City comparison
Naples vs Rome: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Naples is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €350 a month less than Rome, 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 Naples for
- Affordability
- Nature & green space
- Mountains nearby
- Lower living costs
Choose Rome for
- Expat community
- English-friendliness
- Safety
- Remote-work scene
Naples vs Rome at a glance
| Naples | Rome | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Single budget / month | €1,750 | €2,100 |
| Couple budget / month | €2,650 | €3,200 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €850 | €1,300 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 14°C / 57°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 30°C / 85°F | 30°C / 86°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,375 | 2,724 |
| City size | Large city | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | Yes | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| 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: Naples or Rome?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,750 a month for one person in Naples and €2,100 in Rome, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,650 vs €3,200, and for a family of four €3,700 vs €4,600.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €850 in Naples against €1,300 in Rome, while a monthly transit pass costs - vs €35. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 14°C (57°F) in Naples and 13°C (55°F) in Rome. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 30°C. Naples gets about 2,375 hours of sunshine a year and Rome about 2,724.
2,375 hours of sunshine a year · 1,008 mm of rain a year · Source: Naples Capodichino 1991-2020 normals (ISPRA; sun and rain from Servizio Meteorologico 1971-2000), via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13°C / 56°F | 5°C / 40°F |
| Feb | 14°C / 57°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 62°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 67°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| May | 24°C / 74°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 82°F | 18°C / 65°F |
| Jul | 30°C / 87°F | 21°C / 70°F |
| Aug | 31°C / 88°F | 21°C / 71°F |
| Sep | 27°C / 80°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Oct | 23°C / 73°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| Nov | 18°C / 65°F | 10°C / 49°F |
| Dec | 14°C / 58°F | 6°C / 43°F |
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 |
Daily life
Naples is a large city on the coast; Rome is a capital / metropolis. Naples has much lower rents than Rome, Milan or Florence, with world-class food, history and the Amalfi Coast and Capri on its doorstep. It is also chaotic, loud and less safe than the north, and you will need Italian for daily life. 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.
Living in Naples: the upsides and downsides
- Rents well below Rome, Milan and Florence
- Food, culture and street life few cities can match
- Islands, the Amalfi Coast and Vesuvius within an hour or two
- Downside: Petty crime and traffic chaos are part of daily life
- Downside: Little English outside tourist spots
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
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 Naples and living in Rome.
Related comparisons
- Rome vs Milan
- Rome vs Paris
- Rome vs Florence
- Rome vs Bologna
- Naples vs Palermo
- Milan vs Naples
- Florence vs Naples
- Bologna vs Naples
- Cagliari vs Naples
- Palermo vs Rome
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 56 cities we cover. Methodology.