Living in Rome on a student budget: Breakdown and tips

Curious about student life in Rome? Explore actual living costs, clever ways to save, and insider tips to make your study abroad adventure affordable and unforgettable.

Angelina

10 minute read

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Updated on 16 Sep 2026

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Living

Budget around €1,209 a month to live in Rome as a student, including rent, or roughly €509 a month if you're only counting costs excluding rent. If you want to compare your budget to expats or see a line-by-line breakdown, see the full Rome cost breakdown.

When choosing to study in a popular city in Italy like Rome, it's only fair that you're afraid to burn a hole in your pocket. As a student, you need to budget around €509 excluding rent per month.

But don't worry, living in Rome is as expensive as you make it. So stick around as we're about to give you an overview of the cost of living in Rome for (international) students and share a few tips on reducing your financial burden!

We'll break down your monthly expenses into categories including:

• groceries,
• transportation
• leisure
• accommodation
• health insurance
• SIM card subscription.

We'll also give you a rough estimate of your study costs. Let's go!

• Plan for €1,209 a month including rent, or €509 a month excluding rent, as your baseline living cost in Rome.
• Accommodation is your biggest expense at roughly €650/month for a room. Start searching 2-3 months before term starts.
• Non-EU students need private health insurance for their visa and will pay extra for a residence permit and visa admin fees. EU students skip the visa step and can register with the national health service sooner.
• Cut costs on transport (bike instead of a pass), groceries (discount supermarkets and local markets), and leisure (free museum days, student discounts, aperitivo).
• Tuition ranges from €1,000-€3,000/year at public universities to €6,000-€21,000/year at private ones, but scholarships can bring this down significantly.
• Rome sits mid-pack for cost among major Italian student cities: pricier than Florence or Bologna, cheaper than Milan.

Living in the capital comes at a high price. Rome is one of the most expensive cities compared to the average cost of living in Italy to live in. And while its salaries are also on the higher side, this fact is of very little comfort for international students. After all, with a student visa, you can't work more than 20 hours per week!

But, trust us; it's possible to make the most out of living in Rome, even on a student budget!

As a student in Rome, you should budget around €1,209 per month, including rent. But your budget will be lower than the the average monthly cost of living in Rome mainly in rent and insurance. Want a deeper dive? Check our Rome cost of living guide for a full monthly breakdown.

Here is a breakdown of the monthly cost of living in Rome for one student:

The above calculation doesn't include the tuition fees, so let's have a look at how much studying in Rome costs.

Tuition fees in Rome's universities

Depending on whether you decided to enrol in a public university or a prestigious private school, the tuition fees will vary greatly.

You can expect to pay a yearly fee of:

• €1,000–€3,000 in public universities
• €6,000-€21,000 in private universities

For example, one of the top Italian universities, Sapienza, establishes fees for international students based on the GDP of the country they're from. You can pay as little as €300 if you're from Ghana or India or as much as €1,200 per year if you're from the UK or Spain.

But don't worry if the fee is above your budget! Pretty much every Italian university offers some sort of scholarship or grant. For example, look into the fully-funded Italian government scholarships or check the scholarship page of the university you're interested in.

On top of the tuition fees, you'll have to cover costs for educational materials such as books, printing etc. which can be around €40 – €50 per month.

Curious about the best study choices? Explore Rome universities for international students to see campus options and tuition context.

Hear what it's like to study art in Italy in our interview with Mike.

Student accommodation in Rome

Accommodation takes up the largest chunk of your expenses. But your monthly cost will depend on the neighbourhood and the type of accommodation you choose to live in. For example, consider living in an up-and-coming LGBTQ-friendly neighbourhood like Pigneto, instead of rushing to popular areas like San Lorenzo or Testaccio.

Most students prefer to find affordable co-sharing rooms for rent in Rome to save money. If it's your first time living with flatmates, it might require some getting used to. But once you find a good match for your living habits, you'll enjoy cheaper rent, shared responsibilities, and new meaningful connections!

And, FYI, most landlords in Rome include utilities in the rental price, so you don't have to worry about paying gas, electricity, or water bills separately.

Here're the average prices for rooms and studios in Rome:

Each type of student accommodation in Italy has a number of pros and cons, and suit different types of students. Be persistent and quick when searching for housing and you might be lucky to snatch something cheaper! Start looking 2-3 months before term starts. The best-value rooms in central neighbourhoods get booked fast, so lock one in before you land rather than searching once you arrive. Not sure where to focus? Use the Rome neighbourhood guide to compare areas for budget and lifestyle, and the student accommodation guide for a strategy on finding rooms across Italy.

Health insurance costs for students

If you're coming from a non-EU country, you must take out private travel and health insurance before applying for a student visa. Once you're fully settled in Italy and have your local tax ID, you can choose to register with the Italian National Health Service.

Private student insurance for non-EU students typically runs around €10 a month, matching the estimate in the budget table above. EU students skip the private insurance step entirely: bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and you're covered from day one, then register with the national health service once you settle in. This is one of the clearest cost differences between EU and non-EU students in Rome, since non-EU students carry the extra private insurance cost until their residence permit and tax code come through.

Public transportation in Rome for students

If you plan to use public transportation often, you might want to get a monthly pass of €35 per month. This pass grants you unlimited travel on all public transport in Rome. For details on bus, metro, and student discounts, see our Rome public transport guide.

Otherwise, we recommend that you get a bike and make the most of the scenic views! And for occasional travel, you can just grab a single ticket of €1.50 or daily ticket of €6.

Groceries and food costs in Rome

You'll be spending roughly €297 per month on groceries in Rome. To reduce the financial burden, we recommend buying your groceries at discount supermarkets like Lidl and Eurospin. More pricey supermarkets, like Carrefour, have weekly discounts, so look out for those!

