Student housing in Rome: flatshare, studio or residence?

As a student in Rome, you have three ways to find housing: a room in a flatshare, a studio for yourself, or a place in a public university residence. The flatshare is the most common arrangement: a single room in a shared apartment cost an average of €615 per month in Rome in early summer 2026, according to Immobiliare.it data cited by the press, 7% more than a year earlier. A studio offers independence, but it starts around €700 per month on the outskirts. The public residence is by far the cheapest, but it is reserved for students who meet income and distance conditions.

Rome is one of the most expensive rental markets in Italy. According to the idealista portal's index, the average rent there reached €19.2 per square metre per month in the third quarter of 2026, up 1.9% over the quarter, behind Milan, Florence and Venice. Student demand weighs heavily, with large universities like Sapienza, Roma Tre or LUISS, and it peaks at the September start of term.

This guide compares the three options, gives the neighbourhoods to look at according to your budget and lists the steps to plan for before signing.

Flatshare, studio or residence: comparing the three options

The flatshare: the most widespread arrangement

Sharing an apartment remains the simplest way to live in Rome on a student budget. A single room (stanza singola) rented for €615 per month on average in 2026 according to Immobiliare.it Insights, against €704 in Milan, €627 in Florence and €585 in Bologna. Rome is among the few large university cities where the price of a room kept rising, while it fell by an average of 6.2% across the country.

Roman landlords mostly rent furnished homes, which makes it easier for a student arriving with a suitcase. In return, the room for negotiation is small, especially near campuses. Always check what the advertised rent covers: building charges (spese condominiali) and bills are not always included.

The studio: independence, at a high price

A studio on the outskirts, in Pigneto or Tiburtina for example, rents from about €700 per month. In central neighbourhoods, a small 50 m² apartment costs between €1,150 and €1,400 per month. This is often out of reach for a student on their own, unless you move away from the centre or share a two-room apartment.

The public university residence (DiSCo)

In Lazio, residence places are allocated by DiSCo, the regional body for the right to study, as part of its annual call. For 2026-2027, the monthly cost of a place in Rome runs from €200 (double room in a category B residence) to €298 (single room in a category A residence, such as Tor Vergata or Valco San Paolo). Places in partner residences cost €245 in a double room and €264 in a single room.

These places are subject to conditions: a family income indicator (ISEE or ISEEUP for students whose family lives abroad) of €28,339.88 or less, merit criteria, and "fuori sede" student status, meaning domiciled more than 50 kilometres from the place of study. The application is made online, with a deadline set at 22 July 2026 for this year, and the first successful applicants for a place in Rome were named on 16 September 2026. For a start next year, watch for the new call to be published in spring and plan a fallback in the private market.