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Rome vs Venice
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Rome $95–170, Venice $100–190 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Apr–May, Sep–Oct, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇮🇹 Rome | 🇮🇹 Venice | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $95–170 | $100–190 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | €6–12 ($6.50–13) | €6–14 ($6.50–15) |
| Mid-range hotelper night | €100–200 ($108–216) | €110–220 ($118–237) |
| Transit ridesingle trip | €1.50 ($1.60)cheaper | €9.50 ($10.20) vaporetto |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $2,100 | ≈ $2,000 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
Rome
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Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Venice
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Apr–May, Sep–Oct
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇮🇹 Rome
The Eternal City — ancient ruins, Renaissance piazzas, and some of the world's best food, all stacked on top of 2,700 years of history.
- Freni e Frizioni$$Nightlife
- Roscioli$$$Restaurants
- Teatro dell'Opera di Roma$$$Theater & shows
- Jerry Thomas Speakeasy$$$Nightlife
- Da Enzo al 29$$Restaurants
🇮🇹 Venice
A city built on water, with no cars, no roads — just canals, gondolas, and centuries of Byzantine and Gothic architecture packed onto a lagoon.
- Cantina Do Mori$Nightlife
- Osteria alle Testiere$$$Restaurants
- Teatro La Fenice$$$Opera & culture
- Harry's Bar$$$Nightlife
- All'Arco$Restaurants
Practicalities
| Rome | Venice | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Italian. English is common around major sights and hotels, less so in neighborhood trattorias. | Italian, with the local Venetian dialect still spoken by older residents. English is common in tourist areas. |
| Tap water | Safe to drink — including from the city's public nasoni drinking fountains | Safe to drink |
The same in both:
- Currency
- Euro (€). US$1 ≈ €0.93
- Time zone
- CET (UTC+1), CEST (UTC+2) in summer
- Power
- Type C/F/L plugs, 230V
- Emergency
- 112 general emergency (EU-wide)