Rome vs Tarragona
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Tarragona edges it, 71 to 70, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Rome is stronger on nothing outright; Tarragona on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Roman ruins and a city beach an hour down the coast from Barcelona
Full Tarragona profile →Plan a trip to Tarragona →Where they differ
- Air quality. Tarragona leads on air quality, 95 to 85, against Rome. PM2.5: 11.8 µg/m³ vs 7.3 µg/m³.
- Internet. Tarragona leads on internet, 77 to 67, against Rome. Measured download: 35.3 Mbps vs 50.2 Mbps.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, getting there & around, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life, cost of living, climate.
Pick Rome if you want
- no clear edge over Tarragona in the data
Pick Tarragona if you want
- to spend about $2 less a month
- faster internet (50.2 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 36 | 36 ✓ |
| Safety | 81 ✓ | 76 |
| Healthcare | 88 | 90 ✓ |
| Internet | 67 | 77 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 81 ✓ | 80 |
| Getting there & around | 61 ✓ | 59 |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 85 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 81 | 81 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,202 | $2,200 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,273 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.57 ✓ | 0.73 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 73.6 ✓ | 68.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 84 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 82.9 yrs | 83.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 35.3 Mbps | 50.2 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 10.6 Mbps | 35.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad and remote worker visa | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,385/mo ✓ | $2,741/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 250 ✓ | 237 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Rome | Tarragona |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.8 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Rome or Tarragona?
- Tarragona is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,202 for one person.
- Is Rome or Tarragona safer?
- Rome scores higher on safety (81 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Rome or Tarragona?
- Tarragona: a measured median of 50.2 Mbps versus 35.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.