Super informative and entertaining video! I really like the editing in this one. Great to have the personal story of the gas bill in Sicily, along with showing prices of phone plans, it gives a good, broad sense overall of the cost of living. Rent has gotten crazy over there though!
Hi Patrick. Almost no one notices the editing in my videos ! Thanks for noticing. I like visual aids and I try not to just be a talking head which tends to be boring. Well how broad these prices are is up to interpretation really. It’s indicative but not definitive although the phone plans I believe are accurate.
Italian salaries are typically referred to by the net after taxes. While taxes are high, there are more social services with healthcare being the biggest.
David you must say that in the avarage of 1500 Euros is what you get having all of the taxes already payed and most important the Universal Helthcare is included so you don't have to worry about not being able to go to the doctor! And this apply for you all over the EU so if you're on vacation, let's say in Germany... you are covered because you're a EU citizen... in the US you make more money but how much would you spend for the Healthcare Insurrance alone... I mean one that covers you exactly as we are covered here in Italy with NO CO-PAY so that if you are sick you just go to the doctor or go to the hospital or call an ambulance (20 Euros extra) and you are fully covered? That's something to take into account when you talk about how much money you really have in your hands after the taxes and Healthcare insurance...
Hi Sebastian. Yes, I gladly pay taxes to have that health care service when I need it. The point of the video was more informational and a bit less on the discussion side. But you're right.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly ...sooner or later you could consider making a video about health care system in Italy (all the other EU countries are similar), compared to what happens in the USA. So, the information would be complete. Health care and welfare are always a "delicate" point of discussion for me with my American friends (they are not lib, so...). Last but not least, keep in mind that Roma and Milano, just to say, are very different and life in Milano costs more. But salaries in Milano are also a bit higher. Best thing would probably be, for an American, working here for, say, 1 year with a permesso di lavoro, but keeping his/her American salary 😬
In Australia our wages are very high compared to Italy plus we have universal healthcare etc. prices are higher for many things but that is a reflection of our high wages
@@sunmand6136 The life expectancy of Itslians is among g the highest in the world... this is only possible in the presence of an excellent national healthcare system that provides prevention and treatment, the well known Mediterranean good food and good lifestyle habits alone would not be enough!
Don't forget that if you are hospitalized to be treated or have to undergo an operation, you don't spend anything and you don't have to commit the house.
For the most part yes but often there’s a ticket to pay as they call it. My niece was hospitalized for a number of days in Florence and didn’t pay anything. I myself had to have day surgery a number of years ago and this was before I had a national health card. Didn’t pay anything
But what about longer term treatments? Eg what happens if you get cancer? Or develop a chronic heart condition? I would be nervous that the system in Italy is optimized around emergencies and quick treatments. If you find yourself in an ambiguous difficult situation, in the US you have a lot of autonomy to choose specialists, get multiple opinions, choose hospitals and settle on a treatment plan you want. I get the feeling that isn't as true in Italy. Of course that's only true in the US with good insurance.
National average NET salary is over 1600 euros per month and it includes health insurance with no co-pay. Comparing to US, you should also point out that any job gets, from day 1: around 4 weeks of payed holidays a year, payed sick leave, a few hours a month of payed "permission" (you can be out of work and be payed to do your own business), payed parental leave, pension credits, "tfr credits". TFR is money that your employer have to give you when you stop working for him and it's about one month of pay per year worked.
Hi Alex. Another spot on observation. yes those are all true. The trade off for a contract that pays you less is that you are better protected with more benefits. The solution to the lower salary? Start a side hustle and then when you build that one up create another. No one should live on just one salary. It's too risky.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly true but... this is American mindset, not Italian's. That said, to have a better view of italian cost of living, the best thing is to search for "istat indice prezzi al consumo". This is a full list of national average prices of over 1700 common goods updated by the national statistics office. It's a great resource to have a broad idea
I agree with you, David, and with others here. The US is difficult as salaries rarely go up anymore, but the costs keep going up and up. Car insurance & house insurance are also one of the highest in the country. State employees in our state have not received a raise in a few years. We are Italian/Greek & family values are important to us, definitely more important than material things like fancy cars & expensive phones. We are planning a trip to see how life is there.
