Italy
Florence makes sense if
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
- Access to stronger healthcare matters most to you.
- You value stronger public spaces and everyday city life.
Florence vs Rome
Florence concentrates Renaissance art and Tuscan food inside a small, walkable centre, where the Ponte Vecchio and Arno banks are everyday scenery as well as visitor stops. Rome spreads its historic layers across a much larger capital, with a broader job and hospital base but more demanding distances and logistics.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Rome makes sense if
- You want the easier housing and budget equation in this comparison.
- You want the broader career options in this comparison.
- You want the deeper culture and food scene.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Florence62
Narrowly best on safety & health: 69 vs Rome's 66.
- 2Rome62
Narrowly best on work & family: 59 vs Florence's 56; stands out for professional network and flight connections.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Rome68Florence67
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
€118/mo€2,140/mo
- €863/mo
- €838/mo
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- ~39%
- ~37%
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 81
- 81
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 29–47%
- 29–47%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 220 days
- 239 days, leads
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 67 days, leads
- 87 days
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 13.5 µg/m³
- 15 µg/m³
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Florence54Rome53
Beach & sea
110
- 5/10
- 6/10, leads
Mountains
110
- 5/10
- 5/10
City parks
110
- 6/10
- 7/10, leads
Weekend escapes
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Florence73Rome72
Walkability
110
- 9/10, leads
- 8/10
Public transport
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Restaurants
110
- 9/10
- 9/10
Public spaces
110
- 8/10
- 9/10, leads
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Florence69Rome66
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 0.6
- 0.6
Feels safe day to day
110
- 7/10, leads
- 6/10
Healthcare quality
110
- 9/10, leads
- 8/10
English-speaking care
110
- 7/10, leads
- 6/10
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Rome59Florence56
Job market
110
- 5/10
- 6/10, leads
Jobs in English
110
- 5/10
- 6/10, leads
Work–life balance
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Schools
110
- 7/10, leads
- 6/10
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Rome55Florence54
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 5/10
- 5/10
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Openness to newcomers
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Flight connections
110
- 6/10
- 8/10, leads
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 7/10
- 6/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 7/10
- 7/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 6/10
- 7/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 7/10
- 6/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Florence
Small and almost entirely walkable, with the kind of dense, mixed-use core where daily life happens on foot rather than by car. Neighbourhoods have real character and car dependency is low.
Rome
The historic core is walkable and densely mixed, with shops, homes, and cafes layered together and strong neighbourhood character street to street. The wider city sprawls low and loose rather than packing in like Madrid, and flats tend to run small.
Safety
Florence
Serious and violent crime is very low, and the city feels calm day and night by any reasonable measure. The real nuisance is petty theft, pickpocketing and bag-snatching that come with heavy tourist traffic, concentrated around the busiest sights.
Rome
Serious violent crime is very low, and the roads are safer than the Italian driving stereotype would suggest. Where Rome stings is petty theft: pickpocketing around tourist sites and transit hubs is a daily reality and worse than in Lisbon.
Work and healthcare
Florence
Florence offers a livable base for people who bring work with them, but local progression is harder. Care is solid and broadly comparable to Rome, with reasonable hospital access and low out-of-pocket exposure under the public system.
Rome
Rome's local market is narrow, with unemployment elevated and limited depth across professional, English-language, and startup roles. The public system delivers solid mid-tier care with reasonable hospital access and low out-of-pocket exposure.
Culture and public life
Florence
Tuscan cooking and the wine country at the doorstep are reason enough for many. Florence is tourist-worn but cared-for, its Renaissance core kept despite the crowds and grime.
Rome
Few cities match Rome for museums, monuments, and the sheer density of things to see, and the local food culture is among the deepest anywhere. The piazzas, fountains and ancient open spaces are great if worn.
Summary
Rome is the stronger choice for people who want capital-city scale, a deeper range of work and services, and a lively street atmosphere. Florence is easier to love for a slower art-and-food routine, especially for remote earners who can avoid depending on its narrow job market.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.