Italy 🇮🇹—a country of breathtaking beauty, timeless charm, and culinary masterpieces that captivate hearts worldwide. Like many, we dreamed of calling this enchanting land home, imagining days spent wandering sun-dappled piazzas and evenings savoring fine wine under the stars. But dreams and reality don’t always align. During our two-week journey across Italy, what we uncovered surprised us and challenged our vision of living there. Join us as we share the highs, the unexpected truths, and why we ultimately decided that Italy, while unforgettable, wasn’t meant to be our forever home.
Who Are We and Why Italy?
We’re a couple in our mid-to-late 30s, actively working toward financial freedom with the goal of early retirement. After spending over 20 years( for me) and 8 (for my fiancé) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we’re looking for a place with better weather, lower taxes, and more affordable living. Italy seemed like the perfect answer!
While Amsterdam’s energy and vibrancy are undeniable, skyrocketing prices, high taxes, and restrictive regulations have led us to rethink its long-term viability. According to the 2024 Economist Intelligence Unit report, Amsterdam ranks among Europe’s most expensive cities, with a 12% surge in the cost of living between 2023 and 2024. Real estate prices now exceed €8,500 per square meter, significantly outpacing Italy’s largest cities like Milan (€4,988), Rome (€4,157), Florence (€3,036), and Naples (€2,890), as per the Q3 2024 Global Property Guide. Now imagine how much more affordable—and full of potential—smaller cities and less touristy towns in Italy could be.
The idea of owning a spacious home surrounded by nature feels unattainable in Amsterdam, but Italy promises something different—room to breathe, the freedom to grow our own food, craft wine, and enjoy the stunning beauty of its beaches and landscapes. It seemed like a dream waiting to be realized.
Italy—The Dream and the Research
In recent years, Italy has captured our imagination more than ever. Social media, YouTube, and Facebook groups dedicated to property buying in Italy have fueled our curiosity. Stories of expats starting fresh, restoring rustic farmhouses, and fully embracing the Italian way of life inspired us to dig deeper.
After my fiancé proposed last summer, we seriously began considering building our future there. With wedding plans in the works, the idea of starting our life in Italy felt both exciting and full of potential. So, we decided to take a two-week trip—not as tourists, but as potential residents, eager to experience the country through a different lens. We knew that two weeks wouldn’t be enough to make a final decision, but our goal was to explore a few locations that might feel like the right fit. Our plan was to return later, spend a few months immersed in the local culture, and make a more informed choice about our future.
What We Love About Italy
What we love about Italy likely comes as no surprise—it’s a sentiment that anyone who’s visited the country can relate to.
1. A Stunning Landscape and Perfect Weather
For those of us coming from colder, rainier countries like the Netherlands, the UK, or the Nordics, Italy feels like a warm embrace. The thought of waking up to sunshine, dining in a garden basked in warmth, or working outdoors under clear skies is a dream come true.
Even during our winter visit, we were greeted by sunshine and temperatures around 12-15°C (53.6-59°F), which felt like a refreshing escape. Italy’s mild climate is a welcome contrast to the chilly weather we’re used to.
Everywhere we went, the landscape was so captivating that we found ourselves in awe at every turn. Our jaws ached from constantly exclaiming, “Wow!” We found ourselves imagining a life in Italy—spending one or two full years exploring the country, taking every weekend and holiday to discover its hidden gems. The beauty seemed endless.
In fact, Italy has remained the place we’ve both visited the most—long before we met and now, as a couple. It’s such a magical destination that we both feel like we’ll never run out of things to experience. Every corner seems to hold something new and beautiful, making it a place we can always return to without ever tiring of its charm.
2. Exceptional Food Quality & Affordable Living Costs
Italian cuisine is globally celebrated, and for good reason—its quality is unmatched. From fresh pasta to sun-ripened tomatoes, every dish captures the essence of Italy’s rich culinary heritage. What made the experience even better was how affordable it was to enjoy such top-tier food.