Salaries are stagnant here too I’m afraid. But I think it’s easier to have less money here in Italy than in the US. I think the only real solution is to be an investor or start a business and preferably online. My YT channel for example is a small business. Best of luck In whatever you do! If you do decide to make the move here consider Rome and northward if you like cleanliness (relatively speaking ) and organization
Living in Italy it’s been very difficult for many years now. Worse and worse year by year. People and family are struggling to make payments and find a good job.
Conditions aren't good, very true. I also feel that a lot of people accept their fate because in Italy you're taught to be grateful even if you have a miserable salary.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I bought a place in Scalea Calabria. Italy will tax me 7% for ten years. I’m moving to Italy in March. I’ll be there first week of December to organize some things. I cannot wait!
Italian salary is a different case. Most of the jobs get 14 salaries per year and a TFR, lunch coupons, additional insurances and discounts that make the job more attractive for applicants. I have to say everything is based in Italy on your ISEE, for example university fees, so if you are poor you can anyway afford it. Many taxes are optional like the one on the house, and make the people afford more with less salary. Unfortunately younger generations have it difficult though, but it's a general perception in many countries.
Sure there are various ways to save money and to make life a bit easier. If you own a second property you do in fact need to pay taxes on it. A lot of younger people don't want to work and it may be that they don't have the same work ethic as their parents. However a lot of jobs pay peanuts and I can't blame people for not wanting to work for such low wages.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly It is not that people don't want to work but not for crap money, The property taxes (IMU) on a second home are quite low, on an apartment that is valued at 250K and is 70m2 are about 75 Euros per month, practically nothing compared to property taxes in USA!
Hi David, grazie! I am so exited, my flight to Rome is on the 16. I wish I could spend enought time in Rome to visit with you but I am traveling with 3 chihuahuas and need to get to my place in Scalea "a presto!". I will keep in touch once I settle there.
Very interesting indeed...seems the cell phone bills can offset some off the higher utility bills. Here in the SW of the US, I have solar panels and they cover my electric bills...cable TV, internet, 'landline" is about $200 a month, utilities (cooking/hot water heater gas, garbage, water) about $75 average, but a bit higher in winter. Car insurance, house insurance...well, it all adds up!
My husband and I are moving from super expensive California, to Italy because we cannot afford to retire here in the US. We are self employed, and between the high costs of living, inflation, and medical, well, you get the idea!
Absolutely. I was in the US two months ago visiting my parents and every time I come back I am always shocked at the rising costs. I also worry for my parents because their income is set and the cost of living just keeps going up. I can tell you right now one thing that I will never miss the United States is health insurance, and I hope it never goes to that system here in Italy. You do have to pay for the system here, however, the costs are no comparison to what you would pay in the United States.
In Rome, I think every carrier should have 5G coverage by now. I'm not sure about smaller cities though. I remember traveling in a small town in Calabria and I had 3 SIM cards, none of them worked. The locals told me that there was only one carrier which had coverage there. Then I found out each carrier has a webpage that lets you select a location and tells you if they have coverage there or not. Kinda convenient to check it out first I guess.
They may all have it by now. I’m not surprised you had limited coverage in Calabria. Mountainous towns tend to be be that way. It happened in Abruzzo to us
honestly both my parents are (actually my dad just got retired) statal average workers, no big curriculum needed, and took 1700-1800 here in Florence, but probably after many years of career. So i think that 1500 is a starting point when you start a new job but with time the salary should increase, step by step, at least for statal workers it is this way, i suppose even for private ones. Also you should mention that in many jobs you get a 13th and even a 14th salary per year, outside other benefits like lunch coupons, so you spend less for food.
