Should you move to Italy? What it gives you, what to prepare for and who it suits (2026)

In brief

As of 7 November 2026, Italy suits people who value a mild climate, food and family culture, a price level a little below the EU average (96 against 100 in Eurostat's 2025 flash estimate, as quoted in our cost-of-living guide) and a choice of tax routes. The thing to plan for is paperwork: InterNations' 2026 survey put Italy 29th of 31 destinations on its Expat Essentials Index, weakest on admin topics such as visas, bureaucracy and bank accounts. By our own arithmetic one person lives on about 1,300 euros a month in a southern city and about 2,000 in Rome, and a family of four on about 3,900 to 5,400.

What moving to Italy gives you

• A choice of Italies at different prices. Rent is where the country splits: Idealista's first-quarter 2026 average was 22.3 euros per m² in Milan, while Immobiliare.it's 2026 figure for Catania was about 9.4. That is why a single person can budget about 1,300 euros a month in the south and about 2,000 in Rome. You pick the Italy that fits your budget, and the overall price level (96 against an EU 100 in 2025) leaves room. The full arithmetic is in our guide to the cost of living in Italy.
• A calm everyday setting. In the 2026 Global Peace Index Italy is 35th (score 1.712) according to one Italian summary; Greece, for comparison, is 53rd. We could not check the Italian figure against the Institute's own report, so read it as a guide.
• Tax routes for newcomers. High earners who move tax residence from 1 January 2026 can pay a flat 300,000 euros a year on all foreign-source income (Law 199/2025), with 50,000 euros for each family member, for up to 15 years, according to law-firm summaries. Retirees with a foreign pension can look at the 7% flat tax on foreign income for the south: municipalities of up to 30,000 residents (the limit was raised from 20,000 by Law 34 of 11 March 2026, per summaries), not Italian tax resident in the previous five tax periods, for up to 10 years (one source says 9). Both routes need a commercialista before you move.
• Residence routes. The elective residence visa for people with passive income has no statutory figure; consulates in practice look for about 31,000 to 32,000 euros a year for one applicant and about 38,000 for a couple, from pensions, dividends or rent, not from a remote-work salary. Remote workers can read about the digital nomad visa, investors about the golden visa and the investor visa, and retirees about retiring in Italy.
• Public healthcare you can join. Residents can enrol in the national health service (SSN); for non-EU residents without employment voluntary enrolment has a minimum contribution of 2,000 euros a year, as our cost-of-living guide notes. The rules are under review, so confirm with the local health authority (ASL).
• A community that speaks the language. As reported by idealista.it from InterNations, 41% of expats said they already spoke the local language very well, against 32% globally. A good sign for the first months, and a reason to start lessons early.

What to prepare for

Each point is a task with a solution, not a warning.

• Paperwork. The 2026 InterNations survey ranks Italy low on admin, so treat the first month as a project. A permit request is due within 8 working days of arrival if you stay beyond a tourist visit; the tax code and residence registration follow. Our first-30-days checklist puts the steps in order. Solution: one folder with originals, copies and certified translations, and appointments booked before you travel.
• Language. Offices and notaries work in Italian. Solution: a basic course before the move and a bilingual helper for the first visits to the Questura and the Comune.
• Rents in the big cities. Idealista put national rents up about 4% in the first quarter of 2026. Solution: look beyond Milan, Florence and Rome, sign a long lease and compare a 60 m² flat in Milan with one in Bologna or Naples, where the same space can cost less.
• Energy bills. Gas and electricity reference prices rose in early 2026. By our arithmetic about 150 euros a month for both is a fair planning figure. Solution: compare free-market offers and pick a flat with good insulation.
• Health cover. The voluntary SSN contribution of 2,000 euros a year is a real line in the budget. Solution: ask your ASL which category you fall into before you pay, and keep private cover until the card arrives.
• Tax residency. Moving your life is not the same as moving your tax residence. Solution: read tax residency when relocating and see an adviser on both sides before you leave.

Who it suits, and who may prefer another country

• Remote workers who want a beautiful base and can handle admin: the digital nomad route and the mid-size southern cities give the best balance.
• Families who value schools and a long meal together: a state school is free but taught in Italian; international schools in Milan list roughly 10,500 to 25,960 euros a year for 2026/27, so plan the budget by city. See schools and education when relocating.
• Retirees with a foreign pension: the southern 7% regime and a low-cost region can combine very well.
• Entrepreneurs and high earners: the flat-tax route, with proper advice.

If you want a fast, English-speaking, fully digital administration, you may be happier in a country with a simpler start; our guide to choosing a country helps compare.

A first-90-days plan

• Days 1 to 8: submit the permit request if you are staying, open the tax-code request, register your address.
• Days 9 to 30: complete residence registration at the Comune, enrol in the SSN or arrange cover, set up a bank account and a local SIM.
• Days 31 to 60: settle into one neighbourhood, test daily life, check energy and rent against your budget.
• Days 61 to 90: decide whether to stay, change city or return; our guide to a trial year abroad shows how to test without burning bridges.

Budget, rent and where a property purchase fits

Using our own sums (rent from Idealista and Immobiliare.it plus a Numbeo-based estimate), a single person needs about 1,300 euros a month in a modest southern city and about 2,000 comfortably in Rome; a couple about 2,570 to 3,570; a family of four about 3,930 to 5,380. Health cover, schools and a car are on top.

Owning can replace rent. See what 50,000 to 350,000 euros buys in Italy, the renovation route with its costs and permits, and the idea of buying where you holiday and renting it out. A purchase does not by itself give a residence permit. For everyday life see Italy expat life and why expats love Italy. The overview of the decision is in should you move abroad.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

FAQ

Is Italy cheaper than other EU countries? On Eurostat's 2025 flash estimate, Italy's household price level is 96 against 100 for the EU, so slightly cheaper overall. Rent is the big variable: about 22 euros per m² in Milan against about 9 in Catania in 2026 listings.

Can I move to Italy without a job? Yes, by the elective residence route if you have passive income; consulates look for roughly 31,000 to 32,000 euros a year for one person, per commercial guides, so confirm the figure with your consulate. Remote workers have the digital nomad route.

Is the 7% tax for pensioners available everywhere in Italy? No. It covers southern regions and municipalities of up to 30,000 residents, and needs a foreign pension and five prior tax periods as a non-resident, according to summaries. Check your municipality and the statute with an adviser.

How hard is the bureaucracy really? Italy came 29th of 31 on the 2026 Expat Essentials Index, weakest on admin. It becomes manageable when you follow the order of steps and keep copies.

What is a sensible way to test Italy first? Rent for three to six months in the city you like, run your real routine and compare costs with the budgets above, before you buy or sign a long lease.