Living in Italy: pros and cons from people who moved

Pros and cons of living in Italy from people who moved: food, healthcare and calm versus bureaucracy, permit waits, cold homes and wages in euro.

People who moved to Italy from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine describe life in Italy like this: food, climate, calm and a human touch on one side; slow bureaucracy, long waits for the permesso, cold flats in winter, hard renting and euro wages that do not always cover the lifestyle they were used to on the other. This page collects the pros and cons of living in Italy from the archive of Russian-language chats behind this site (about 700,000 messages from 2022-2026) and checks them against the law where a complaint has a legal side. The counts below are keyword mentions, not a survey: they show what people talk about, not how many are happy. Rules checked on Normattiva on 01.10.2026.

In short

Pros named most often: food and produce, a calm pace, public healthcare, a gentler school, sea and mountains close by, everyday friendliness.
Cons written about most: bureaucracy (392 messages), waiting for the permesso and fingerprints (about 700), cold homes in winter (210), closed or frozen bank accounts (126), hard renting, income in euro.
Law versus practice: the permesso is issued within 90 days of the application (art. 5(9) of Legislative Decree 286/1998) - in practice it takes longer; workers enrol in the SSN on equal terms with Italians (art. 34).
The chats' main advice: move "to" somewhere, not "away from" something, and decide in advance what you will not put up with.

Pros of living in Italy: what people value

Pro	What the chats say	Official facts or where to read more
Food and produce	89 messages about tasty food and quality produce; "more than enough good food"	prices in supermarkets in Italy
A calm pace	in 2023 a member wrote that within six months her anxiety dropped noticeably: nobody is rude in queues, dealing with offices is not stressful	-
Healthcare	in 2024 a member was surprised that tests and a scan for her child were booked before the tessera sanitaria even arrived, and that braces came with a full care kit	workers and their families must enrol in the SSN and are treated on equal terms with Italians (art. 34 of Legislative Decree 286/1998) - the tessera sanitaria
School	in 2025 the chat discussed that Italian schools put less pressure on children and more weight on individual abilities	school in Italy
Nature	"three in one: the sea, hills, a ski slope", volcanoes and islands	regions of Italy
People in offices	"minimal digitalisation, but you can find a kind-hearted lady at the counter"; "they always helped and were nice"	Italian bureaucracy

Cons of living in Italy: the most common complaints

Bureaucracy and waiting for the permesso

The most frequent topic: the word "bureaucracy" appears in 392 messages, waiting for the permesso, residence permit or fingerprints in about 700. Under art. 5(9) of Legislative Decree 286/1998 the permesso is issued, renewed or converted within 90 days of the application if all requirements are met, and while it is pending the receipt lets you stay in Italy legally and work temporarily (para. 9-bis). In practice the timing depends on the questura and many wait longer. Still, in a January 2024 thread where a newcomer asked for a list of downsides, several members pushed back: bureaucracy is slow but predictable, "I have not met a problem that could not be solved". Real timelines by city:

Processing timelineA stage-by-stage timeline with community-reported duration ranges by motive and questura.

How to check whether your card is ready: check your permesso status.

Cold homes in winter

210 messages about cold flats, damp and mould. Heating in Italy runs in seasons and hours set by the town's climate zone, and older buildings have no insulation. Seasons, hours and costs: heating in Italy.

Banks and accounts

126 messages about closed or frozen accounts - especially for Russian citizens and for people who move money in regularly from online banks. Where you can open an account: which bank will open an account.

Renting a home

"Many complain that it is hard to rent, and that is true, but nobody ended up sleeping under a bridge" - that was how a 2024 thread summed it up. Landlords ask for a work contract, guarantees and a deposit. How to search and what to sign: renting a flat in Italy.