You did not mention that salaries are quoted NET not GROSS like in the US and Britain. Let's look at Mr. Average-Italiano - they are paid for 13 or even 14 monthly payments per year - a double salary paid in July and December. In addition, Italians with regular contracts receive a total of 26 days of "paid vacation" that is the equivalent in the US of 5 weeks of paid holidays plus all of the national holidays of which there are 12 from Jan 1 New Year's Day, January 6 Epifany, Easter Sunday and Monday, April 25 (Liberation Day), May 1 (Labour Day), June 2 (republic Day, August 15 (Annunciation), November 1 (All Saints), December 8 (Immaculata), December 25 and 26 (Xmas and S. Stefano), next no outlays for healthcare - souse and children are covered whether or not they work, additional payments only due if salary is higher - not on the low ones 1500 etc that you mentioned. So no outlays for insurance or copays or deductable, higher education is very low cost with most university fees being under 1000 Euros a year and for families making 1500 the fees are probably waived. Moving on, this salary also means one is paying in to the national pension program as well which is not the same thing a social security. So there is a lot more there than what it seems.
I can't remember where I heard it. Might have even been one of your videos. But for an American retiree to get an Italian retirement visa, they are required to show 3000 euro a month of retirement income. If that's true, then based on what you just said, those individuals would be wealthy in comparison to an average Italian.
Yes, it is $3000 now, and it fluctuate with the Euro USD conversion, and it also depends on what consulate you apply from. They do nit update in tandum
I have just recently learned this bit of info and it's good to know. It doesn't apply to me but still good to know and to pass onto others. 3000€ is a decent monthly salary here in Italy IF, IF, you are smart with your money. If you have expenses, if you travel a lot, if you eat out a lot etc then 3000€ can get eaten up real fast.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly 3k is a LOT in Italy, you can live more than comfy out of it, specially if you avoid the more expensive big cities such as Rome and Milan. It's true that foreigners tend to spend more than a local for obvious reason (as expat in Asia, I see that everyday), but with 3k it's quite hard to go bust in Italy. Anyway, you actually don't need that much. The req. is currently at 31k/year (38k for couples) of savings. Take note that the requirements are generally flexible and as an american would be easier than, lets say, as an african (sad but true).
I left Italy in 2005 making about 1,300 euros per month having a decent job. I have been living in America for the past 16 years now and I can’t believe salaries are still so low over there. Plus talking to my family and friends that live in the northwest side of Italy the Covid thing made it even worse. Not sure if when I retire I’ll go back home but I really do miss the lifestyle.
I think all the problems in Italy can be traced back to a lack of organization. There are other factors, of course, but I think that’s the main one. I also think that too many Italians do things which are in theirs and their friends’ best interest. As a result, everyone else loses out.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Organization? Actually, the main issue is that the labor market and contracts were designed for a country of industrial and agricultural workers in the years following the war - there are many cultural and labor/political belief systems that make freeing up the system very difficult as much of the system is designed to support and work in concert with the welfare state.
Your video is very accurate. Scusa se scrivo in italiano, ma faccio prima, dovrebbe comunque apparire il pulsante "traduci" e non essere un problema. In italia abbiamo molte piccole e medie imprese che investono poco in automazione e che sono male organizzate. Questo si traduce in bassa produttività e bassi stipendi a parità di ore lavorate. Io stesso ho lavorato in una ditta che usava macchine di 50 anni fa. Che produttività gli puoi chiedere? Inoltre c'è un problema culturale: si crede che i dipendenti siano un costo da abbattere invece che una risorsa. Per questo si cerca di abbassare gli stipendi anche affidandosi a personale straniero o dando in subappalto i lavori. O anche evitando sicurezza e manutenzione. Questo si traduce in un mondo del lavoro un po' pazzo. Ecco perché molti ti chiedono "perché dagli usa sei venuto in Italia?".
Ormai non mi stupisce più quando me lo chiedono. Tutto ciò che hai detto mi sembra una mancanza di organizzazione che parte dallo stato. Non sono un esperto in economia ma il mio istinto mi dice così
I have 2 cell phones on 1 package in NL, Canada, unlimited calling and 50 gigs. I pay 200.00 a month for the packege not including buying the phones, 8 euros is sooooooo cheap.
