Moving to Italy from France
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from France to Italy — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from France to Italy, you would find that Italy is 9.5% cheaper than France overall. A €65,700 salary in France would need to be roughly €61,544 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from France to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → €61,544
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.9% less
Groceries
pay 7.9% less
Transportation
pay 6.5% less
Housing
pay 4.9% less
Childcare
pay 17.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Italy cost about 1% less than cities in France.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from France to Italy, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from France to Italy.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
France generally does better on safety, though Italy leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
France performs better than Italy across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
France performs better than Italy across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
France generally does better on employment & economy, though Italy leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
France performs better than Italy across all family life metrics.
Data: Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Paris | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Paris | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
Météo-France,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between France and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
France passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy passport holder visiting France
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Italy than France?
Yes — Italy is on average about 6% cheaper than France. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €15,386 in Italy on a €65,700 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Italy?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Italy has 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Italy safe for expats?
France generally does better on safety, though Italy leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in France. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to France?
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 33.4 in France. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (France: 85).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to France?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In France, the official language is French.
