Rome for Digital Nomads – Living in Italy Pros and Cons

Contrary to some strong misconceptions, the Italian capital is not as expensive as it's often perceived to be. In fact, we find the rating for Rome on nomadlist.com to be completely different from our experience. It’s safe to say that $3,707 a month is a far cry from what it actually costs to live in Rome.

With the cost of living rated as bad and a nomad score of 1.2 out of 5 in July 2018, it’s easy to understand why the digital nomad scene in Rome is pretty much nonexistent. But, this misconception is something we would like to see change.

Whether nomads are looking in the wrong places or eating all their meals in the center, something is not quite adding up and our experience living in Rome as digital nomads has been very different from others.

Read on to learn about the real cost of living in Rome, how to find an apartment, the best areas to live in, what and where to eat, internet and co-working spaces, and whether we think the city is worth living in for digital nomads.

Let us start off by saying that Rome is really not as expensive as everyone makes it out to be. But you would be forgiven for thinking it is, even we thought living in Rome was out of the question before we tried it.

In fact, we had almost written the Italian capital off completely until we got on Airbnb and tried our luck at Airbnb hacking. After sending off a few messages, everything changed and Rome was becoming more and more of a possibility. Every single Airbnb host we contacted, a total of 5, answered us in less than 24 hours with counter offers.

After going back and forth for a day with one host, who’s apartment we wanted the most, we agreed on a price that was 60% less and booked an apartment in Rome for 3 months. This all happened after only 2 days of first starting our house search in Rome.

We were certain that finding a house to rent in Rome so fast for a fair price would never happen again. But only 6 months later, we were shocked when we repeated the house hunting process a second time with even better results.

Finding Accommodation in Rome

Quartiere Flaminio

We’re partial to Via Flaminia since both Victoria’s aunt and grandma live in the area. But besides that, Flaminio is a great neighborhood to live in and we would recommend it to anyone. Located just north of the center, you're only a few tram stops away from the city center which means it takes less than 10 minutes to arrive at Piazza del Popolo. We love that Flaminio is very well-connected to the rest of the city yet still far enough to avoid the masses of tourists and the prices that come with them.

Being the fact that it’s a residential area means that Flaminio has all the amenities you would expect. Within walking distance from both of our apartments, there were 24 hours grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, an abundance of transportation, parks, and even a gym with an Olympic sized swimming pool. We had everything we needed and then some.

There are quite a few things to check out in the area like the MAXXI Modern Art Museum, Auditorium Parco della Musica, as well as the Stadio Olympico where many high-profile soccer games are played. Via Flaminia is also a short walk to Ponte Milvio where you can experience la movida and experience some Roman nightlife.

Ponte Milvio

We loved living just a 5 minute walk from Ponte Milvio the second time around in Rome. Ponte Milvio is a trendy neighborhood with several popular bars and restaurants, and it’s usually busy every night of the week. There are two really good pizzerias Fratelli La Bufala and Pallotta as well as a few bars that are perfect for an aperitivo.

Ponte Milvio is located right next to Stadio Olympico where both Lazio and Roma play their home games. Before each game, the square fills up with excited fans. Sometimes it can be quite hectic during game days, and you should expect delays in traffic as well as police roadblocks.

Ponte Milivio is an often overlooked area among tourists which is a shame because it's the perfect place to experience some local Roman life.

San Lorenzo

This district is connected to the Termini train station and is well-connected to the rest of the city. For a long time, San Lorenzo was known as a working-class neighborhood. But lately, it has developed into a hip area where a lot of younger people live mostly thanks to the proximity to the La Sapienza University.

This is also where the co-working space Impact Hub is located, and San Lorenzo is becoming an increasingly more popular district for expats and digital nomads in Rome.

Trastevere

Trastevere is possibly one of the most famous in Rome and a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Trastevere is located south of the Vatican and across the Tiber from the city center. The area is paved with cobblestone streets and ancient houses, churches, and temples which offer a rustic remembrance of the past.

We met some expats living in Trastevere, but to us, the area is a bit too busy. Many well-known bars and restaurants can be found in Trastevere as well as several international institutions such as the American University of Rome. There are also a few co-working offices located in the area.

We recommend that you spend at least one day aimlessly walking down the streets of Trastevere absorbing the Roman atmosphere.

