5 Italian Cities that are cheap to live in & offer a high Quality of Life (2023)

FAQs

What is the best and cheapest city to live in Italy? ›

Turin, Palermo, and Naples are the cheapest cities to live in in Italy. The cost of living in Milan is just slightly higher than the living costs in Rome. The cost of living in Florence is only slightly lower than the cost of living in Rome. The cost of living in Turin is 19% lower than in Florence.

Abruzzo. Located to the east of Rome, Abruzzo is arguably the cheapest and the best region to live in Italy. It has great mountains, fantastic scenery, good food, lovely Italian people and plenty of expats.

In 2022, the best cities to live in Italy are Aosta, Piacenza and Cagliari. In order to compile this ranking of the best quality of life in cities in Italy, a range of different areas were considered.

The picturesque town of Presicce in the sunny region of Puglia is the latest to enter the game with a tantalizing offer. Officials say they will pay people up to 30,000 euros (roughly $30,000) to buy an empty dwelling and take up residency.

You'll need to maintain your investment as long as you want to keep your visa. After 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency in Italy which will no longer oblige you to maintain your investment level. Cost: Free.

With close to 3 million inhabitants, Rome is the third largest city of Europe. It's also home to 300.000 fellow expats, as around 10% of the city's population is non-italian. It has top-notch universities with a lot of international students.

Polignano a Mare was at the top of the list when it came to finding the friendliest place to travel by Booking.com. The town sits on Italy's Adriatic coast and is known for its breathtaking clifftop location and white pebble beaches – and it now has the most welcoming hospitality sector out of anywhere in the world.

Other pros to making Italy your new home is that you'll be able to eat fresh and wholesome food every day, have access to a topnotch education system, good public transport, gorgeous scenery, and a rich culture and history. Essentially you'll be living where many Americans only dream of having their ideal vacation!

Venice Beach, California looks like… well... Venice, Italy. At least part of the area does. These canals were designed by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney in 1905 to imitate the city of Venice and bring a taste of Italian culture to America.

Where are the friendliest people in Italy? ›

Arsiero is home to some of the friendliest People on the Planet. Arsiero, in the Veneto Dolomites, is a peaceful, tranquil kind of place. Here you will find some of the friendliest people on this planet, awesome scenery and history galore. .

Italy is notorious for being quite difficult with visas and it's safe to say that the visa options for Americans to move to Italy are few and will take quite a bit of effort to obtain. But Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world!

All non-residents are required to complete a declaration of presence (dichiarazione di presenza). Prospective residents or anyone intending to stay in Italy for longer than 90 days must obtain a permit of stay (permesso di soggiorno).

A town in the south of Italy is offering up to €30,000 to those willing to relocate there. Presicce-Acquarica has been struggling with a declining population and abandoned homes. To help lure new homeowners, the town has promised grants to people who buy a house and register as residents of the town.

Conditions for expats retiring to Italy

In order to retire to Italy, a foreign citizen must comply with a few requirements. Among these, the foreign citizen must be retired and have a minimum annual income of EUR 31,000. For married couples seeking to retire in Italy, the minimum amount necessary is EUR 38,000.

On average you're looking at around 1500 euros or 1900 USD a month to move to a small city or larger town. That doesn't include the moving costs, which would be around 6,000-10,000 USD depending on your situation for the plane ticket, deposit on an apartment, help with a visa, etc.

Can expats retire in Italy? Yes, everyone can retire in Italy. Non-EU citizens need to apply for an Elective Residency Visa, also known as Italy Retirement Visa.

Can I Collect Social Security if I Live Outside the U.S.? If you are a U.S. citizen and qualify for Social Security retirement, family, survivor or disability benefits, you can receive your payments while living in most other countries.

As a general rule, American pensions are taxed in Italy. However, there are few exemptions as explained by the double taxation treaty with US.

Safety statistics in Italy

Italy's crime rate has been in a consistent freefall since 2010. Plus, you're never far from a police officer: Italy has 550 officers per 100,000 people, which means it's 9th in the world in terms of police presence. For context, the US is ranked 45th.

What city in Italy has the lowest crime rate? ›

Imperia. Imperia occupies first place in the ranking thanks to its very few heat waves. Imperia Italy weather is characterised by pleasant year round temperatures.

In general, Italians respect Americans and always welcome them as friends. They adore the curiosity of American tourists in regard to experiencing Italian culture, and they love the way that Americans enjoy their food.

Con: The cost of living can get quite high in the main cities. The high cost of living is a common problem associated with living in major cities throughout Italy. Many people who are moving to the country have no idea how much it'll cost them, and they can be caught off guard by some unexpected expenses.

Americans must have an entrance visa which should be obtained at an Italian consulate before coming to Italy, in order to remain in Italy more than three months and gain resident status. This procedure will take several weeks to complete so it is advisable to apply well in advance of the departure date.