Alternatively, go for a proper local experience and buy your fresh products at local markets. You won't find the price/quality ratio better than there!

Leisure and nightlife costs for students

As a student in Rome, you're likely to spend around €264 per month on entertainment and leisure activities. As a student, this budget should be enough to savour the vibrant nightlife, have an occasional drink at a terrace and eat out at inexpensive places every now and then.

First of all, Rome boasts a bunch of amazing activities, available completely for free. If you're into modern art, go check out MACRO and the National Gallery of Modern Art – they have free admission. Upon presenting your student card, you can also enter plenty of public museums and archaeological sites for free.

And as for the rest, you're eligible for plenty of student discounts. If you're younger than 25 years old, you can buy tickets for most of the other museums at a reduced price. If you're an art or architecture student in Rome, you can even go for free to MAXXI (and you should!).

Here's an overview of the entertainment prices in Rome:

Since eating out in Rome is far from cheap, we recommend you explore the street food options. Try suppli – a quick Italian snack made of rice and tomato sauce, and filled with toasty, gooey mozzarella. Or grab a pizza by the slice (pizza al taglio) at a bakery or specialized pizza place. And there you have it; a tasty meal for under €5.

Students in Italy also often take advantage of aperitivo. Normally that's what you call a pre-meal drink to stimulate the appetite. But in most places in Rome, you can also enjoy finger food and sometimes a whole buffet of local dishes included in the price of the drink! You can check out your local bars for aperitivo offers. Normally, they're served between 6.30PM – 9PM.

Non-EU students face a few upfront costs that don't show up in a typical monthly budget. Applying for an entry visa costs around €116, and once you land in Italy you'll need a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within eight days of arrival. That permit costs €40 for stays of 3-12 months or €50 for 12-24 months, plus roughly €76 in admin fees (a €16 tax stamp, €30 for the postal kit, and about €30 for issuance). Budget €150-€200 total for this step, on top of your monthly living costs. For a complete checklist on documents and process, see our Italy student visa guide.

The good news: your codice fiscale (Italian tax code), which you'll need for almost everything from opening a bank account to signing a lease, is free to get.

EU students don't deal with any of this. No visa, no residence permit, no extra admin fees. If you're an EU citizen studying in Rome, your main cost difference versus a non-EU student is skipping these one-off charges entirely, which can offset a few months of the private insurance non-EU students pay for.

There you have it! You can live in Rome on a student budget of €1,209 or less if you:

• live with flatmates in a less popular neighbourhood
• switch to Italian health insurance once you've your Italian tax code (codice fiscale) and residence permit
• bike instead of using public transportation
• buy groceries in discount stores and local markets
• snack on street food and during aperitivo
• get your coffee to go
• make use of student discounts at museums

• Not sure where in Rome to live? Compare Rome neighbourhoods for budget and lifestyle.
• Want to understand all your transport options? Check the Rome public transport guide.
• Need help picking a university? See Rome universities for international students.
• Sorting out your paperwork? Use the Italy student visa guide.
• Ready to start your housing search? Here's our student accommodation guide.

If your city is still flexible, here's how Rome stacks up against Milan and Florence, two other popular student destinations in Italy:

Rome lands in the middle: cheaper than Milan, pricier than Florence. If budget is your top priority and your course is offered in more than one city, Florence stretches your money furthest. If networking and job prospects after graduation matter more, Milan's higher costs come with the country's strongest job market.

With your budget mapped out, the next step is locking in the other moving parts of your Rome move. Make sure to start your search for homes for rent in Rome, it is best to start your search early. Or, if you want to see the bigger picture, use our student accommodation guide for a city-by-city comparison.

Rome's rental market moves fast, and scams targeting international students who can't view a place in person are common. Booking through a platform with identity-verified landlords and secure, escrow-style payments means your first month's rent stays protected until you confirm the room matches what you saw online, so you're not sending money to a stranger before you've even landed.

If you're planning to study elsewhere in Italy, plan your study move to Italy with our all-in-one guide.

How much does it cost to live in Rome as an international student? Budget around €1,209 a month including rent, or €509 a month if you're counting costs excluding rent. Accommodation is your biggest expense at roughly €650/month for a room.

Is Rome expensive to live in? Yes, compared to the average cost of living in Italy, Rome is one of the more expensive cities, mainly because of rent. It's still more affordable than Milan, though pricier than Florence or Bologna.

Do EU and non-EU students pay different living costs in Rome? Yes. Non-EU students pay for a visa (around €116) and a residence permit (€40-€50 plus about €76 in admin fees), plus private health insurance until they're settled. EU students skip the visa and permit costs and can use their EHIC for health coverage from day one.

What are the hidden costs for international students living in Rome? The main ones are visa fees, residence permit costs, and admin fees for non-EU students, which together run €150-€200 as a one-off. Your codice fiscale (tax code) is free.

How can students save money on living expenses in Rome? Live with flatmates in a less popular neighbourhood, switch to Italian health insurance once you have your tax code and residence permit, bike instead of paying for transport, shop at discount supermarkets and local markets, eat street food and use aperitivo deals, and use your student card for free or discounted museum entry.

Does the cost of living in Rome change with the seasons? Rent stays fairly stable since most leases run annually, but day-to-day costs like eating out, transport to tourist sites, and leisure activities can rise in spring and summer when tourist demand peaks. Groceries and public transport passes stay largely unaffected.

Where can I get help if I'm struggling financially as a student in Rome? Most Italian universities have an international student office and student union that can point you to emergency grants, food bank partnerships, or scholarship top-ups. Your university's welcome office is the fastest place to start.