Is it cheap to live in Italy?

Italy is one of the cheapest countries to live in Western Europe, precisely the 4th cheapest.

So what is the average cost for living in Italy?

Well, we need to take a look at the average basic living expenses in Italy per month.

Total                                                                                                   € 1.623

How much is rent in Italy in 2022?

According to Immobiliare.it, an Italian family spends an average of 10,524 euros (877 euros per month) on annual rent for a three-room apartment (two bedroom flat). The increase compared to the same period last year is 7.7%. In 2021 the cost amounted to 9,768 euros (814 euros per month). The highest rents are to be found in the North-West, while the most consistent increases are in the South and on the Islands. The price increases for electricity and gas bills means that more than 13,300 euros annually have to be budgeted for an apartment in Italy.

What is Italy’s minimum wage?

In the European Union, the minimum wage has already been introduced in 21 of the 27 member states, but Italy has not yet implemented this reform.

The minimum wage does not exist, not only in Italy, but even in Denmark, Cyprus, Austria, Finland and Sweden, where wages are governed by national collective agreements.

Let’s find out what the current Italian situation is in relation to the law on the minimum wage, a law that affects at least 4 million workers in poverty.

What is a minimum wage?

A minimum wage is the basic wage for workers of different categories, established by law, over a given period of time. It cannot be reduced in any way by collective agreements or private contracts. In essence, it is a “limit threshold” of wages below which the employer cannot go under. For several years in Italy there have been talks about determining a minimum wage.

Even now there are numerous proposals for the regulation of the minimum wage but, none have been approved or agreed.There is the proposal of the former Minister of Labor Catalfo of 2018, which remained stuck in the Senate Commission due to political differences (9 euros net per hour) and the one that should see the light thanks to the current Minister of Labor Orlando within the end from 2022. However, the discussion is still ongoing.

Can I just move to Italy?

If you are a European citizen, your ID is enough to work in Italy. As a European you do not need a visa or a residence permit. You can stay in Italy as long as you want, start working as an employee or register as a self-employed.

If you are a non-EU citizen, on the other hand, you need some documents.

The situation is different whether you are already in Italy or still abroad and you intend to live & work in Italy.

If you are already in Italy

If you are already in Italy, to look for a job and get hired, you would need a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno). You can apply for a residence permit for various reasons: to rejoin a European family member, for family, for work, study or humanitarian reasons.

These are just some of the reasons for obtaining the permit. Among these, as I mentioned, you can apply for a residence permit for work reasons: whether you want to register as self-employed or look for a permanent job. The residence permit application has to be submitted at the prefecture (prefettura), at the immigration desk (sportello unico per l’immigrazione).

Be Aware

If you have a tourist or short-term residence permit, you cannot work.

Once you have your full residence permit, you just have to show it to your employer. The latter will then be responsible of sending a UNILAV form to the competent Employment Center. However, you don’t have to do anything; the company that hires you will take care of it.

If you are still abroad

In this case the employer who wants to hire a foreigner, whether on a fixed-term contract, permanent or on seasonal basis, must submit a request for clearance at the Single Desk for Immigration located in each Prefecture. The officers carry out the checks required by law and issue the permit. At the same time, the employer signs the residence contract at the Prefecture. This is a signed document which makes the employer the guarantor for the foreigner’s accommodation and any of the repatriation costs if necessary.

Within 6 months of the issue of the permit, the concerned person who is still in their country must go to the designated Italian Consulate and collect the entry visa. At this point, they can leave and move to Italy.

Within 8 days of arrival in Italy, they must go to the Prefecture where they will also sign the residence contract, collect the tax code and apply for a residence permit.

What jobs are in high demand in Italy?

A strong weight in determining which jobs are most in demand in 2022 has been affected by the impact of the digital transition which sped up with the pandemic. This led many to wonder what the jobs of the future might be. The need to carry out working during the global pandemic has led several companies to experiment with new technological solutions that allow the performance of work tasks from home with the use of a PC and an internet connection.

The lack of adaptation to new technological processes not only leads to the loss of growth opportunities, but could represent the main cause of the crisis in sectors and occupational professions.

List of Growing Professional Sectors

The growing sectors in which we will find some of the most requested jobs in the future are:

• Digital marketing and communication
• Creative professions
• IT, Tech and software
• Pharmaceutical and research
• E-commerce
• Finance
• Eco-sustainability

Being aware of the sectors to which the most requested job positions belong is a great advantage for young people about to enter the working world and for those who want to change their career.