Even the simplest items, like crackers (which I’m a big fan of), tasted so much better in Italy and came in healthier variations than what I’ve found in the Netherlands. I even tried to track some down when I returned to the Netherlands, but with no luck!
It’s important to mention that inflation and global factors have driven up costs globally in recent years, and Italy is no exception. The cost of dining out and other daily necessities has certainly risen, especially in larger cities. In some places, the price hikes felt like they were catching up to cities like Amsterdam at a rapid pace.
For those seeking a more budget-friendly experience, like us, we highly recommend exploring small towns or smaller cities where living costs remain more reasonable. This way, you can enjoy the very best of Italy without the heavy price tag attached to living in the major tourist hubs.
Our Favorite Small Town and City
- Terracina: This charming beach town with a population of about 44,500 truly captured our hearts. It offers a balance of beauty and affordable living. It’s not too big, not too small, with a relaxed atmosphere and vibrant local shops. It has fantastic beaches, stunning mountains, and a great sense of community.
- Salerno: For those who crave an urban atmosphere but want to avoid the overwhelming crowds and high costs of Italy’s most popular tourist hotspots, Salerno is an excellent choice. With around 127,000 residents, this historic port city is an affordable alternative to Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Salerno offers a lively yet less tourist-heavy environment, providing an abundance of things to explore while still feeling more local and accessible.
(P.S.: I lost most of my pictures while transferring them to a new server. Otherwise, I’d have loved to share even more photos of these amazing places with you!)
While we also visited areas near Lake Trasimeno, the Amalfi Coast, and Tuscany, we found these regions to be charming for short stays but ultimately not the right fit for a permanent home. Each place had its own appeal, but for various reasons, they didn’t meet our long-term needs. Some were too small and lacked the vibrancy we crave, while others were overly busy and packed with tourists. A few places had too few people and felt a bit too quiet or empty, lacking the lively atmosphere we desire in a place to settle down.
3. Affordable Properties: More Space for Less
In comparison to the Netherlands, housing prices in Italy are significantly more affordable, especially in smaller towns and cities. According to the Globe Property Guide (November 2024), the average purchase price for existing homes in the Netherlands was €461,931 (around US$480,823). With €100,000 in the Netherlands, you might be lucky to secure a garage. In Italy, however, €100,000 opens up a wide range of options, including homes with character and potential. For those open to renovations, the possibilities expand even further, offering incredible value for your investment.
If you’re wondering whether investing in property in Italy could be a smart move, check out my other blog post for more insights.
As we explored various cities and towns, we couldn’t help but notice the abundance of real estate agencies everywhere—a clear sign that real estate is thriving in Italy.
With a €500k budget in mind, both through our online research and what we saw firsthand, we’re confident that we could find our dream home within that range.
We envision a spacious property with a large garden, ideally located close to the water, surrounded by stunning nature and mountains. A piece of land where we could grow our own grapes for wine, cultivate citrus trees, vegetables, and herbs, and have plenty of space for our dogs and chickens to roam freely. It feels more attainable here than we could have imagined.
Why Italy Isn’t Ideal for Our Move and Living
Despite the breathtaking landscapes, delicious food, and affordable housing, it wasn’t enough. By the end of our two-week stay, we both reached the same conclusion: while Italy has always held a special place in our hearts as tourists, it’s not the right place for us to settle—at least not at this point in our lives. In hindsight, this realization was a blessing. It saved us from months, or even years, of chasing an idealized dream built on beautiful online images and romanticized stories that didn’t match the reality we encountered on the ground.
Here’s why we ultimately decided against settling down and living in Italy.
1. General Impressions of Living in Italy: Not a Long-Term Fit
- Lack of Personal Spark: We adore visiting Italy, but we just didn’t feel the deep, personal connection with any place that would make us want to call it home. While we’re always excited to return as tourists, it doesn’t offer that sense of belonging we’re looking for in a long-term move.
- Too Rustic for Our Taste: Italy’s ancient towns and rich history are undeniably captivating. However, we found that many places are simply too rustic for our lifestyle. We value a balance between modern living spaces, good amenities, vibrant energy, and easy access to nature—which isn’t always easy to find in Italy. This realization really hit us during our trip.
