City comparison
Palermo vs Rome: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Palermo is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €550 a month less than Rome, mostly because of rent. Palermo has the milder winter (about 16°C vs 13°C average highs in Dec to Feb). 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 Palermo for
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- Nature & green space
- Beach life
- Lower living costs
Choose Rome for
- Expat community
- Flights home
- English-friendliness
- Public transport
Palermo vs Rome at a glance
| Palermo | Rome | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Single budget / month | €1,550 | €2,100 |
| Couple budget / month | €2,350 | €3,200 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €550 | €1,300 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 16°C / 60°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 30°C / 86°F | 30°C / 86°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,530 | 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: Palermo or Rome?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,550 a month for one person in Palermo and €2,100 in Rome, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,350 vs €3,200, and for a family of four €3,300 vs €4,600.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €550 in Palermo 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 16°C (60°F) in Palermo and 13°C (55°F) in Rome. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 30°C. Palermo gets about 2,530 hours of sunshine a year and Rome about 2,724.
2,530 hours of sunshine a year · 591 mm of rain a year · Source: Palermo-Boccadifalco 1991-2020 normals (Servizio Meteorologico) via the Wikipedia climate table; sunshine is the about 2,530 hours a year in the article text
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15°C / 59°F | 9°C / 49°F |
| Feb | 15°C / 60°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Mar | 17°C / 62°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Apr | 20°C / 68°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| May | 24°C / 75°F | 16°C / 60°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 83°F | 20°C / 67°F |
| Jul | 31°C / 88°F | 23°C / 73°F |
| Aug | 31°C / 89°F | 23°C / 74°F |
| Sep | 28°C / 82°F | 21°C / 69°F |
| Oct | 24°C / 76°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Nov | 20°C / 68°F | 14°C / 56°F |
| Dec | 16°C / 61°F | 11°C / 51°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
Palermo is a large city on the coast; Rome is a capital / metropolis. Palermo is the most affordable city in our whole set, with mild winters, beaches and centuries of layered history. It suits budget-minded retirees and remote workers who can live in Italian and accept patchy public services. 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 Palermo: the upsides and downsides
- Among the lowest rents of any city we cover
- Mild winters and a long beach season
- Street food, markets and a big historic center
- Downside: Public transport and waste collection are unreliable
- Downside: Few English speakers and a small expat community
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 Palermo and living in Rome.
Related comparisons
- Rome vs Milan
- Rome vs Paris
- Rome vs Florence
- Rome vs Bologna
- Cagliari vs Palermo
- Naples vs Rome
- Naples vs Palermo
- Palermo vs Valletta & Sliema
- Milan vs Palermo
- Florence vs Palermo
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 56 cities we cover. Methodology.