Prati

Prati is the area located just north of the Vatican. It’s known as a more upscale Roman neighborhood with impressive avenues, elegant architecture as well as several government buildings such as the Italian Supreme Court, multiple embassies, and diplomatic residences. In Prati, you’ll find many Airbnbs as well as some more exclusive hotels in Rome. Prati is also home to the best vegan gelato in Rome as well as Flower Burger which happens to make the best vegan burger in Europe.

Testaccio

Many expats in Rome live in Testaccio which is located south of the city center and across the Tiber from Trastevere. It’s a small and ancient neighborhood that’s located far enough away from the center to not be overrun by tourists but close enough that you can easily walk to the Roman forums and the Colosseum.

Another added bonus is that there are a few co-working offices around Testaccio. This picturesque area is also home to some of Rome’s best Italian trattorias and is known for its boutique shopping and excellent nightlife.

As mentioned, most people, including ourselves, assume that Rome is a very expensive city. However, compared to other major capitals in Europe, being a digital nomad in Rome is actually quite affordable.

The Italian capital is obviously not as cheap as some other areas in the world, but considering the value and quality you get for your money, it’s definitely more price worthy than some other digital nomad hotspots in the world like Lisbon and Barcelona.

A lot of things were cheaper than we had anticipated, and in the end we actually spent less living in Rome for four months than we had done in Bali just a year earlier. Obviously, this will vary widely depending on how often you eat out, if you drink alcohol, etc.

Our Monthly Living Expenses in Rome:

• Accommodation: $1,350
• Utilities and Internet: Included
• Groceries: $525
• Alcohol: $100
• Eating Out: $250
• Transport: $40
• Phone: $15
• Total Monthly Expenses $2,280 for 2 people

Consider that you also overpay pretty much anywhere when renting off of Airbnb, even if you get a discounted rate. If you're serious about living in Rome for longer than a few months you can rent an apartment for much less. We've seen 1 bedrooms apartments advertised for EUR 650 a month and 2 bedroom apartments advertised for EUR 950.

The best part about living in Rome or anywhere in Italy is obviously the food and the wine, but you probably already knew that. Food is the cornerstone of the Italian culture. In fact, Italians are so proud of their food that they would rather not serve you at all than serve you something that was subpar.

For two people like us who love to eat good food both out at restaurants and at home, Rome delivered exceptionally well.

The quality of groceries in Rome is a world away compared to pretty much anywhere else we've ever been. Italy also happens to be one of the most vegan-friendly countries in the world, not only in terms of the number of vegan restaurants but the Italian cuisine itself.

In most countries, vegan food is something you have to seek out. But in Italy, you can literally waltz into any Italian restaurant and order vegan food right off the menu with very few to no changes - at most you might have to ask for no cheese.

After having cooked food all over the world from Central America to Asia, we can assure you that Rome has the freshest produce in the world. Even the smallest grocery stores sell high quality, locally grown, seasonal vegetables and fruits that make it a joy to cook.

Not to mention that you can buy freshly baked bread, pizzas, and vegan croissants from local bakeries on every block. In addition, grocery stores in Rome offer some great vegan food items such as burgers, plant-based milk, etc. Although you should expect to pay a bit more for vegan staples here than you would elsewhere in the region.

During our first time living in Rome, we rented an apartment that was around the corner from a 24/7 Carrefour grocery store. Carrefour sold everything we needed from vegetables and bread, to amazing wine and chocolate which allowed us to indulge in the country's best delights.

There are also a ton of weekly food markets in Rome where you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil and other staples such as kitchenware and clothes.

In general, we found the price of groceries in Rome to be fairly priced and similar to other places we've been in Europe.

And for all of our vegan readers, there is an all vegan grocery store down the street from the Vatican called iVegan. iVegan sells everything you might need in terms of vegan food items including the best vegan parmesan cheese!

Eating at home and cooking with great products is not the only great part about living in Italy. Eating out in Rome is an experience on its own. It would be impossible to cover all the amazing food we got to enjoy during our four month stay. But we did our best and rounded up our ten favorite vegan restaurants in Rome in a separate post.

For us, the highlight of all the places we tried was an intimate all vegan restaurant called Ma Va which ended up being one of the best restaurants we've ever eaten at. However, we quickly realized that it’s hard to be disappointed when eating out in Rome, as long as you avoid the most touristy restaurants.

And as we said, Italian food is often very easy to veganize and there are options at almost every restaurant.

