Moving to Italy from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Italy — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Italy, you would find that Italy is 12.4% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly €49,965 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United States to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → €49,965
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.5% less
Groceries
pay 14.4% less
Transportation
pay 29.8% more
Housing
pay 39.9% less
Childcare
pay 59.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.2% 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 39% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to Italy, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Italy · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States and Italy stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Italy generally does better on safety, though United States leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 United States 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
United States 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
United States 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
United States 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 United States leads in education spending.
Data: Internal Revenue Service, 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 | Washington | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
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 holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy passport holder visiting United States
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 United States?
Generally yes: Italy runs about 24% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around €12,491 in Italy for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Italy?
With 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Italy can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United States and Italy.
Is Italy safe for expats?
Italy generally does better on safety, though United States leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to United States?
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 36.1 in United States. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In United States, the official language is English.
