Rome is known as the “Eternal City”- and for good reason. As the once capital of the Roman Empire and the gateway to The Vatican City, Rome is a prominent historical capital that should not be missed by any avid traveller.
As one of the longest continuously inhabited cities in the world, the Italian capital is strewn with ancient monuments and an ornately decorated basicala on every corner. With each famous-building housing true Renaissance grandeur and the numerous piazzas lined with restaurants serving up delicious pizzas, there’s no telling Rome is a wonder to explore.
A trip to Rome does come at a cost, however. It’s one of the most famous cities in the world after all, visited by millions of tourists each year. But it is also the second most expensive, after Paris.
If you’re wondering how to stay in Rome on a budget, you’re in the right place. One of the biggest ways to keep costs down, is to stay at one of Rome’s hostels.
In this guide, I have selected the best CHEAP hostels in Rome, so you can find somewhere that’s right for your travel style and budget. So, let’s get going!
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Are you looking for the best cheap hostel in Rome? Here are my five top contenders for that number one spot, something I’m sure you’ll appreciate considering Rome can be quite expensive. Each of these hostels has been chosen because of their locations, facilities, and affordability. I hope that one of them sparks your interest!
A palace and a bar? Count us in! This is one cheap hostel in Rome that you shouldn’t ignore. It’s a welcoming place to stay in the city centre where meeting other travellers is easy. Specifically, the socialising happens in the eponymous bar, complete with Renaissance frescoes. That being said, this is by no means a party hostel, it’s just a buzzing place to meet a lot of cool people.
Guests can also enjoy hanging out on the outdoor terrace with city views as the backdrop. The hostel boasts spacious rooms and clean facilities, making for comfy places to crash after a long day of exploring Rome’s attractions.
For travellers keeping to a tight budget, the communal kitchen offers some excellent self catering facilities that are well-equipped for your meal-making needs. And to top it all off, there’s even a gym for guests to use. Have you ever heard of a gym in a hostel? Now that is why Alessandro Palace is the best cheap hostel in the city.
Where is Alessandro Palace & Bar?
This fun hostel has a fantastic location right in the heart of the city centre. You’ll find it very close to Rome’s train station, Termini Train Station, which means being able to get around pretty easily especially if you want to take a day trip from Rome. Being so close to Rome’s city center, there’s an array of top attractions on the doorstep, including the iconic Colosseum and the Pantheon.
In terms of room options, Alessandro Palace & Bar is has quite a varied selection on offer. You’ll have the following dorm choices:
- Mixed dorm
- Female dorm
There are a couple of private rooms to choose from, too:
- Twin room ensuite
- Three bed with private bathroom
Prices start from $21 USD per night.
Any extras?
If you’re wondering whether this self-proclaimed palace has amenities and facilities to match, well, there certainly are a few perks to staying here. These include:
- Two bars
- Rooftop terrace
- Communal lounge
- Gym
- Communal kitchen
- Two (“stylish”) restaurants
- Air conditioning
- Key card access
It’s not the fanciest hostel in Rome, but this is still a popular place to stay. You’ll benefit from a great location, and a surprisingly comprehensive amount of facilities to make full use of.
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Claiming to be the “homiest and most chill” hostel in Rome, The Beehive opened its doors in 1999 and has been going strong ever since. These guys provide a relaxing oasis away from the busy city streets, with plenty of boho, alternative style throughout.
You can chill out on bean bags in the lush courtyard (complete with colourful wall art), or sip on a freshly brewed coffee in the onsite cafe. It’s actually pretty social, too – the kind of place where it’s easy to meet other guests.
On top of all that, The Beehive is owned by an American couple who followed their dreams, moved to Rome and opened a hostel. They make it a welcoming place to be for solo travellers, groups of friends, couples and families alike.
Where is The Beehive?
This is a budget hostel in Rome with one great location in the city centre. It’s just a couple of blocks from Roma Termini Railway Station and the nearest metro stop, so travelling to and from Rome Airport is easy. The Colosseum, cafes, bars and restaurants are within easy reach.
The Beehive is a pretty compact hostel, so there’s not a whole lot of choice of beds. However, they do have the following dorm options:
- Mixed dorm
- Female dorm
If dorms aren’t your thing, there are a few private rooms on offer:
- Single room
- Twin Room
Prices start at $23 per night.
Any extras?
There are a few extras and amenities on offer at The Beehive…
- Free WiFi
- Board games
- Cafe
- Organic / vegetarian breakfast available (additional fee)
- Courtyard garden
- Drinks for sale
- Book exchange
- Laundry facilities
There are also some events going on at this budget Rome hostel. These include:
- Cooking classes
- Family dinners (twice weekly)
The Beehive is pretty much a “traditional” hostel. There are no fancy bars, workspaces or anything like that. Though it’s one of the more basic Rome hostels, it does come with self catering facilities, free internet access and a courtyard garden to hang out with your new friends in. It’s more about being a safe and friendly place to stay in Rome.
It’s not actually free, but it is definitely a budget-friendly hostel in Rome. And it’s worlds away from somewhere like The Beehive – instead, this Rome hostel is pretty much a “boutique hostel”. It’s modern and streamlined, with a clever use space throughout.
One of the best things about this place is its contemporary and functional dorm rooms. Bunks are pod-style capsules complete with reading lights, shelves, and privacy shutters.
Away from the dorms, guests can kick back on the stylish roof terrace, complete with lounging chairs and tables. Or, you could head to the hostel bar for a few glasses of wine.