If these are bills in Rome, I assume smaller cities are ridiculously cheap? I mean 900/mo for a 2 bedroom apartment in Rome seems crazy cheap. I assumed Rome was like every other major developed country world city and it would be several thousand per month. Wow.😊
Salaries are very low compared to Australia. There is no minimum wage either. Of course cost of living is generally lower but not sure it balances out because of the low wages there.
I don’t think there is a minimum wage on a national level however, there are minimum wages with certain contracts. Correct, It does balance out because the cost of living is less here
David... come on, how can you show the general cost for the gas in Sicily as an example where you have the outside temperature at an avarage of 14°C throughout the winter... come up here to the north, where heating is running 24/7 from December to February... with the OLD gas price of ONLY 16cent per cubic meter of gas + taxes ecc ecc (of course) and in one month you would be lucky if you spend from 400 to 700 Euros for the avarage 100square meter apartment... 🙈🙈🙈🙈 I cannot imagine how the average family will be able to warm up the house the next winter with the gas nowadays price at an avarage of about 1.2euros per cubic meter of gas + taxes ecc ecc just as before... there will be people who's monthly income will not cover the gas bill alone... 😱😱😱😱 Sicily and the northern Italy are the opposite and the extremes on this topic... If I could have a 200 euro only gas bill up here in winter time I think I would have a party to celebrate the event!!!! People from Sicily stop complaining... you "lucky Ducks"!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 anyway nice to see you back on another video! Cheers Seb
Hey Seb. Oddio, that is a huge increase ! My wife wanted to mention that we were dealing with Southern Italy where it's not too cold. So with that said the viewer hopefully can realize that bills in the Alps and Dolomites are considerably higher. I am also worried about families this winter, hopefully a solution can be found. Personally here in Rome, I'd never or seldom turn it on as I like the cold and I just wear warm clothing in winter. I WISH I had more time for videos as I am loving this whole YT experience. Un abbraccio!
@@DavidsDoseofItaly In some way a solution must be found and I an sure it'll be found... as usual... Italians like dramas so now there is all that "winging" but we will survive... as far as Italians havevtimeband energies to make their drama everything is normal... remember the covid, that was serious and there were very little drama, people were throuly scared avtotally different approach to the problem. For sure up here we cannot even think about not turning the heating on, simply because the water would freeze inside the pipelines and would destroy the entire water and heating systems... we will save money in some way to pay our gas bills... less Christmas presents, less winter vacation, less money for Netflix or Sky or other amusement... we will use money for the bare necessities as our grandparents did during WW2 because this is a war and we are in the middle of the WW3 it's just a new kind of war with no bombing (at least over our heads for the moment) but it is a real tangible war!!! We are all involved, we enter the battlefield every time we go to grocery stores, supermarkets, malls, cinemas, ecc ecc ecc... it's, as usual, all about money just in a different way... every war in the past, at a final analysis, was about money and this one is not an exception, the different is just that it is openly about money since the beginning instead of pretending to be for other reasons! That's the reality, we've got to face it and, fingers crossed, we must find a way out, hopefully as smooth and painless as possible! 🤞🤞🤞
I view this as a wakeup call for all of us. We’re all feeling the pinch of these increases and I think the only solution that we can do for ourselves, aside from voting the right people into office is to increase our income. There are many ways to do that if you’re willing to put the time, money and effort into learning new skills that can pay you for what you’re worth. This channel for example does pay me a bit of money every month and while it’s not enough to go full time, it is proof that learning a new skill can pay off. 3 years ago, I had no idea how to make videos, talk into a camera, edit, etc. Is this approach for everyone? No. Does it work? Yes. In the meantime we need to be patient and just think of this as a diffilcult period in our lives.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I totally agree... but in general learning new things that in some way are into our comfort area is important to keep feeling alive... to keep going without having that feeling of the time passing and just getting older!