There is no limit on US citizens buying or selling properties in Italy thanks to something called mutual agreements. These apply between Italy and foreign citizens meaning that you don't need any special documents or pay higher taxation on property when compared to citizens from within the EU.

Italy Healthcare System

The national health service in Italy, Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN), provides residents with free or low-cost healthcare that includes access to general practitioners (GPs), treatment at public hospitals, subsidised medicines, lab services, ambulance services and certain specialist care.

If you're a member of the European Union, moving to Italy is easy. You are free to live and work there without a visa. However, a work visa is necessary for everyone else coming to Italy for non-tourism purposes. Expats need to organize more than just their work visas.

Where do Americans go in Italy? ›

According to professional travel planners, most Americans visiting Italy stick to the hits: Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como or Cinque Terre. With some of the country's most famous architecture, art, beaches and museums, those destinations are the most popular for good reason.

Instead of Paris: Washington, D.C. America's capital city is full of Parisian elements, thanks to French architect and urban planner Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who designed it. Like Paris, D.C. is bursting with history, horticulture, and haute cuisine.

New York and New Jersey are the states with the largest number of native Italian speakers, with around 294,000 and 116,000 speakers, respectively.

But for the most part, you can live comfortably in Italy without knowing Italian, as long as you live in the large, touristy cities. In fact, some of the best cities for English speakers to settle in are Rome, Bologna and Milan. These cities have lots of English speakers and English job opportunities.

Presicce, which is situated in the Puglia region of Italy's southern peninsula—in the heel of the country's boot shape—is offering €30,000 (about $30,000) to anyone who will buy an empty house built before 1991, move in and live there, reports CNN's Silvia Marchetti.

American citizens can move to Italy, with some caveats, as with any country. If your parents or grandparents were born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S., you can get an Italian passport, which grants you the right to live in Italy without going through the extra hurdle of getting a visa and/or permanent residence.

Yes. You can become an Italian citizen if you can prove that you have legitimate ties to Italian ancestry. On the other hand, you may be entitled to apply for dual citizenship through marriage and this process does not require that you renounce your right to citizenship in the United States.

As from August 16, 1992, Italian citizenship is no longer lost in concomitance with the acquisition of foreign citizenship unless the Italian citizens formally renounces it.

Another of the disadvantages of Italian dual citizenship may only apply to you if your chosen career path entails working for the government. If you hold dual citizenship, you may be denied a position that enables you access to sensitive material, not just in Italy, but in other countries as well.

For the statutory old age pension, from 1 January 2019, in addition to at least 20 years of contributions, the pension age you must have reached 67 years (applying till 2026) for all categories of workers.

How much do you need to make to live comfortably in Italy? ›

However, if you are not really interested to read the details, here is your answer: our cost of living in Italy per month is 1600 Euros – for a couple (cost of living in Italy in us dollars = U$ 1720).

Where to live in Italy: central regions. The regions of the center of the Italian country are Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche, Tuscany, Umbria. The central regions are the most appealing place to live in Italy. If you want to know where to live in Italy keep in mind that foreigners love central Italy!

Italy is one of the most popular vacation spots in Europe. It's also a great option if you're thinking about retiring abroad. The country is known for its delicious food, beautiful towns and mild weather, making it about as ideal a retirement destination as you'll find.

Living in Italy as a US citizen is possible if you have the right permit. There are 2 types of residence permits in Italy: 1. Permesso di Soggiorno: a temporary, renewable residence permit with varying durations of validity.

Conditions for expats retiring to Italy

In order to retire to Italy, a foreign citizen must comply with a few requirements. Among these, the foreign citizen must be retired and have a minimum annual income of EUR 31,000.

There is no limit on US citizens buying or selling properties in Italy thanks to something called mutual agreements. These apply between Italy and foreign citizens meaning that you don't need any special documents or pay higher taxation on property when compared to citizens from within the EU.

A large city like Milan will offer a faster-paced metropolitan lifestyle, while in Rome you can access all your modern conveniences while surrounded by ancient history. Cities like Naples, Florence, or Palermo each have an undeniable character and offer experiences like no other country could.

If you're a member of the European Union, moving to Italy is easy. You are free to live and work there without a visa. However, a work visa is necessary for everyone else coming to Italy for non-tourism purposes. Expats need to organize more than just their work visas.

Other pros to making Italy your new home is that you'll be able to eat fresh and wholesome food every day, have access to a topnotch education system, good public transport, gorgeous scenery, and a rich culture and history. Essentially you'll be living where many Americans only dream of having their ideal vacation!

What is the friendliest part of Italy? ›

Topping the list is the southern Italian city of Matera, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited areas. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, it's known for its natural caves — many of which serve as accommodations like Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita — in addition to its welcoming community.