How Much Does a 5-Day Trip to Rome Cost? A Complete Budget Guide

A 5-day trip to Rome can cost approximately €500–650 per person on a budget, €750–950 for a mid-range trip, and €1,200–1,500 for a more comfortable experience, excluding airfare.

These estimates include 4 nights of accommodation, food, major attractions on the itinerary, local transportation, airport transfers to the hotel, and accommodation taxes. Of course, the final cost can vary quite a bit depending on when you travel, which hotel you choose, how much you spend on food, and how many attractions you decide to visit.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Bruna, and I’m the author of this blog. In this post, I’ll help you put together a budget for a 5-day trip to Rome.

I recently created a complete 5-day Rome itinerary, which you can check out here: Rome in 5 Days: The Itinerary I’d Follow on My First Trip.

It’s not a definitive itinerary (and neither is this budget guide) but I’ll use it as a starting point to estimate accommodation, food, transportation, attraction tickets, those so-called “hidden” fees, and everything else you might need to pay for during your trip.

To help you plan your budget, I’ve divided the costs into three travel styles:

• Budget: For travelers who want to spend as little as possible without having to sleep on a park bench.
• Mid-range: For those who want to balance comfort and savings.
• Comfortable: For travelers who enjoy a few little luxuries, even if they’re not staying in a five-star hotel.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I honestly believe that anyone who can afford a truly luxurious trip to Rome probably wouldn’t be looking for a travel budget guide like this one. So, we’re not going to focus on an overly extravagant travel style here.

The idea is to plan a comfortable, realistic trip for different budgets and show how the choices we make along the way can have a big impact on the final cost.

Let’s get started!

How Much Does Accommodation in Rome Cost?

Accommodation will probably be one of the biggest expenses on a trip to Rome. And it’s also one of the costs that can vary the most.

For this post, I’m considering 4 nights of accommodation, since we’re talking about a 5-day trip.

I’m also assuming that two people will be sharing a room, but the amounts shown in the tables will be per person to make the comparison easier.

To give you some more concrete examples, I’ve selected three real accommodation options in Rome: one for each travel style.

For my selection, I looked for places with a Tripadvisor rating above 4.5 and a substantial number of positive reviews. That way, I wasn’t simply picking the cheapest hotel I could find. I wanted options I would genuinely consider for each budget category.

The prices below are estimates based on a 4-night stay in late September. Since hotel rates change constantly, they’re meant to serve as a reference rather than a guaranteed price.

Also, the accommodation links may earn the blog a commission if you make a booking through them, at no additional cost to you. 💗

💰 Budget: Interno 5 B&B

For budget travelers, I chose Interno 5 B&B, located on Via Otranto in the Prati neighborhood.

And what I liked most about this option is its location.

Interno 5 is about 50 meters from Ottaviano metro station and approximately a 10-minute walk from Vatican City, according to the property itself.

In other words, even though it’s a more affordable option, you don’t necessarily have to give up a convenient location.

The rooms have private bathrooms, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a TV, and basic toiletries. The property also states that rooms are cleaned daily.

For 4 nights, I’m estimating approximately €500 for the room, or around €250 per person if two people share the accommodation.

This amount may vary depending on your dates and availability.

Check out this accommodation here: Interno 5 on Klook

💼 Mid-range: A.Roma Lifestyle Hotel

For the mid-range category, I chose A.Roma Lifestyle Hotel.

Here, we’re already taking a considerable step up in terms of amenities.

The hotel has a 4.6/5 rating on Tripadvisor, based on more than 4,800 reviews, and received the 2026 Travellers’ Choice award.

It’s a four-star hotel with a swimming pool, gym, spa, breakfast, restaurant, bar, and other amenities.

The rooms are also more spacious and modern, and the hotel offers different accommodation categories, including executive rooms and suites.

However, the location is something worth paying attention to.

It’s in the Monteverde area, a little farther from the historic center. Tripadvisor gives it a 58/100 score for walkability, so this isn’t the accommodation I’d choose if my number-one priority were stepping outside and immediately finding myself among Rome’s main attractions.

On the other hand, if you want a more complete hotel experience and don’t mind using public transportation, it could make a lot of sense.

How much does it cost?

For 4 nights, I’m estimating approximately €800 for the room, or around €400 per person when sharing the accommodation with another person.

Again, this is a reference price for late September, not a fixed rate.

Check out this accommodation here: A.Roma Lifestyle on Klook

✨ Comfortable: Magenta Luxury Sant’Anna

For the comfortable category, I chose Magenta Luxury Sant’Anna.

This time, I went in a slightly different direction. Instead of a large hotel with dozens of amenities, we’re looking at a boutique-style accommodation in a fantastic location.

The property has a 4.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor.

It’s located on Via di Sant’Anna, in an area that’s extremely convenient for exploring Rome on foot.

The property itself highlights that it’s about a five-minute walk from Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and other important sights around the city.

