Should you visit Rome or Florence?
Should I visit Rome or Florence? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. It is also a common entry point for most visitors flying into the country. Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for the last millenium, making it one of the most famous and popular destinations in not only Europe, but the world. The influence of the Roman Empire can be seen across continents.
Florence
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and one of the most well known cities in Italy for its art and cultural scenes. The city is rooted in history and you can see this in the architecture, statues, gardens, and art that are everywhere around town. This city truly is a living museum. You should allow yourself at least a couple of days to explore Florence and if you can afford more, it is well worth the time. In particular, if art history is your passion then you will need a week or more to satisfy your interest as the museums and architecturally impressive buildings throughout the city are endless.
Which city is cheaper, Florence or Rome?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Rome is €131, while the average daily cost in Florence is €116. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Rome and Florence in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €134 for a double occupancy room in Rome.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €136 in Florence For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
While meal prices in Rome can vary, the average travelers spends about €37 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Rome should cost around €15 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Rome is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
Food in Florence costs travelers about €24 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Rome
€37
Florence
€24
Typical Food prices in Rome
Some typical examples of dining costs in Rome are as follows:
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)
€14
-
4 Ice Cream Sandwiches
€2.99
-
Cafe e doce
€4.00
-
Pizza (Fast Food)
€2.65
-
Sitdown Lunch (for Two)
€32
-
Cheese and bread
€10
-
Espresso
€2.00
-
Dinner
€58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
-
Illuminated Rome Tour for Kids with Gelato & Pizza:
$56
-
Gourmet Pizza at Sunset Near the Colosseum:
$63
-
3-in-1 Fettuccine, Ravioli and Tiramisu Cooking Class:
$73
-
Rome 3-Hour Pizza-Themed Food & Colosseum Tour:
$78
-
Traditional Cooking Class in the Jewish Ghetto:
$82
-
From Market to Table: 4-Hour Cooking Class in Rome:
$118
-
Rome Cooking Class & Gourmet Lunch:
$137
-
Vineyard Visit by Minibus with Lakeside Dinner:
$142
-
Authentic Cooking Class:
$154
-
Rome Trastevere: Semi-Private Food Tour:
$79
Typical Food prices in Florence
For Florence, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Panini Sandwich
€6.50
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)
€17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florence
For Florence, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Illuminated Florence Tour for Kids with Gelato & Pizza:
$45
-
Cooking Lesson Traditional Italian Pasta:
$67
-
Pizza and Ice Cream Cooking Course in Florence:
$67
-
Small Group Cooking Lesson in Florence from Pisa:
$79
-
Secret Food Tours:
$84
-
Chianti: Half-Day Tuscan Pizza and Gelato Making Class:
$90
-
Fiat 500 Vintage Tour of Florence by Night Plus Dinner:
$91
-
Florence Food Tour:
$94
-
Florence 4-Hour Cooking Class at Your AirBnb:
$96
-
Electric Bike Evening Tour with Dinner:
$113
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Rome is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent €17 per person, per day, on local transportation in Rome.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Florence than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €19 on transportation in Florence on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Rome
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Rome are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
-
Private Transfer from Airport or Cruise Ship Port:
$38
-
Transfer from Fiumicino Airport With a Guided Tour of Rome:
$49
-
Pre-Cruise Rome Tour & Transfer:
$56
-
Fiumicino Airport – Civitavecchia Cruise Port Transfer:
$74
-
Private Transfer between Rome Ciampino and City Hotels:
$80
-
Rome Ciampino Airport: Private Luxury Limo Transfer:
$95
-
Transfer between Rome Fiumicino and Civitavecchia Port:
$181
-
Rome Airport: Positano Private Transfer:
$391
-
The Ruins of Pompeii: Round-Trip Transfer from Rome:
$503
-
Private Transfer from Sorrento to Rome and Vice Versa:
$513
Typical Local Transportation prices in Florence
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Florence:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florence
Also for Florence, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Florence Train Station to City Hotels: Private Transfer:
$48
-
City Hotels to Florence Airport: Private Transfer:
$56
-
Florence Airport to Florence Center 1-Way VIP Transfer:
$57
-
Full-Day Tour from Rome with Transfers:
$135
-
Florence to Montecatini 1-Way Private Transfer:
$148
-
Florence Private 1-Way Transfer to Siena:
$188
-
1-Way Private Transfer Between Florence and Pisa:
$217
-
Florence to Livorno Private 1-Way Luxury Transfer:
$251
-
Florence to Central Milan 1-Way Private Transfer:
$559
-
Florence Airport Transfer: Shared Round-Trip:
$11
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Rome typically cost an average of €29 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Florence, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €19 per day, per person.
