking lets you discover hidden piazzas and saves on metro tickets (€1.50 each). Buy a 24-hour pass (€7) for longer distances.
