Townleap

Cost of Living: Rome vs Stuttgart (2026)

Italy vs Germany — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Rome
Stuttgart
$1,355/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,157/mo
−$10k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$17k/yr
5 yr
PR path
5 yr
Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Freelance setup
Regime Forfettario
  • VAT-free under €85k
  • 26% social
  • €1000/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Freiberufler
  • VAT-free under €25k
  • €1200/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated June 2026

TL;DRStuttgart is 15% cheaper on rent ($1,157/mo vs $1,355/mo). Stuttgart scores 8.7 vs 7.6 on democracy. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.
Stuttgart scores 85 to Rome's 70 on livability — the gap is real. Rome has its charms, but the numbers favor Stuttgart.
How the livability score breaks down
Rome
Stuttgart
15.8/25
💰 Affordability
17.7/25
14.5/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.7/15
5.3/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
6.6/10
5.6/15
Internet
15/15
11.4/15
🗳️ Democracy
13.1/15
5.4/10
🗣️ English
8.8/10
7.7/10
☀️ Climate
9.7/10
9/10
📊 Stability
7.7/10
8.8/10
🚗 Road Safety
9.8/10
7.4/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
7.9/10
Household
Rome
Metric
Stuttgart
$635/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$829/mo
$7,957
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
81 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
88 / 100
0.5 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.3 / 100k
5.0 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
3.3 / 100k
53 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
66 / 100
86°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
75°F
37°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
32°F
75 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
224 Mbps
12.7 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
9.2 μg/m³
82 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
85 / 100
7.6 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.7 / 10
6.5 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.1 / 9
25 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
66 / 100
29/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
73/100
$62k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$74k
1.0% · Practically frozen
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.3% · Boringly steady
89/100 — Mostly stable
Grid reliability
higher is better
98/100 — Reliable
87/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
95/100
A median Software Engineer in Rome takes home $2,342/mo under Standard employee. In Stuttgart: $4,519/mo under Standard employee.
$2,177/mo more in Stuttgart
🎯 Rome's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,950/mo instead.
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$45k
💰
Gross income
$95k
−$13k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$22k
−$4k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$18k
$28k/yr
$2k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$54k/yr
$5k/mo
−$38k
🏠
Cost of living
−$38k
−$10k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$17k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated June 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Stuttgart
$197/mo cheaper on rent alone
🗳️
Democracy
Stuttgart
8.7/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
86°F vs 75°F summers
🗣️
English
Stuttgart
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

63% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
37% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
9.1h
Shortest day
Dec
8.3h
15.2h
Longest day
Jun
16.1h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
improving
Inflation trend
governmenttourismmediaaerospace
Industries
nascent
Startup ecosystem
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Complex
RU visa
Complex
Easy
UA visa
Moderate
Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
Not recognized
unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)
Partner pathway
Not recognized
eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft (now: Ehe)
2,583/mo
Retiree visa

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
12 wk
Gestational limit
12 wk

On request up to 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

Not punishable within 12 weeks with mandatory counseling and 3-day waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union
Marriage
Legal
Step-child only
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
No
Hate crime law
Yes

Rome vs Stuttgart — Common Questions

Is Rome cheaper than Stuttgart?

Stuttgart is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1157/month there vs $1355/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Rome or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Rome has a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 and Stuttgart has 0.33 per 100,000.

Should I move to Rome or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart scores 85 to Rome's 70 on livability — the gap is real. Rome has its charms, but the numbers favor Stuttgart. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Rome or Stuttgart?

Rome: Italy Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable)). Stuttgart: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Rome or Stuttgart?

Rome is warmer in summer (86°F vs 75°F). Stuttgart has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Rome or Stuttgart without speaking the local language?

Stuttgart is easier for street-level English (73/100) than Rome (29/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Rome vs Stuttgart?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1157/month in Stuttgart, $1355/month in Rome (Numbeo). That's 15% cheaper rent in Stuttgart.

Is Rome or Stuttgart better for democracy and rule of law?

Stuttgart scores 8.7/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 7.6/10 for Rome. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

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