A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Johor Bahru vs. Rome for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Johor Bahru or Rome?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Johor Bahru or Rome? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Johor Bahru or Rome?

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is the capital of the state of Johor in Southern Malaysia. Though it is largely industrial and does not typically cater to tourists, especially compared to the grandeur of neighboring Singapore, the city does have some opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Rome

Rome is the kind of city that refuses to stay in the past, even though history is everywhere you look. Ancient ruins rise beside buzzing cafes, scooters zip past Renaissance palaces, and quiet cobblestone lanes suddenly open onto grand piazzas filled with fountains, churches, and street performers. It is a city of layers: the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, neighborhood trattorias, stylish boutiques, and late-night gelato walks all woven together into one unforgettable experience. Whether you come for the art, the food, the history, or the simple pleasure of wandering without a plan, Rome has a way of making every day feel like a discovery.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Malaysia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Malaysia, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.


Which place is cheaper, Rome or Johor Bahru?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Johor Bahru is $66, while the average daily cost in Rome is $236. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Johor Bahru and Rome in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Johor Bahru $41
    Rome $103
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Johor Bahru $82
    Rome $206
Compare Hotels in Johor Bahru and Rome

Looking for a hotel in Johor Bahru or Rome? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Johor Bahru


Hotels in Rome


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Johor Bahru Hotel Prices and Rome Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Johor Bahru $13
    Rome $24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:

  • °Sit Back & Relax - JB to Malacca MPV Transfer: $240
  • Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Cameron Highlands Transfer [Van]: $122
  • Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Genting Highlands Transfer [Van]: $87
  • Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur Transfer [Van]: $73
  • Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Kuantan Transfer [Car]: $282
  • Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Penang Island Transfer [Van]: $157
  • Johor Bahru City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $105
  • Johor Bahru City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
  • Johor Bahru City to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
  • Johor Bharu to KUL Hotel (One Way Transfer): $275
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia Admission Ticket with Return Transfer from Kuala Lumpur: $188
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur Airport One-way Transfer: $105

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rome

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:


  • Metro Ride (for Two)
    $2.28
  • Train to the Airport
    $17
  • Taxi to Airport
    $51
  • Bicycle Rental (Full Day)
    $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:

  • Transfer Ciampino Airport - Rome City Center Shuttle Bus: $7.04
  • Bus Transfer from Fiumicino Airport to Vatican City: $7.04
  • Transfer Rome center - Fiumicino airport: $8.21
  • Transfer Ciampino Airport - Rome center: $9.39
  • Bus Transfer from Rome to Milan or Vice Versa: $9.42
  • Rome from Civitavecchia Transfer with Optional Open Bus: $32
  • Rome Private Transfer with Italian Breakfast on demand: $35
  • Ciampino Transfer: $43
  • Rome’s Bone Chapel with Audioguide App and Panoramic Bus Transfer: $45
  • Private Departure Transfer: Rome Hotels to Train Station: $48
  • Ciampino to Rome transfer: $48
  • Ciampino to Rome city transfers: $48

Is it cheaper to fly into Johor Bahru or Rome?

Prices for flights to both Rome and Johor Bahru change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Johor Bahru $16
    Rome $95

Typical Food Prices in Rome

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:


  • Casual Lunch (for Two)
    $16
  • 4 Ice Cream Sandwiches
    $3.41
  • Cafe e doce
    $4.56
  • Pizza (Fast Food)
    $3.02
  • Sitdown Lunch (for Two)
    $36
  • Cheese and bread
    $11
  • Espresso
    $2.28
  • Dinner
    $66

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.

  • Rome Cooking: Pasta & Tiramisu Making, Free-Flowing Fine Wine: $39
  • Pizza & Tiramisu or Gelato Class with Flowing Fine Wine: $41
  • Rome Food Tour for Breakfast Lovers: $41
  • Rome Food Tour: Tastings in the Jewish Ghetto & Campo de' Fiori: $42
  • Milan Street Food Tour and City Guided Sightseeing: $45
  • Rome Early Morning Breakfast and Sightseeing Food Tour: $46
  • Fettuccine Pasta Cooking Class in Rome City Center: $47
  • Gnocchi Cooking Class in Rome - Piazza Navona: $47
  • Pasta Cooking Class in Rome - Fettuccine Class in Piazza Navona: $47
  • Rome Street Food Tour: Eat Like a Local: $50
  • Cooking Class in the Heart of Pizza and Tiramisu Making: $51
  • Rome Street Food Tour Eat Like a Local: $52

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Johor Bahru $8.04
    Rome $41

Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:

  • Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $6.53
  • Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour: $11
  • Wings of Time Admission Ticket: $14
  • Seletar Indigenous & Fish Farm Tour: $17
  • Singapore: Wings of Time Show Entry Ticket: $17
  • Malaysia: Johor Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Entry Ticket: $18
  • Wings of Time Fireworks Symphony Tickets: $19
  • DaVinci & The Wheel of Time - Cinematic Walkthrough VR Experience: $19
  • Causeway Tour: $20
  • Johor: LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort Entry Ticket: $21
  • Singapore Sentosa Cable Car Sky Pass E-Tickets: $21
  • Singapore: Madame Tussauds Sentosa E-Ticket: $22

Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome

Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)
    $79
  • Coliseum Tickets (for Two)
    $38
  • Roma Pass
    $34
  • Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)
    $23
  • Segway Tour
    $86

Tours and Activities in Rome

Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Walking tour with Archaeologist: $1.40
  • Rome Best Kept Secrets: Self-Guided City Tour: $2.31
  • Historical Walking Tour in Rome City Center with Hidden Gems: $3.75
  • Highlights of Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere Walking Tour: $4.69
  • Colosseum and Roman Forum Sightseeing Area Walking Tour: $4.69
  • Rome:Pantheon Entry Ticket with Hosted Experience and Audio Guide: $5.28
  • Rome Timeless Trail Self Guided Walking Tour with App: $5.50
  • Pantheon Admission Ticket : Audio Guide or Guided Tour: $5.85
  • Pantheon Rome Timed Entry Ticket and optional Minerva: $5.87
  • Testaccio: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Rome's Food Traditions: $6.10
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour - The gods of the Palatine: $6.72
  • Rome Walking Tour 2h40 and 23 audio commentary: $6.92

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Johor Bahru $5.25
    Rome $21

Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:


  • Bottle of Wine
    $7.41
  • Pint of Beer
    $7.23
  • Beer
    $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Rome

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:

  • Rome Pub Crawl in the Old Town: $22
  • Cabaret and Burlesque Show: $35
  • Rome's Ultimate Party aka the Spanish Steps Pub Crawl: $40
  • Winery Tour, Wine Tasting near Rome with Optional Lunch: $46
  • Frascati Wine Tasting Experience with Food Pairing: $53
  • Experience Rome Exclusive Wine Tasting in City Center: $56
  • Guided Wine Tasting Experience in a Roman Vineyard: $57
  • Dolce Vita Burlesque show: $59
  • Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $65
  • Rome Nightlife Party Tour Monti Bar Crawl and Local Drinks: $67
  • Rome Night Tipsy Tour & Bar Crawl with Forbidden History: $69
  • Private Wine Tasting in Trastevere: $76


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johor Bahru and Rome, we can see that Rome is more expensive. And not only is Johor Bahru much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Johor Bahru is in Asia and Rome is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Johor Bahru would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Johor Bahru and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome than you might in Johor Bahru.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Johor Bahru Expensive? and Is Rome Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Johor Bahru or Rome?

Rome has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Johor Bahru. When comparing the sizes of Johor Bahru and Rome, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.