@@CandyBimatic That’s important too. But if we stay in our comfort zone and we aren’t learning and growing then I think it becomes harder to maintain that comfort zone
Hey man this is another incredibly informative and entertaining video. My family and I are official coming April 2023, got the tickets! I’ve got a million questions about renting an apartment. Are websites the best place to find an apartment? Or is it better to get to know people and find a word of mouth place? How do I know I’m not getting ripped off? What questions should I ask a landlord? Anyways, thanks for your videos, and it would be an actual dream to meet you when we pass through Rome. Cheers!
Yo Joe! So you're moving here in 2023? Nice! Good questions and I should really make a video on this. So, to avoid all the problems you have just mentioned I would consider getting a place via an agency. Now, as you can imagine, they are more expensive as you need to pay fees. However, I think it is well worth it because you have a guaranteed contract, all legit and provided you give proper notice in advance you’ll have no problems getting your deposit back. Granted I would only go this route if you’re serious and have a solid 1 year plan to live in Italy in a specific location. If however you want to do it privately, meet the owner and if you can talk to the other people living there. Trust first impressions and trust your instincts.
I pay 5,49 for my cellphone and I have 1000 minutes for calls and 10 GB for internet (which I never use cause I'm always on wi-fi) You went a bit too high when talking about how much you could get a month. 1.100 to 1.500 euro is if you have an "old" contract, nowadays they tend to pay under 1.000 euros to a young person looking for work and it's always for a limited time (tempo determinato). I'm lucky that my husband has an "old" contract so he has a better salary that most young people do. It's really sad. Utilities now are a really sad topic, I hope we'll soon leave this sad time behind.
what?! 5,5€ per month for 1'000 minutes and 10 gb?! In Italy?! With ho mobile i pay 7€ for unlimited minutes and sms and 30 gb, but i will change it to 8€ with unlimites calls/sms and 150 gb!
Norma, yeah I was quite confused as to what amount to actually say and to not depress people I didn’t want to get into the notoriously low salaries (especially in the South) of under 1000€ which I used to make in Campania. Culturally rich and financially poor situation and all the culture and aperitifs and caffè at the bar doesnt’ pay the bills. Anzi. I do hope this slavery situation ends within our lifetime here in Italy not to mention this energy crisis.
I don't know, David...Italy must be pretty expensive because I see you couldn't afford a NY Yankees shirt; you had to go for something less desirable to save some soldi... ;) - you have a new subscriber as of today!
David hi from fellow YOutuber, it would be nice if say at 3:00 when you say the name of website, if you put it on screen, all ot make things easy for your viewers. I couldn't catch the name of the website you said.
Compare immigration income of $3600 year to actual costs and really high entry to live Italy. Being many many ghost towns needing people think they would make it more fair, especially if you bought a house
@@DavidsDoseofItaly - They're talking about the amount Italy wants you to have to immigrate under a retirement visa. They do consider if you buy a house/apt. in that it lowers your monthly expenses (no rent to pay). Not sure people realize that for a retirement visa, it needs to be passive income, like US Social Security, 401k accounts, or rental property income.
Thank you Beth for the explanation. I confess that I am a little bit ignorant in regards to the retirement process here in Italy for people who are not Italian. I actually think it’s very smart to have passive income in order to exist here in Italy. It’s guaranteed income and this is exactly what you want if you plan to retire here. Thanks to this channel I do make some passive income so I understand firsthand the benefit of making it
Buona sera Davide! I will soon be looking to move to Sicily from Florence. In general I know that the cost of living in Sicily is less than Florence. I have disability benefits from the US because of a spinal cord injury that total roughly $2,000 per month. Plus I have a small nest egg of about $15,000. I know that this is enough to live comfortably in Sicily. However, this does not seem to be enough to qualify for an Elective Residency visa? Any ideas on how to overcome this situation in order to live in Italy full time. I'd rather not be doing that whole 3 months in Italy then 3 months outside Schengen rotation kinda thing. Any advice would be very appreciated. Side note, the exchange rate right now for an American is excellent compared to what it was in October of 2021 when I arrived. So I am certainly saving A LOT of money on that right now. Ok, grazie! Paul in Firenze
I am not sure what your working status is here in Italy but I would look into making money online. I also don't know what your skill set is, but if you can apply your skills to a money making idea online it might be what you need to satisfy visa requirements. Just a wild idea but consider self-publishing on Amazon. (Spoiler, I am pursuing this business model now alongside this channel!).