Wages and prices in euro

The main downside, in the view of a member in the 2024 thread, is that "you need to earn in euro to feel comfortable": people used to cheap services, taxis and delivery in a big Russian city give up a lot or take on more work. Others named expensive taxis, a weak nightlife and slow delivery. Personal income tax (IRPEF) in 2026 is 23% up to 28,000 euro, 33% up to 50,000 euro and 43% above (art. 11 TUIR), plus regional and municipal surcharges. Work out your budget:

Cost of living: 29-city budgetsPick a city, household and housing - a rough monthly budget with rent, utilities, groceries and transport, each line source-labeled.

More on prices in prices in Italy, on jobs and pay in work in Italy.

No family nearby, and the language

"There is one downside for everyone - no family here", someone wrote in 2024; for the author Italy was the ninth country of residence. Without Italian both work and daily life are hard; the chat's advice is that until you speak the language, pick a city for its logistics. On adapting: the stress of emigration.

Italy varies a lot: North, South, city and village

In almost every thread about downsides someone points out that "life will depend heavily on the specific region and city". In January 2024 one member described Rome as a city where transport runs "at random" and rubbish collection is poor, while another said the same evening that Rome grows on them with every visit. Someone who had lived in Turin and in a small tourist town called them "two different Italys": Turin for convenience and an airport an hour and a half away, the village for the sea, the neighbours and "grandpas in the bars in the morning". Compare cities and regions: regions of Italy and work by city.

How to decide whether Italy suits you

The advice repeated most often in the chats is to write three lists:

What you definitely need (work in your field, the sea, a big city, a school for the children, an airport nearby).
What you will not put up with (long waits for documents, a cold flat, life without family).
Everything else - unimportant, so do not weigh it.

And a second one: "move to somewhere, do not run away from something". Walk through the route step by step with how to move to Italy, and find the right visa D basis with the route matcher.

How to move to Italy: step-by-step plan to residency - from the visa to residency registration.
Prices in Italy: food, housing, utilities - what life costs.
Regions of Italy: where to move - the regions compared.
Italian bureaucracy: a map of the offices - who does what.
The stress of emigration - getting through the first year.

Official sources

Art. 5 of Legislative Decree 286/1998 (90 days to issue or renew the permesso): normattiva.it
Art. 34 of Legislative Decree 286/1998 (foreigners in the SSN): normattiva.it
Art. 11 TUIR (IRPEF rates 23/33/43%): normattiva.it

Frequently asked questions

What are the main downsides of living in Italy?

In the Russian-language Italy chat archive behind this site, people complain most about bureaucracy and waiting for the permesso (hundreds of messages), cold flats in winter, closed bank accounts, hard renting and wages below what they were used to against prices in euro. By law the permesso is issued or renewed within 90 days of the application (art. 5(9) of Legislative Decree 286/1998); in practice members wait longer. This sums up experience, it is not a statistic.

What do people who moved like about Italy?

Most often: the food and the quality of produce, the calm pace and less anxiety, accessible public healthcare (workers and their families must enrol in the SSN on equal terms with Italians, art. 34 of Legislative Decree 286/1998), a gentler school for children and varied nature with sea, hills and mountains close together. These are members' opinions; everyone has their own list.

How much tax do you pay in Italy?

Personal income tax (IRPEF) in 2026 is 23% up to 28,000 euro, 33% from 28,000 to 50,000 euro and 43% above (art. 11 TUIR), plus regional and municipal surcharges. Many self-employed people use the forfettario regime at 5-15%. Checked on 01.10.2026; this is not tax advice.

Where is it best to live in Italy?

Members agree on one thing: Italy varies a lot. A large northern city (Milan, Turin, Bologna) gives jobs, transport and airports; the South and small towns give the sea, cheaper housing and Italian everyday life, but fewer jobs and services. Regions and cities are compared in the site's region and city sections.

Related materials - Guides

Next stepCost of living: 29-city budgetsPick a city, household and housing - a rough monthly budget with rent, utilities, groceries and transport, each line source-labeled.