This also comes through in guest reviews, with visitors mentioning how close it is to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Colosseum, as well as how easy it is to get around on foot.

The rooms have air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a minibar, a safe, and a private bathroom. Some rooms also have a bathtub, and the accommodation offers breakfast.

For me, this is an interesting comfortable option because the luxury here isn’t necessarily about having a huge swimming pool or a spa inside the hotel.

It’s about staying in a great location and enjoying Rome without spending so much time getting from one place to another.

How much does it cost?

For 4 nights, I’m estimating between €1,200 and €1,500 for the room, or approximately €600–750 per person when two people share the accommodation.

Check out this accommodation here: Magenta Luxury Sant’Anna on Klook

How Much Does Food Cost in Rome?

Now we’re getting to a category that depends much more on your own choices.

You can eat relatively cheaply in Rome, especially if you stick to pizza al taglio, panini, simple pasta dishes, markets, cafés, and more local restaurants.

On the other hand, it’s also very easy to turn a meal into a much bigger bill, especially in heavily touristed areas.

To keep the comparison simple, I’ll use the same estimates I used in my budget for a 10-day trip to Italy (check out that post here).

And, once again, we’re talking about costs per person, per day.

💰 On a budget

I’d plan for something like:

• A simple breakfast.
• A quick lunch.
• Pizza al taglio or a panino.
• Dinner at a casual restaurant.
• Gelato during the day.

You definitely won’t go hungry, but you’ll need to be thoughtful about where you eat.

💼 Mid-range

Here, you can include:

• More substantial breakfasts.
• Lunch at a casual restaurant.
• Dinner at a good trattoria.
• Coffee.
• Gelato.
• The occasional dessert.

This is probably the category that best matches how I’d plan my own trip.

✨ Comfortable

Here, you have much more freedom when it comes to food:

• Full breakfasts.
• Good restaurants.
• Drinks.
• Desserts.
• Gelato.
• A few more sought-after restaurants.
• Occasional food experiences.

I’m not talking about Michelin-starred restaurants every day. After all, as we’ve already agreed, we’re not planning a luxury trip here.

How Much Do Attractions in Rome Cost?

Since this budget is based on the 5-day itinerary I put together earlier, we can calculate the ticket costs in a much more concrete way.

Some of the main paid attractions on the itinerary include the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Vatican Museums.

Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill

The standard Colosseum ticket, which also allows you to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, costs €18.

You can purchase it through the official website here: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill tickets

Pantheon

A ticket to the Pantheon costs €7 for adults, €2 for EU-citizens and it’s free from 0-18 years old.

Get yours through the official website: Pantheon Tickets

Trevi Fountain

There’s a new fee that many people researching older articles about Rome might not know about.

Since 2026, there’s been a €2 fee to access the inner area of the Trevi Fountain for visitors who aren’t residents of Rome or the Metropolitan City of Rome.

The area outside the fountain can still be visited for free.

In other words, you don’t need to pay €2 just to walk up to the Trevi Fountain and see it from the outside. But if you want to enter the designated area around the fountain, you’ll have to pay this fee.

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

A standard admission ticket costs €20 without an online reservation.

If you book through the official website, an additional €5 reservation fee applies, bringing the total to €25.

For our budget, I’ll use €25 because I think it’s more realistic to assume that someone planning their first trip to Rome will want to secure their time slot in advance.

And one important detail: the Vatican itself warns visitors that the only official website for purchasing tickets online is the official Vatican Museums portal, this one: https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home

What about Castel Sant’Angelo?

In my itinerary, I included Castel Sant’Angelo mainly as a place to see from the outside.

So, we don’t necessarily need to add the admission ticket to the budget.

If you want to go inside, though, that’s another expense to consider.

A standard admission ticket currently costs €18.

What about the Borghese Gallery?

The same logic applies to the Borghese Gallery.

It appears as an optional stop in my itinerary, especially for those who enjoy art, but I don’t consider it essential to enjoy a day at Villa Borghese.

So, I’ll also treat it as an optional expense.

A standard admission ticket currently costs €16, plus a mandatory €2 reservation fee, bringing the total to €18 per person. Prices may increase during temporary exhibitions.

Check out tickets and tours on Tiqets!

For tickets and tours, it’s worth checking the options available on Tiqets and booking in advance when needed. Just click HERE to check what’s available.

How Much Does Transportation Cost in Rome?

One of the things that can help keep your budget under control in Rome is that many tourist attractions can be visited on foot.

And that’s something I tried to take advantage of in my itinerary.

Still, public transportation will come in handy.

Rome has:

• Metro.
• Buses.
• Trams.
• Urban rail services on some routes.

The basic public transportation ticket, known as the BIT, costs €1.50 and is valid for 100 minutes.

There’s also the Roma 24H pass, which costs €8.50 and allows unlimited travel for 24 hours within Rome.

One option I particularly like is Tap & Go.

You can use a contactless card, and when you exceed the number of rides that would make individual tickets more expensive, the system automatically applies the daily fare of €8.50.