@@jaimieoxford8212 a lot of that happens. Yes but there are plenty of honest citizens here who declare fairly. Italians rely a lot on getting by via help from friends and family. Also Italians are better savers than Americans , they don’t fill their houses with expensive items and it’s not uncommon for people to live in houses that belong to their families. So no mortgage payments although a lot of Italians do pay a mortgage.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I think this is something I LOVE about Italy and Italians... experience seems to rank higher than owned items. I have a modest midwest home yet the amount of 'stuff' I have is absurd. I have a storage unit I rent for my 'stuff'. When I am in Italy, I feel completely fulfilled just BEING there. I get that some of this is cultural, some is a novelty, but I do think there is something different there. I intend to investigate this phenomenon every year for the rest of my life! Sadly, I can only go for 3 weeks this year. I intend to turn 'weeks' into 'months' soon.
Italians rely heavily on a close-knit, social net work and family ties. The government is also more generous, and there are various ways to receive extra money from the government. Plus, I suspect that a lot of income that Italians earn is not declared.
@@ayoubmalla843 Read the comments, this guy gives only 1/2 the true info, makes it sound as if Italians are all poor or barely surviving. Those salaries are NET after taxes, healthcare etc. and are the lowest net salaries. Italy is a top 10 economy, military AND wealthiest citizens. Italians are the RICHEST in savings in Europe!
That is your perception of how I have presented the information. It is only my view of the average Italian family but for me, it is common place for them to complain about their salaries, and how they can’t keep up with the cost of living. I think would save them as the fact that yes they are good savers and their reliance on social and family networks does make a difference. But still not everyone is that fortunate, and with the average italian salary with no savings, and no help at all from anybody you really can’t save, invest, or comfortably start a family. Italy is a wealthy country because of its many industries and wealthy entrepreneurs, who take advantage of the low salaries. Granted, I am not an economist, but that is how I see the reality here.
That depends on your income bracket just like the United States. I would say, though that for the average citizen, it is higher here in Italy don’t forget our taxes pay for the healthcare system, which is fine by me.
Dude you kinda breezed over the most important expense, which is housing. whenever I look to maximize "geographic arbitrage". the ONLY expense I look as is rent. Rent is your biggest ongoing expense, and other expenses such as cell phone etc are meager in comparison and almost always align with that rent benchmark.
Rent is depending obviously by the place. Rome or Milan is obvious more costly than a little town. The bigger the house the more costly. For example in a little town you can rent a house of 100 m/q for 150-200€ or 250-300€ depending on the exact location (storic center of the town, outside town, etc) or region
Better come and freeze in Germoney. You can apply for Bürgergeld paying for your housing, healthcare, your energy, your water, food and cultural participation = drinking and smoking up to 3.200 Euro per month for a family of 4.
@@OKuusava It depends what bills you have to pay. If you want to be a resident in Italy you have to have a personal code, you can't do anything without it.
Although it helps that before I moved here I was an Italian citizen, I however did not get my residency for a good 10 years afterward. I was able to open a bank account with, yes, a codice fiscale. I don't think you need to be an Italian citizen to get that.