On top of that, eating out in Rome is quite affordable. At most restaurants, a pizza will set you back at most EUR 6-8 with other dishes being only slightly more. In fact, we found eating out to be considerably less than in other places we've stayed.

Coffee and alcohol - or more specifically wine – also plays as an important part in the Italian food culture.

Every morning Romans meet up at their local coffee shop, bar, where they enjoy a cappuccino and a croissant in good company before heading off to work. Today, most bars in Rome serve vegan croissants and offer soy milk so that everyone can partake in this deeply rooted ritual.

The best part of this morning routine is that an Italian breakfast never sets you back more than EUR 2.20. Check out our guide on how to eat breakfast like a Roman and learn everything you need to know about the Italian coffee culture.

Wine

Then there is the wine, but we don’t think it needs an introduction since you’re probably already familiar with Italian’s love for their wine. Italian wine is incredible for two reasons. The first being the quality of the products - we challenge anyone to find a bad bottle of wine in Italy. It just doesn’t exist.

The second reason has to do with the cost. You see, not only is Italian wine high quality, but it’s also very affordable. A bottle of wine that would cost $20 in the United States or Sweden will cost you EUR 5 in Italy, even at an over-priced grocery store.

Beer

In our opinion, Italy also produces some of the best beer in the world. You can buy a 6 pack of Peroni beer for EUR 5 which is literally half the price that it is sold for in the United States. Birra Moretti is also widely available for even less than Peroni.

The only other places in the world where we’ve found such cheap beer is in Eastern Europe. Even beer in Asia costs more than it does in Italy. There is also a growing craft beer scene in Rome with new places opening up around the city.

Aperitivo

Internet Speeds and WiFi in Rome

The biggest annoyance with living as an expat in Rome is the internet or lack thereof.

Wifi in Rome is far from the fastest, and at times we struggled with the slower speeds. In Rome, you can typically find between 15 and 20 Mbps down and around 5 to 8 Mbps up.

Even though the wifi wasn’t super fast, it wasn’t a deal breaker for us. We are used to spending a lot of time living and working in Bali in both Ubud and Canggu and the wifi was similar if not faster in Rome.

Also, on the days when the internet decided to be extra slow, we used our phone as a wifi-hotspot and relied on the 4G network instead.

Mobile Phones and Data Plans

As always when traveling in Europe, we use a prepaid SIM-card that we bought awhile back in Sweden. Last year the European Union agreed to terminate roaming fees completely. Now, you can use any SIM card bought within the EU in any of the other member nations without additional costs. In total, we pay about $15 a month for unlimited calls and text plus 10GB of data.

If you don’t already have a European phone number, we suggest you buy a SIM card from either TIM or Vodafone since they are the two largest carriers in Rome.

The obvious things to do in Rome are visiting the Vatican, taking a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman ruins, wandering the old parts of the Eternal City, and enjoying a gelato on the Spanish steps. Besides that, there is one thing we think you should consider doing when living in Rome.

Watching some of the world’s biggest soccer teams play at the Stadio Olimpico is an incredible feeling. Both Lazio and Roma use the stadium as their home stadium and they have some of the most dedicated fans in the world.

As mentioned, the stadium is located a short walk from Ponte Milvio and we suggest that you combine a soccer game with an afternoon aperitivo.

Weather is something that is extremely important to us, which is why we recommend a digital nomad spot like Warsaw in the summer months. Outside of the summer, it gets chilly and the skies quickly become gray and gloomy.

On the other hand, weather in Rome, is pleasant year round especially in the spring and the fall. Because of this, we recommend that you visit Rome in the spring between April and June or in the fall between September and November.

While the winters in Rome might not be as warm as we’d like it to be, temperatures are decently mild. In fact, we lived in Rome over Christmas and New Years and never really felt cold with a sweater and a thin jacket.

Meanwhile, the summers get incredibly hot and humid, and for the month of August, most locals leave the city for the beach.

Our Final Thoughts: So is it worth living in Rome as a digital nomad?

For those living a location independent lifestyle, Rome offers a great quality of life without breaking the bank. It's true that wifi isn't the fastest, but more and more co-working spaces are opening up and the demand for reliable internet is increasing.

With plenty to see and do, some of the best food in the world, and pleasant weather throughout the year, we think Rome is a great destination for digital nomads. If you consider giving Rome a chance, you might just be surprised at what you find.

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