For our budget, I’d set aside approximately:

For the budget option, I’m counting on doing quite a bit of walking.

For the mid-range option, I’m assuming more frequent use of the metro and buses.

For the comfortable option, we can include more taxi or ride-hailing trips whenever they make sense.

How Much Does It Cost to Get from the Airport to Your Hotel?

This is another expense that many people forget when putting together a travel budget.

If you arrive at Fiumicino Airport, one of the best-known options is the Leonardo Express, which connects the airport to Roma Termini station.

There are also regional trains, buses, and taxis.

Since the airport isn’t exactly in the city center, I’d set this expense aside separately so that nobody arrives in Rome only to discover that they still need to pay to get to their hotel. 😅

For a budget trip, we can estimate approximately €16 per person for a round trip using a more affordable transportation option.

The Leonardo Express, on the other hand, costs €14 each way, which means €28 per person for a round trip.

And for those traveling as a couple or in a group, a taxi may be worth considering, depending on the number of people and the location of the accommodation.

Does Rome Charge a Tourist Tax?

Yes! And you need to include this expense in your budget.

Rome charges a tourist tax, known as the Contributo di Soggiorno, and the amount depends on the type of accommodation.

According to the available municipal table, the rates include:

For the categories listed in the table, the tax is charged for a maximum of 10 nights.

And this means we need to pay attention when comparing accommodation options.

For example, if you find a very cheap room but the property charges the tourist tax separately, the final price will be a little higher than the amount you initially saw.

For a 4-night stay, one person might pay approximately:

• €24 at accommodation with a €6 nightly tax.
• €30 at a 4-star hotel.
• €40 at a 5-star hotel.

That’s why I wouldn’t leave this expense out of the budget.

Are There Any Other Fees or Extra Expenses to Consider?

Besides the tourist tax, there are a few other expenses worth paying attention to.

One example is the online reservation fee for the Vatican Museums.

The standard ticket costs €20, but booking through the official website adds a €5 reservation fee.

In this case, I see those €5 as something quite different from a hidden fee or a sneaky extra charge. It’s simply the cost of reserving your ticket in advance.

There may also be service charges at restaurants and other small fees, depending on the establishment.

So, my rule would be simple:

Before sitting down at a restaurant or completing a booking, check what’s included in the price.

And whenever you’re comparing hotels, make sure you know whether the tourist tax is included or will have to be paid separately.

So, How Much Does a 5-Day Trip to Rome Cost?

Now we can put everything together.

For a 5-day trip with 4 nights of accommodation, excluding airfare, we arrive at the following approximate ranges:

These amounts are estimates to help you plan, not a fixed budget.

It’s entirely possible to spend less or much more.

One person might save on accommodation and spend more on restaurants. Another might choose a more expensive hotel and save money by walking and eating simpler meals.

How Much Would I Spend on a 5-Day Trip to Rome?

Well… if you’ve already read some of my other budget posts, you probably know the answer.

I’d probably go with the mid-range budget, but always trying to lean as much as possible toward the budget option.

If I had €800 to spend in Rome, for example, I wouldn’t think:

“I have €800, so I need to spend €800.”

Quite the opposite.

I’d probably try to plan the trip so I could spend less and save whatever was left over.

I love traveling, but I also love the idea of being able to take more trips. So, if I can save €100 on one trip without giving up an experience I genuinely wanted to have, I’d rather put that money aside to help pay for my next trip. 🤭

That’s why, for me, the mid-range option is the perfect balance. I want to stay somewhere comfortable, eat good food, visit the attractions I’m genuinely interested in, and avoid spending the entire trip counting every single coin.

But I don’t need luxury either.

If I can find a well-located place to stay at a good price, have a few simpler meals, walk quite a bit, and carefully choose where it’s actually worth spending more, even better.

So, for a 5-day trip to Rome, my personal budget would be around €800 per person.

In Summary: How Much Money Should You Bring to Rome?

If you want a straightforward answer, here’s how I’d think about it:

Want to travel on a budget?

Set aside approximately €500–650 per person, excluding airfare.

Want comfort without going overboard?

I’d consider approximately €750–950 per person.

Want more freedom during your trip?

A budget of approximately €1,200–1,500 per person should allow for a much more comfortable trip.

And, of course, the earlier you start researching accommodation, tickets, and flights, the better your chances of finding good prices.

Rome doesn’t have to be an outrageously expensive trip, but it’s also not a city I’d visit without doing the math first.

And that’s exactly why I wanted to put this budget together after the itinerary: to find out not only what I’d do in Rome, but also how much it would actually cost to do it all.

Don’t go just yet! Why not check out these other posts that might interest you?

→ Rome in 5 Days: The Itinerary I’d Follow on My First Trip

→ Italy Itinerary: How I’d Plan My First 10-Day Trip

→ How Much Does It Cost to Travel to Italy for 10 Days? My Budget for 3 Travel Styles