Cost of living and quality of life in Italy

Back in February, I wrote my only post about being back in England and expressed my annoyance at the cost of a cappuccino.

Hannah, who lives in Viareggio, picked up on a similar posting from October 2007 and asked an interesting question about quality of life in Italy versus England.

I understand her plight. Lots of people think that by moving to Italy, everyone is going to be living la dolce vita happily every after. But, unless you live in a sprawling castello in Tuscany and already have pots of money, life in Italy isn't quite as idyllic as it is made out to be. And the facts are there to back this up.

A few days ago, OECD published, among other things, its factbook into industrial development. Given Italy's current political and economic climate, I don't think anyone is really surprised to find the country ranked last among industrial countries for its productivity.

As I've mentioned before, salaries are low and housing costs, whether you're renting or have a mortgage to pay, are comparably high, especially if you live in a big city or tourist area. Lots of Italian families don't make it to the end of the month and it's also one of the reasons so many young people live with their families until they get married.

House prices is one of the first things I notice in England. Prices in Dorset, where my parents live, are high. Prices are also high in the Gallura region of Sardinia, where Mario and I live. If we were living in England, our incomes would be higher (in Mario's case nearly double what he earns now), yet house prices aren't double what they are here. Consequently, we would be able to afford a much larger property than the one we move into in September. If you're reading this in the US or the north of England, then you'll probably notice an even bigger disparity.

Then again, the plus side of Italy is that ICI, the property tax, is low. We pay slightly more than Eur250 per year, compared to more than that amount per month in England. And, because we're in Sardinia and don't have central heating, our gas bills are low, too. That's my situation, though. If you're living in northern Italy, then your heating bills are going to amount to a big chunk of your outgoings.

If you send your children to state school in Italy, then you have to pay a school fee (it's nominal, but you still have to pay), plus buy all the books they need each academic year. And you can't necessarily hand them down because different years will use different books or updated versions of the books. When you have two or more children going through the system, that soon adds up. They also don't have school uniform which means the classroom becomes a junior catwalk for the likes of Versace, Christian Dior and D&G.

As for eating out, Mario and I go to dinner in restaurants two or three times a week without it making too much of a dent in our wallets. But that's in Sardinia. Whenever we're on the continente (the Italian mainland), we're horrified by how much lunch or dinner comes to. Again, though, it's all relative. Wages are lower in Sardinia than they are in Italy.

To assess quality of life properly, the best thing to do is to make a list of your monthly income and expenditure, right down to the last apple or gelato. You need to do it for life in Italy and life in your home country.

I'd be interested to know what conclusions you come to, especially from those of you already living in Italy.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Maggie]

I guess part of an answer to Hannah’s question is: what do you consider a good quality life? I live in Edinburgh, supposedly a very cultured and cosmopolitan city which always rates highly in comparisons of places to live, and I own my house so I don’t have the huge monthly outgoing of rent or mortage. According to a lot of people I should be having a great time but I’m not. It’s cold, wet and dark for ten months of the year (and the other two are hardly tropical), there are drunk and drug-disordered people on the buses, the city centre is full of hordes of intoxicated teenagers at weekends and there’s hardly anywhere to go in the evening except the pub. I think there are a maximum of three or four cafes open in the evening outside the Festival. I would rather let my house and pay rent to live in a small town in Italy where the cafes are open late and where women don't get inebriated and have physical cat fights at bus stops and you can go out and about most of the year without four layers of clothing and being rained on. With the exception of one delightful chap airing his ‘tackle’ on the Milan airport bus a few years ago I have never seen anything remotely like the bad behaviour in small towns in northern Italy (I’m not familiar with the south) that I see regularly here. On the other hand, if I didn’t care about constant cloud cover, wanted a car, wanted to go to lots of theatres and restaurants and never had to deal with Joe and Josie Public on the buses, etc, then I might be happy in Edinburgh.

[Jason]

ok, i'm sad...kinda...our property tax in terms of Euro per year??? €10465!!!

[Emma Bird]

Hi Maggie

I love your blog. I've been laughing out loud at your list of what to do in certain places.

That apart, your comments are spot on. Choosing where to live also comes down to what you are actually looking for from life. Sunshine is extremely important to me which is why I relish the hours of daylight in Sardinia even in winter. Waking up one morning in May and knowing that I won't need to put on so much as a jumper until September is the most glorious feeling in the world. And having town centres free of inebriated teenagers, men on stag parties and women on hen nights is refreshing.

Even so, crime exists in most places. Cagliari is a pretty safe place but I had one hairy episode once. I had to get on the bus to teach in a school in a less well off area and two men got on, took out knifes and started threatening each other with them. And in small towns here in Sardinia, if you're an unwelcome outsider, they soon let you know by way of putting a bomb under your car or torching your business.

Whichever town you're thinking of moving to, it's a good idea to visit in the winter and get a feel for the place out of season when it is dark and dank and probably at its most horrid. That way you'll know how much you're prepared to accept your new way of life.

Look forward to seeing how your plans for moving to Italy progress.

Emma

[Emma Bird]

Jason

My point exactly. But, gosh, that property tax is high!

