The best neighbourhoods in Rome for students: where to live depending on your budget

For a student in Rome, the most practical neighbourhoods are San Lorenzo and Nomentano, around the Sapienza university campus, then Pigneto, Tiburtina and San Giovanni for tighter budgets, and Trastevere or Testaccio if you put atmosphere first and accept paying more. Ostiense, a former industrial neighbourhood that has been redeveloped, is another option with moderate rents.

Budget is the real constraint. According to Immobiliare.it Insights data cited by RomaToday in August 2026, a single room rents for €615 per month on average in Rome, up 7% in a year: the third-highest level in Italy after Milan and Florence. Yet the gaps between neighbourhoods exceed €280 per month. Choosing your area well therefore starts with choosing your budget well, then your commute to the faculty.

How to choose your student neighbourhood

Three criteria matter more than the others:

• The commute to your university. La Sapienza, the city's largest university, is headquartered on piazzale Aldo Moro. If you study at another university, such as Roma Tre or Tor Vergata, look first around your campus: Rome is sprawling and bus journeys can be long.
• The rent for the room, utilities included or not. Many listings exclude bills and internet: always ask.
• The type of contract. In Rome, according to Tecnocasa data cited by RomaToday, 59.4% of the contracts signed in 2025 in the network were regulated-rent contracts (canone concordato), over 30% were temporary contracts and only 9.9% were free-rent contracts. The temporary contract suits a stay of a semester or a year.

The neighbourhoods, from the most practical to the most affordable

San Lorenzo and Nomentano: closest to La Sapienza

San Lorenzo, a working-class and lively neighbourhood, lives to the rhythm of the students of nearby La Sapienza. Nomentano, a little further north-east, is a more residential university neighbourhood with mid-range rents. Be careful: according to Idealista data cited by RomaToday, the Nomentano-Tiburtino area is among those where rents have risen the most, to around €24 per square metre. A room in a shared flat remains the most realistic option.

Pigneto: young and still affordable

A trendy neighbourhood in the middle of gentrification, Pigneto attracts a young crowd with its bars and neighbourhood life. Rents there remain affordable: in outlying neighbourhoods like Pigneto, Ostiense or Tiburtina, a one- or two-room home rents for €700 to €1,000 per month, which makes sharing between two people attractive.

Tiburtina and San Giovanni: the most affordable with good connections

These working-class neighbourhoods, well connected by public transport, have some of the lowest rents in the city. Just check the actual commute to your faculty before signing.

Ostiense: the former industrial district

Redeveloped, with moderate rents, Ostiense is a logical option if you study in the south of the city.

Trastevere and Testaccio: atmosphere, at a higher price

Trastevere is the neighbourhood of historic charm and nightlife. Homes there are often small and rents high, around €25 per square metre. For a single room, the Testaccio-Trastevere area asks €679 per month on average in 2026, down slightly by 2.3% over a year.

The most expensive: historic centre, Parioli-Flaminio, Ponte Milvio

The historic centre is now the most expensive area for a room, at €733 per month on average (+9.1% over a year), ahead of Parioli-Flaminio (€730) and the Corso Francia-Vigna Clara-Fleming-Ponte Milvio area (€724, +31.4%). Monti, between the Colosseum and Termini station, also has some of the highest rents, around €28 per square metre.

The cheapest, but far away

The Casal Lumbroso-Massimina-Ponte Galeria area is the most affordable for a room, at €447 per month on average. It is far from the universities: consider it only if the commute is acceptable to you.