List of the most requested professionals in 2022

To identify the most requested professional figures in Italy in 2022, we can refer to the ranking drawn up by LinkedIn, a well-known job search platform and social network that facilitates the connections between companies and professionals. According to the statistics, the most sought-after jobs concern the technological field and the influence of innovation 4.0 in the various emerging sectors. Among the most requested professions therefore we have:

• Machine learning engineer
• Robotic engineer
• Sustainability manager
• Human resources analyst
• Data scientist
• Back-end developer
• Product manager
• Business developer
• Data engineer

Most requested jobs in 2022 without a degree

As some of you may have noticed, the list of the most requested jobs drawn up by the famous job search platform includes professionals who require high training, often achieved through a degree, and the development of specific skills. However, the market’s growing need for a workforce includes jobs that do not need a degree (laurea).

Among the most requested jobs in 2022 without a degree we find:

• Driver
• Courier
• Welder worker
• Turner worker
• Painter in the Furniture Sector
• Carpenter
• Mason
• Sales consultant
• Call center operator
• Warehouse worker
• Electrician
• Social Health Operator (OSS)
• Customer Services Support

What is the highest paying job in Italy?

The highest paid professions in Italy are:

• NotaryDoctor
• Airline pilot
• Marketing manager
• Financial advisor
• Software engineer
• Project manager
• Engineer
• Lawyer
• Programmer
• Chemist
• SEO specialist

The three lowest paid jobs in Italy are in:

• Tourism and travel
• Art and entertainment
• Social care

What is considered rich in Italy

Having a lot of money in your current account is not the only aspect that makes a person wealthy.

In fact, there are many rich people who, despite not having hundreds of thousands of euros in their account, are wealthy as they have their money invested in real estate, shares or bonds. In a few words, they make their wealth yield and do not leave it on their current account where many times the associated costs and taxes decrease their capital.

How much to earn to be rich in Italy?

In Italy there are more than 6 million people who could be classified as “rich”.

To be considered rich in Italy, you must have assets of over 1.2 million euros. Currently there are 7350 people considered “rich”, a slight increase compared to the 7180 of the previous year, but who are the billionaires in Italy? Continue reading below.

The top 25 Italian billionaires according to Forbes

Below the ranking of the first 25 Italian billionaires. All the figures are in US dollars.

1 | Giovanni Ferrero
Assets: 36,2 miliardi *(billions)

2 | Leonardo Del Vecchio e famiglia
Assets: 27,3 miliardi

3 | Giorgio Armani
Assets: 7,8 miliardi

4 | Silvio Berlusconi e famiglia
Assets: 7,1 miliardi

5 | Massimiliana Landini Aleotti e famiglia
Assets: 5,4 miliardi

6 | Giuseppe De’ Longhi e famiglia
Assets: 4,4 miliardi

7 | Piero Ferrari
Assets: 4,2 miliardi

8 | Augusto & Giorgio Perfetti
Assets: 4,1 miliardi

9 | Patrizio Bertelli
Assets: 4 miliardi

10 | Miuccia Prada
Assets: 4 miliardi

11 | Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone
Assets: 3,9 miliardi

12 | Paolo & Gianfelice Mario Rocca
Assets: 3,9 miliardi

13 | Luca Garavoglia
Assets: 3,8 miliardi

14 | Susan Carol Holland
Assets: 3,8 miliardi

15 | Sergio Stevanato e famiglia
Assets: 3,8 miliardi

16 | Gustavo Denegri
Assets: 3,7 miliardi

17 | Renzo Rosso e famiglia
Patrimonio: 3,5 miliardi

18 | Giuseppe Crippa e famiglia
Assets: 3,2 miliardi

19 | Alessandra Garavoglia
Assets: 3,1 miliardi

20 | Remo Ruffini
Assets: 3 miliardi

21 | Isabella Seragnoli
Assets: 2,8 miliardi

22 | Giuliana Benetton
Assets: 2,7 miliardi

23 | Luciano Benetton
Assets: 2,7 miliardi

24 | Federico De Nora
Assets: 2,6 miliardi

25 | Alberto Bombassei
Assets: 2,1 miliardi

What to expect when relocating

You now have an idea about living and working in Italy. However, keep in mind that Italy is ranked among the worst countries at speaking English; hence you will need to learn at least the Italian language basics.

Also, after the initial “honeymoon” cultural stage you are very likely to experience “culture shock” click the link below to understand its dynamics. https://www.languagesalive.com/culture-shock/

Get in touch at raffaella@languagealive.com for a free consultation to discuss language and culture awareness support.

Buona giornata o buona serata,

Raffaella