Italy uses the Eurozone Euro. I heard that some people think that the Euro looks different in each country. Not true. The Euro is the same in all the countries in which it is used (Note: my father reminded me that each country can make their own coins and these coins are valid in the entire Eurozone — for example, Italy just put out a coin with the image of a Nutella jar on it). Here is a list of the countries that use the Euro. For photos and more info, here’s a link. The Euro symbol is derived from the Greek letter, epsilon, and is also from the E in Europe while the two lines that cross it are a sign of equilibrium. When writing the symbol in English, the symbol goes first. In other languages, it goes behind the number. So €1 = one euro (“yu-roh”) or 1€ = un euro (“eh-oo-roh” or “aero”). The euro is divided into 100 cents.
Generally, other than housing and utilities, the prices in Rome are not too bad (compared to Washington, DC). In terms of rent, shared housing, like in DC and New York, seems to be the way to go. A single room is about 500 euro ($600). The thing that really costs is utilities — three times New York City prices! Internet costs around 15 euro per month but Netflix is 22 euro per month. Gas and cars are probably pricey but I don’t drive here. Due to the virus, there is no tourism so I don’t know what it costs to be a tourist. Eating outside is not allowed right now, but back in November, I sat outside for a meal and it cost 13 euro. No tipping required. Ready to go food is also not very expensive so why cook? Just kidding. An added bonus about food in Rome is that due to European regulations, most of the food is preservative free.
Of course, there are expensive things too. A custom made eco-friendly bed costs 4,000 euro, but Ikea is here so you can also get a bed for a few hundred euro. Imported items are pricey. Office supplies and paper is on the pricy side with office chairs running about 200 euro. Gelato is also not cheap. But, considering it’s artisanal and all natural, it’s not that expensive. The sizing in Rome is smaller than in the U.S. so a medium gelato is about the size of a small or child’s size in the U.S. But, hey, you probably appreciate the portion control?
Most small shops and restaurants prefer cash, Euro, as they pay a hefty fee when a customer uses a credit card. Some shops will only take cash, although this is rare. When I was “antiqueing” I found that I had to pay in installments as I didn’t have that much cash on me that day. If it’s early in the day, many small shops can’t make change for a 50 Euro so I try and mainly use 20 and lower. One ends up lugging around a lot of coins as the lowest paper bill is a €5. A €2 coin can get you a coffee.
Speaking of toilet paper (Weren’t we?), I recall once paying for the most expensive toilet paper I’ve every bought… until 2020. It was back in the 1980s and it was at the Vatican. I’m sure that I climbed to the top of the Vatican and saw the impressive St. Peter’s basilica inside but what I remember, is the 100 lira I had to pay for one sheet of single ply toilet paper. The piece of toilet paper was only slightly larger than the 100 lira bill. I am not sure why I didn’t spend more to spend a penny. To get some idea of how expensive that square of toilet was back then, it’s the equivalent to about 25 U.S. cents in today’s money.