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)
€69
-
Coliseum Tickets (for Two)
€33
-
Roma Pass
€30
-
Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)
€20
-
Segway Tour
€75
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
90-Minute Kickstart Tour with a Local:
$17
-
Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo Guided Tour:
$18
-
Guided Evening Walking Tour in French:
$40
-
Best of Squares & Fountains Walking City Tour:
$40
-
Rome Center: 4-Hour Bike Tour:
$42
-
Kid-Friendly Skip-the-Line Colosseum and History Tour:
$44
-
Early-Bird Streets, Piazzas and Fountains City Tour:
$44
-
1-hour Colosseum Guided Tour with Fast-Track Entry:
$45
-
Unusual Sights Bicycle Tour with Optional E-bike:
$47
-
Heart of Trevi Fountain & More Guided Tour:
$47
Typical Entertainment prices in Florence
Below are a few samples prices from actual travelers for Florence's activities, tours, and tickets:
-
Admission to Uffizi
€11
-
Phone Booking Fee for Uffizi
€4.00
-
Firenze Card (for Two)
€100
-
Audioguides at Uffizi (for Two)
€20
-
Giotto's Tower Entrance Fee
€6.00
-
Boboli Gardens Entrance Fee
€7.00
Tours and Activities in Florence
For Florence, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Florence Animal Art Treasure Hunt Family Tour:
$17
-
Parks and Playgrounds Private Tour:
$18
-
Secret History Private Tour:
$30
-
From Pisa: Walking Tour of Florence with Aperitif:
$30
-
Opera del Duomo Museum and Baptistry Guided Tour:
$34
-
Florence Tour by Night:
$36
-
The Medici Dynasty Show Ticket:
$36
-
Florence VIP Guided City Bike Tour:
$40
-
2 Hours Bike Tour from Lucca:
$43
-
Michelangelo and Santa Croce Private Tour:
$45
Alcohol
The average person spends about €15 on alcoholic beverages in Rome per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
The average person spends about €12 on alcoholic beverages in Florence per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typical Alcohol prices in Rome
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Rome are as follows:
-
Bottle of Wine
€6.50
-
Pint of Beer
€6.34
-
Beer
€10
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Rome:
-
Colosseum Fast Track and Wine Tasting Day Tour:
$119
-
Vintage Fiat 500 Driving Tour and Wine Tasting:
$204
-
4-Hour Food and Wine Tasting Tour:
$69
-
4-Hour Food and Wine Tasting Tour:
$91
-
Roman Countryside Vineyards and Wine Tasting:
$67
-
3.5-Hour Castelli Romani Wine Tasting Tour:
$50
-
Campo De' Fiori Market and Trevi Food & Wine Tour:
$90
-
Small-Group Food and Wine Tour with Pickup:
$131
-
San Gimignano & Siena: Small Group Wine Tour from Rome:
$177
-
Siena & San Gimignano Day Tour & Wine Tasting from Rome:
$215
Typical Alcohol prices in Florence
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florence from other travelers:
-
Glass of Chianti
€4.20
-
Bottle of Wine
€7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Florence
Also in Florence, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Barricaia Wine Tasting at the Antinori Winery:
$49
-
VIP Small-Group SuperTuscan Wine Tour from Florence:
$193
-
Chianti & San Gimignano Full-Day Wine Tour:
$219
-
Castle and Chianti Wine Tour - Monday to Saturday:
$243
-
Wine Tasting & Gourmet Tuscan Lunch at Banfi Winery:
$357
-
Tuscany Wine Tour from Florence:
$80
-
60-Minute Wine Tasting Tour:
$46
-
Florence Wine Tasting and Tuscan Lunch in a Vintage Fiat 500:
$188
-
From Small Group Wine Tasting Tour to Tuscany:
$90
-
Tuscany: 12-Hour Regional Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting:
$97
When comparing the travel costs between Rome and Florence, we can see that Rome is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
Related Articles for Rome
Related Articles for Florence
