Choosing where to live in Italy

Inside Rome’s Colosseum

Like many people, you’ve visited Italy and fell in love with the country.  Now you want to actually live there, at least part time.

But where exactly SHOULD you live in Italy?

This depends upon many things you need to consider.

Let’s take a look at where to live in Italy based upon a few different reasons for living there.

Where to live in Italy to retire

Many people who are looking to move to Italy full time are those who are ready to retire or have already done so.

Italy is attractive among retirees because it offers an appealing, slower pace of life, plenty of activities, and many places in Italy are more affordable than in the U.S. and other developed countries.

However, retirees, since they are older, need to consider where in Italy they can find the best healthcare.

While some regions in Italy offer the slower pace of life they are looking for, along with milder winters, those areas don’t always offer the best healthcare.

Cefalu in Sicily

For retirees on a fixed income, cost of living is also a consideration.

While the cost of living in Italy overall is lower than in many parts of the U.S. and other parts of Europe, some regions are far more expensive than others.

Milan, Venice and Rome tend to be at the higher end of the spectrum for cost of living, while southern Italy, including Sicily, is at the lower end.

Lastly, retirees likely want to consider living in areas where safety is not a concern.

Compared to the U.S. and other parts of Europe, crime in Italy is nowhere near the same level, especially violent crime.

However, some of the major tourist cities such as Milan, Rome and Florence are experiencing higher levels of crime, typically involving theft.

On the other hand, in many of the small towns throughout Italy, crime is not an issue, especially where tourism is not a primary economic driver.

Best places to live and work in Italy

Here again is another major difference between Northern Italy and Southern Italy.

The north is where most of the economic activity in the country occurs, led by Milan.  Milan is the financial and fashion hub of Italy, and one of the major hubs in Europe.

Northern Italy is also where you will find the manufacturing centers of Italy.

The differences in economic opportunities available are most starkly represented by the regional unemployment rates.

All of the highest unemployment rates are found in southern regions of Italy… Campania, Calabria and Sicily all had unemployment rates above 15% as of October 2024.

Contrast that with the three regions with the lowest unemployment rates… Trentino-South Tyrol, Lombardy, and Aosta Valley, where the unemployment rates ranged from 2.9% to 4.1%.  All of these regions are in northern Italy.

Therefore, if you are hoping to advance your career while living in Italy, you’ll likely want to live in the northern part of the country.

Best places to live in Italy with a family

If you plan on moving to Italy with children, you may be considering the best areas to work in Italy as discussed above, but also the best opportunities to enjoy Italian culture.

Of course, that culture can vary a bit by region as well.

Piazza Maggiore in Bologna

With this in mind, a more central location in Italy may be appealing in order to have easy access to all that Italy has to offer.

Similar to retirees, expats with young families may also want to consider safety and healthcare in their relocation process.

Therefore, university towns located in the central part of Italy may be appealing.

Bologna, Siena and Perugia come to mind.

Final thoughts on where to live in Italy

Ultimately, your choice of where to live in Italy is based upon your own personal preferences.

Do you want to be close to the sea?  Near the mountains?

Do you prefer big city life, small town life, or something in between?

What activities are important to you?

What is your taste in food?

Do you plan to have a car, or will you rely upon public transportation?

Do you want easy access to the rest of Europe?

Are you ok with cold winters?  Hot summers?  Or do you prefer a more consistent, mild year-round climate?

Is healthcare important to you?

These are all questions you need to answer for yourself in order to determine which regions are most appealing to you.

From there, you can then figure out whether you want to live in a city, small village, or something in between.

You can then identify the specific locations that you find appealing and then start your property search.

The bottom line is that figuring out where to live in Italy is a bit of a process, and you will likely need at least a few longer trips there to get it all figured out.

If you’ve already traveled to Italy a few times and are ready to start the process of moving there, but don’t know where, be sure to check out our Destination Guides, or perhaps consider our Destination Guidance service.