- Aging Population: In major cities like Rome and Milan, the younger crowd is thriving. However, many smaller towns have an older population. While this gives those places a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere, it can also make the energy feel a bit dull and lacking in youthful vibrancy. We’re looking for a place where there are more career-driven peers in our age group, where we can meet up, attend lively gatherings, and have more to do and see.
- Bureaucracy: Italy’s bureaucracy is infamous for being slow and complex. Although we haven’t personally navigated it for business yet, we’ve heard countless stories from expats who’ve found it even more frustrating than anticipated. Having lived in the Netherlands, where everything works efficiently and moves quickly, the contrast is stark. While we’re not expecting the same level of efficiency as the Netherlands, the sheer scale of bureaucracy in Italy made us question if it’s wise to relocate and base our businesses there.
2. High Tax Rates: A Major Drawback for High-Income Expats and Investors
Italy’s tax system posed a major challenge to our financial goals of building wealth and growing businesses. Although there may be some opportunities for tax optimization, the overall tax structure simply didn’t align with the advantages we sought.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Italy’s tax landscape versus the Netherlands, where we currently reside:
Italy (2024):
- Corporate Tax: 27.9% (including IRAP)
- Personal Income Tax: 23%–43%
- Dividend & Capital Gains Tax: 26%
- Wealth Tax: Applied to foreign assets
Netherlands (2024):
- Corporate Tax: 19%–25.8% (lower rates for income under €200,000)
- Personal Income Tax: 9.42%–49.5%
- Dividend Tax: 15%
- Capital Gains Tax: 31% (on assumed returns)
- Wealth Tax: Applied to savings and second properties
Though the Netherlands isn’t flawless, its tax system offers far more favorable conditions for our financial strategy. Given that the Netherlands excels in efficiency and productivity, it felt impractical to leave behind a country with such a streamlined system in favor of Italy’s more complex, higher-tax environment and bureaucratic hurdles.
3. Petty Crimes: A Real Concern
While Italy is undoubtedly a beautiful and relatively safe destination, petty crimes like pickpocketing and theft are a common issue. During our campervan trip, we quickly realized how widespread these incidents were. Almost every place we parked—whether free parking spots, paid parking, supermarkets, shopping malls, or tourist attractions—had reports of vehicles, including campervans, being broken into.
This, coupled with our lack of a deep personal connection to any particular place, the high and unfavorable tax system, and a cumbersome bureaucracy, ultimately led us to the conclusion that Italy wasn’t the right place for us to move to.
We’re now on a quest to find our new ideal destination. More details will follow after this summer, once we’ve made our final decision.
Final Words
We’re truly grateful for this trip. It provided the clarity we needed to realize that—for now—Italy isn’t the right fit for us. Without this firsthand experience, we might have wasted countless hours dreaming about a lifestyle that ultimately wouldn’t align with our needs.
It’s easy to get swept away by stunning online photos of villas and charming properties, imagining an idyllic life in a new place. But the true essence of a destination can only be understood by experiencing it in person—walking its streets, soaking in its atmosphere, and seeing how it fits into your daily life.
If you’re thinking about uprooting your life and moving to Italy—or any other country—my advice is simple: take the trip. Stay for a few weeks, immerse yourself in the culture, and live like a local. Only then will you know if it’s the right place for you.
** Special Notes**
🤔 Thinking about investing in Italian property but not ready to move there? Check out my next blog post for valuable insights
💔 With the EU’s economic landscape in flux—countries like Germany, France, and the UK facing major challenges, and more nations considering exit taxes for the wealthy—Cyprus stands out as an excellent option. If you own companies, hold substantial assets, and value the EU working timezone and lifestyle, Cyprus may be the perfect choice. Learn more in my blog here.
🚫 And please, whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of evading taxes like I did—it’s simply not worth the risk. You can read more about my journey here. It’s far better to choose a country with lower taxes where you can keep more of your earnings, save wisely, and create a better life.
