Moving to Italy from New Zealand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Zealand to Italy — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Zealand to Italy, you would find that Italy is 5.6% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly €61,800 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Italy cheaper than New Zealand?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 29.0% more
Groceries
pay 5.4% more
Transportation
pay 3.3% more
Housing
pay 20.3% less
Childcare
pay 31.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Italy?
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → €61,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →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 17% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Italy
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from New Zealand to Italy, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Zealand to Italy.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Italy performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics.
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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand generally does better on environment, though Italy leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs better than Italy across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Italy generally does better on family life, though New Zealand leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Italian Revenue Agency (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Italy vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Can you move from New Zealand to Italy?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 New Zealand?
Yes — Italy is on average about 6% cheaper than New Zealand. 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 €15,450 in Italy on a NZ$130,000 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 31.8 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?
Italy performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to New Zealand?
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 41.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
