Since Rome was such a dense city, there definitely wasn't enough land for everyone to work. How did most peasants get food to survive? How did they make money to pay rent? Were there city jobs they could get, what kind of jobs were there, and which jobs paid the most and least?
Would peasants be able to afford food sold by street vendors? Could peasants even purchase raw ingredients and cook somewhere or was this difficult to do in the city for most people?
Is peasant even the right word to describe these people? Did they enjoy a similar standard of living as medieval peasants?
Thanks
I lack the time to answer all your question, and somebody will hopefully answer it in detail, but it was actually far simpler for lower-class romans to eat outside. Insulae (cheap high rise estates) offered only small apartments (think one room or two for the family) and were prone to fire, cooking there was not your first option, and most romans ate outside. That's the reason why you can see so many taverns in Pompei : people usually ate there, playing dice with their friends or brought a hot porridge or maybe stew home. Only rich people had kitchens and the staff to man them.
Source : Mostly Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town, Mary Beard
(A book I cannot recommend enough if you're interested in the daily life around that period)