Your video is completely off and gives a completely distorted view of Italy making it seem a 3rd world country! Here are the stats: Italians are the richest in Europe in savings and one of the highest in home ownership, have 4X less debt per household than the Dutch, 8th in the world in household net worth, 4th in Europe, 7th in the world in National Wealth, 3rd in total NET contributions to the EU among many others. Italy: #10 ...in Ultra High Net Worth Individuals Above USD $50M.. #7...just below India that has 25X the pop. Number of Millionaires by country: #7... In REAL wage growth, not skewered by exchange rates...between 2017 & 2018 in increased millionaires... #1 Gold reserves... #3 (from official eu statistics):industrial production by country Germany recorded the highest value of sold production, equivalent to 29 % of the EU total, followed by Italy (18 %), France (12 %), Spain (9 %), Poland (5 %) and the Netherlands (3%). The other 21 EU Member States contributed with smaller shares (up to 3 %).14 lug 2021 Italy depends on German money? NET CONTRIBUTOR to the EU budget since DECADES and each years gives 14 bn euro to the EU budget, receiving far less. This money go to Poland, Hungary, Spain and rd NET other poor countries in EU. Italy has a private wealth that is up to 11 trillions dollars, so even if she "goes bankrupt" for her debt (which is 166% of the GDP although most in Italian hands, Japan has 270% debt and America also over 130% and ALL THESE COUNTRIES ARE TOO BIG TO FAIL, Italians have the money TO BUY ALL THE DEBT! The regions (and autonomous provinces) of northern Italy have the following GDP per capita (2019): Alto Adige/Südtirol 48.1k, Lombardy 39.7k, Trentino 38.8k, Aosta Valley 38.8k, Emilia-Romagna 36.7k, Veneto 33.7k, Liguria 32.3k, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 31.9k, Piedmont 31.7k. Comparable with the GDP per capita (2019) of: Saxony 31.4k, Schleswig-Holstein 33.7k, Rhineland-Palatinate 35.4k, Saarland 36.6k, Lower Saxony 38.4k, North Rhine-Westphalia 39.6k, Berlin 41.9k, Hesse 46.9k. Better than Saxony (31k), Thuringia (29k), Brandenburg (29k), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (29k), Saxony-Anhalt (28.8k). Worse than Baden-Württemberg (47.3k), Bavaria (48.3k), Bremen (49.2k), Hamburg (66.8k). According to the German institute Stiftung Markwirtschaft, in 2018, the aggregate explicit debt + implicit debt of Italy is 122%, lower than the German one at 170%.
To be honest, objectively speaking and nothing personal I find these stats arbitrary. While facts about wealth, GDP, or the number of billionaires can demonstrate the economic strength or prosperity of a nation, they do not necessarily reflect the economic conditions of the entire population. By solely focusing on positive economic indicators, one may overlook or disregard the struggles faced by certain segments of the population, such as the poor or the middle class, who may be experiencing financial difficulties or challenges in meeting their basic needs. I could show plenty of positive looking stats of the US and an outsider who knows nothing about the US might think it sounds like paradise on Earth. I stand by what I say because I look at Italy from a sociological perspective and from personal experiences. Take it with a grain of salt.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Stats are stats and of course these do not take into consideration every person, some will always do better than others, however I'm so sick and tired of the impression given that Italy is some type of "poor man of Europe" a complete basket case, low wage, high unemployment dystopia and many times this impression stems from Italians themselves. As commenters have told you, your wage model of 1000-1500 Euros per month salary does not say this is after taxes, healthcare benefits etc. That model gives an impression the vast majority of Italians could not possibly be living a comfortable life, how can a supposed 1st world country get by with such 3rd world salaries? And look up the meaning of arbitrary, it does not apply to these stats. And I agree, the US, Germany, Japan are not the utopias they seem to be, but neither is Italy the basket case so often portrayed. Yet those 3 are always portrayed as rich, Italy, poor which is far from the truth. This video seems to enforce those stereotypes, showing only the negatives.
It wasn’t my intention to say that the stats are arbitrary. The stats don’t lie, of course, but what I meant was it may be arbitrary to only look at Italy from a statistical point of view and not examine other factors when looking at the overall health of the country. I have seen how Italians make ends meet with their salaries, and they often they rely on friends and family networking, which is a key component Italian culture. There’s also the matter of your ISEE which in our situation, helped us to alleviate some of the cost of childcare. The point is this, while there are ways to save money, via friends and family and you do receive some help from the government, Italians salaries are somewhat low, compared to other countries. They are certainly not the lowest. From personal experiences, and via people that I have met throughout the years, I have just heard too many horror stories about low wages, and too often situations where stipends were either delayed or not paid it all to say that this is even normal in Italy would be a bit misleading but trust me, these situations do exist, and I myself have gotten stiffed out of money, at least three times in my life here. That’s a bit off-topic, however. In my opinion, what keeps Italy competitive in the world is its reputation, tourism, numerous industries that compete on global level and of course its culinary fascination. I think there are enough entrepreneurs who keep it really competitive however, there is a considerable separation between them, and your average worker. Without the help of family and friends, if you have just arrived in this country for the first time, and you were starting from scratch, which, by the way, it does happen in this country as many people want to live here, but I don’t think an Italian salary is the way to create Real financial stability in your life.