Where is Free Hostels Roma?
It’s less than a 20-minute walk from this hostel to the famous places to visit in Rome, including the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and it’s pretty close to the Piazza Vittorio Emmanuel. It’s also super close to public transport – the Manzoni metro station is just 300 metres away. Shops, restaurants and cafes dot the surrounding area.
Free Hostel Roma has the following dorm options available:
- Mixed dorm
- Female dorm
If you’d rather have some added privacy, your options are:
- Twin room
- 3+ bed private rooms
Prices start from $23 per night.
Any extras?
There are no events on offer here, but guests will still be able to make use of the following:
- Multilingual staff
- Buffet breakfast (additional fee)
- Bar
- 24-hour reception
- Communal kitchen
- Security lockers
- Cafe
- Outdoor terrace
The staff here create a really nice atmosphere. So if you want to stay somewhere that’s fairly fun (but not a party hostel), as well as super modern and uber-clean, this is a solid choice.
It may be pretty basic, but Legend R.G is a laid-back kind of hostel that makes for a cheap place to stay for a weekend in Rome. It’s actually got one of the lowest prices among the cheapest and best hostels in the Eternal City, so if you’re really on a shoestring, it’s great value for money.
Don’t let the simplicity of the dorms fool you, though. This place gets great ratings, not just for how cheap it is, but also thanks to the incredible staff. They’re super helpful and really help to keep up a welcoming atmosphere.
One of the best money-saving perks about this hostel is the free breakfast. Complete with pastries, coffee, and tea, which taste even better when you’re not paying for them. Sometimes, they even offer free wine in the afternoons (a good social aspect). Rome is not a cheap place to dine in, so the free breakfast is definitely a win in my opinion.
Where is Legend R.G?
This is another budget hostel in Rome that’s a stone’s throw from Termini Station. The surrounding area is great to explore for local food and drink, and the Trevi Fountain is 15 minutes away on foot.
There are a variety of rooms available at Legend R.G. Dorms include:
- Mixed dorm
- Female dorm
There are a few private room options, too, which include the following:
- Twin room
- 3+ bed private room
- Four bed apartment
Prices start from $17 per night.
Any extras?
Basic though it may be, this budget hostel in Rome is more than just a cheap place to sleep. It’s actually got things pretty sorted with a decent array of amenities and other perks:
- Luggage storage
- Daily cleaning
- Free WiFi
- Communal kitchen
- Free welcome drink
- Free breakfast
- Laundry facilities
- Key card access
There aren’t any events as such, but the free wine afternoons at Legend R.B are pretty hard to beat.
Legend R.B is nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s wallet-friendly and great if you’re backpacking Rome on a budget. With such reasonable room rates, all the extra free stuff and great social vibe, you can’t go wrong.
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Once voted The Best Hostel in Rome by Hostelworld – among its many other awards – YellowSquare Rome is a vibrant place where it’s easy to meet other travellers. It’s got many communal spaces, including a “Concierge Bar” as well as “YellowBar”, which offer both food and drink.
With its built-for-purpose coworking hall filled with dedicated desks, we’d say this is a great option for digital nomads in Rome. It’s properly like an office set-up, so you’ll feel professional enough to sit down for at least a few hours to get work done.
When it comes to getting some shut-eye, dorms provide ample space. They’re full of clean, modern, bunk-beds and there are some private boutique-style rooms to boot.
Where is YellowSquare Rome?
Set near Termini Station (yep, it’s a theme of Rome’s budget hostels), it’s three kilometres from here to Piazza Navona and the Colosseum. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in the local area, and it’s easy to get around on public transport thanks to the proximity of Rome’s main train station.
The dorm options at YellowSquare Rome include:
- Mixed dorm
- Female dorm
Feel like a private room instead? You can choose from the following:
- Single room ensuite
- Double room ensuite
- Twin room ensuite
- 4+ bed ensuite
Prices start from $15 per night.
Any extras?
There are definitely some good facilities to take advantage of at YellowSquare. Specifically, these are:
- Laundry facilities
- Bicycle hire (additional fee)
- Two bars
- Coworking space
- Pool table, foosball, etc.
- Hair salon
- Communal kitchen
- Free iPad rentals
And then there are the events…
- DJ nights
- Beer pong tournaments
- Nine-hour long happy hour
- Live music
- Quiz nights
The number of perks on offer at YellowSquare Rome is enough to lure in any fun-loving backpacker or traveller on a budget. The fact that there’s even a dedicated coworking space (and a salon) makes this hostel great value for money.
Cheap Hostels in Rome FAQ
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Final Thoughts on Cheap Hostels in Rome
Who knew that travelling to Rome could be done so cheaply? While Rome is not considered a cheap destination by any means, we do feel that staying in a hostel is one way to keep costs down, and Rome is full of accommodation offering great value for money.
There’s a varied bunch on offer throughout Rome – from the basic and more traditional boho-feeling hostels, to places that feel more like boutique hotels more than hostels. Wherever you decide to stay, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for in this incredibly exciting city.
If you ask me what my favourite is? I would definitely consider the Alessandro Palace & Bar to be the overall best hostel in Rome because of its incredible facilities. Because I travel often, finding a place with a gym is a rarity and I would absolutely take advantage of that if I could. But that’s just me.
Gone are the days where you have to settle for sub-par accommodation or less-than-clean dorm rooms when backpacking Italy on a budget. The places I’ve found are really top-notch and will feel like a home away from home.
Which one caught your eye? Let me know in the comments below!
And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!