You have a lot higher property tax, but wages are higher and housing is cheaper.

Italy has a lower property tax, but lower wages and more expensive housing.

As Maggie pointed out in her comment, in comes down to what you really want from your new life.

Emma

[italy]

Hi Emma I discovered your blog the other day, and enjoyed it, and will link it. I have been busy editing books, but will get back to posting again. Ive also just started a wine blog, as a wine fanatic.
My thoughts on Italy after living here for 7 years, are, that you have to adjust Italy into your world. I have created my own reality here, as it sounds like you have in Sardinia, and I think most who stay do the same. Otherwise the horror of Berlusconi being voted in again, ( no one admits to voting for him, the crippling red tape and ignorance, can drive you mad.

I set aside one day a week to become a tourist in my new country again. I can do this of course, because I'm not sitting all day on trains into Milan as I used to. I work from an office at home and interface with the locals when I feel like it. When I spent all day dealing with broken Italy, I was foaming at the mouth.
"Always remember what brought you to Italy" thats my Motto now. D

[Emma Bird]

Ciao

Your blog is fabulous as is your motto. Thanks for sharing. And your comments are spot on. Creating your own reality of Italy is the only way forward, as is finding the compromise between interfacing with the locals and interacting with other people via Twitter, Skype, Facebook etc.

Being stuck in traffic really used to stress me out in Milan and whenever I'm stuck on the tangenziale ovest or the raccordo annulare in Rome, I remember how grateful I am for living in a place with no traffic lights or roundabouts and where rush hour means seeing two cars on the road at the same time as you.

Warmest
Emma

[Stephen]

I read somewhere recently that Italy had become the top destination for UK retirees. The good exchange rate and mild weather must certainly contribute to that. But also, the slower pace of life (outside of the bigger cities) must be a big draw as well. Coming from the US, the dollar is pretty weak at the moment, so not a great deal as far as real estate goes, but savings on taxes and heating (cooling) costs could be substantial.

[Carmen]

I'm sorry.. What was that? La Dolce Vita~ Italy??? HAAAAAAAAAA.. I am bitter bitter bitter about my move to Italy from Australia. (I've a good mind to start a blog myself.)

I moved here with my partner (who is Italian) in December. It's now almost September. Although I have a working holiday visa particular to Australian and New Zealand residents and is for One Year. The famous "Permesso di Sorggiono" has STILLLL NOT ARRIVED 10 BLOODY MONTHS LATER!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't come to Italy to become an Italian mama! Or a casalinga as they say... not allowed to work.. I've gotten by tutoring English in my home.. but FAR OUT!!

What is wrong with these people???? How unbelievably inefficient can u be??

Sorry.. but I could let off steam for pages.... this has taken months of my life I will NEVER get back..

The food - amazing but still better eaten occassionally then everyday...
Fashion - gorgeous of course, but designers come at designer prices

Basically I feel the world wants Italian products: food, fashion, cars etc

However LIVING in Italy is not that great (I'm in Milan: a playground for the rich) unless u have money, are not an impatient person and can deal with inefficiency, can deal with ignorant people on a daily basis who know nothing nor wish to know anything but that which concerns Italy........

Sigh. ANyway.. Lovely blog Emma ~ not sure if this was the best post to leave my comment but hope to hear back from u!!

[Emma Bird]

Hi Carmen

Has your permesso di soggiorno come through now?

All the points you make are valid. The trick is to get to a point where you can laugh at all the things that would drive you mad.

It sounds like you're going through culture shock. What's your line of work? Since you're in Milan, there's a plethora of social business networking groups going on. Have you joined any of them?

As for food, yes, it can be samey (I'm not a big fan of pasta either), but there's also a lot of variety in Milan. In fact, you can find most cuisines and the ingredients that you need as I'm sure Sara Rosso, of Ms Adventures in Italy, will tell you.

And, re inefficiency, the trick is to make phone calls on the go, always have a book/newspaper with you, and lesson plan while you're waiting in the queue at the post office.

Good luck and I hope your situation turns around soon.

Un abbraccio.

[Jessica]

Hello,
I have been reading through some of your blogs. I am a newlywed. My husband is Italian and his entire family lives in a very small town in Naples. I visited there with him about a little over a year and a half ago.I loved the "vibe" of Italy . Life just seems much more easy going there. His family was so warm and full of love.I am an American who has spent most of her life living in southern California. The cost of living here is on the higher side so I get the feeling that rent ect. in most of Itlay will be pretty similar to what I am used to. My husband just recently became an American citizen so now he is free to come and go from the States as often as he likes. I keep trying to plant the seed in his head about moving to Italy ( most likely to the Florence area) So that when we start a family we are a train ride away instead of a VERY long flight away from his family.I am not from a close knitt family and would really love to raise our children with a warm, strong extended family. My husband and I are both Pastry chefsand therefore could possibly work in the hotel industry. I guess I am just curious if moving there is something I really should be considering. I am pushing harder for this then he is . I think he likes having centeral heat and air ;) . I think that is is over rated compare to what I see as the positive aspects of living in Italy and being close to his family.
Please feel free to give me your take on this subject. I am intersted in what you might have to say about this.
Thank you
Jessica