Moving to Italy from North Carolina

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from North Carolina to Italy — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from North Carolina to Italy, you would find that Italy is 7.5% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly €60,162 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from North Carolina to Italy.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 €60,162

To maintain the same standard of living in Italy

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 5.6% more

Groceries

pay 15.6% less

Transportation

pay 35.1% more

Housing

pay 34.2% less

Childcare

pay 58.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8717 EUR (June 2026)

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 18% less than cities in North Carolina.

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Italy

Milan 69%
Varese 59%
Venice 59%
Monza 59%
Rome 57%

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 North Carolina to Italy, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
2,683 ↑ 22% vs 2022

people moved from United States to Italy · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Italy?

Top countries of origin for Italy's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from North Carolina to Italy.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
IT
19.9%

Italy performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NC
88.7%
IT
75.0%

North Carolina performs better than Italy across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NC
3.4%
IT
7.6%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
IT
$52,700

North Carolina performs better than Italy across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

NC
76.1 yrs
IT
82.6 yrs

Italy performs significantly better than North Carolina across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asheville Rome
Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 56°/39°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 72°/53°F (22°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Asheville Rome
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C)
Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C)
Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C)
Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C)
May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C)
Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C)
Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C)
Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C)
Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C)
Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Italy

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Italy without a visa.
Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Italy passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.

Data: 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 North Carolina?

Yes — Italy is on average about 8% cheaper than North Carolina. 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 €15,040 in Italy on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Italy?

Usually fine from major cities in Italy. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Italy compared to North Carolina?

Italy performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Italy compared to North Carolina?

The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

What language do they speak in Italy?

The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In North Carolina, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

IT
Population 9,535,483 61,095,551
Currency United States Dollar ($) Euro (€)
Languages English Catalan, Italian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +39
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112