50 years ago it was 4 bilion people now over 8 bilion. Lets see the prices when 10 or 12 bilion. Allover the world its expensive... but you can set yourself free of slavery.
Thank you David. Great information. Here are some comparisons that I can share. - single man paying for good medical insurance $ 400 - $600 per month - one persons grocery bill nearly doubled from last year - Open southern border for illegal aliens seeking refuge only to receive free cell phones to “track” them when they arrive, free lodging, health care and education on the dime of the American tax payer. My cell phone bill is cheap compared to other here that pay $200 to $600 per month. There is no bed of roses no place. It is what we make of it. As I see it there is a certain order and a level of respect in italy where here in the US they are losing control and order.
Interesting Louis. Thank you. Medical insurance costs never cease to amaze me in the US. What do you mean though by "certain order and a level of respect " in Italy?
@@DavidsDoseofItaly There seems to be a certain order and courtesy in Italy. Law enforcement isn’t intimidated by and being told to back off from enforcing the law in Italy as opposed to defunding the police here in the US.
It's going to get VERY VERY expensive very soon. Italy has THE LOWEST salaries on average in Italy as it has no legislation on minimum wage. Be warned. Do your homework and inform yourselves.
That's not entirely true: almost every sector has its national contract with wage tables and levels, so for example if you work in a metalworking company you will be paid minimum 1.509,07 euro per month (gross salary, and x 13 months) and that's really entry level. There are some productive sectors that doesn't have this kind of national contract, but we're talking about small businesses and few productive companies. The average net salary in Italy is 1.600 euro (13 months) or 1.500 (14 months). If you are in your 30s and you get lower than that chances are that you just started to work in a small town in the south of Italy.
Unfortunately yes this energy crisis has hit the whole world. The only solution that I see is to increase your income because pennypinching can’t work forever.
I think maybe the economy is less than the US and the way of life there is where you don’t need as much so the cost of living is less. The government isn’t one that is super wealthy like the US which is another reason. And personally, I don’t think there is as much greed there as there is here in the US. All those factors come into play, I believe. Can’t wait to move there. So looking forward to it!
There’s greed here. Absolutely. Italians, very often look at their own interests first. However, I do find them much more helpful than many Americans. It’s all relative.
Italy is one of the wealthiest nations in the world - you cannot compare things just based on salary - another point not mentioned is that generally Italians carry almost no debt other than mortgages or car loans as university is quite inexpensive. In addition, it is quite common to own your home or even a second one. It is not just about how much comes in esch month.
Super informative and entertaining video! I really like the editing in this one. Great to have the personal story of the gas bill in Sicily, along with showing prices of phone plans, it gives a good, broad sense overall of the cost of living. Rent has gotten crazy over there though!
Hi Patrick. Almost no one notices the editing in my videos ! Thanks for noticing. I like visual aids and I try not to just be a talking head which tends to be boring.
Well how broad these prices are is up to interpretation really. It’s indicative but not definitive although the phone plans I believe are accurate.
Italian salaries are typically referred to by the net after taxes. While taxes are high, there are more social services with healthcare being the biggest.
Exactly. There are cases of bad medical practices here and mistakes, but on the whole I’m content.
and you are paid for 13 or 14 moths!
Living inthe German speaking Italian region Alto Adige.
The monthly costs without any luxury are 3000 € !
David you must say that in the avarage of 1500 Euros is what you get having all of the taxes already payed and most important the Universal Helthcare is included so you don't have to worry about not being able to go to the doctor! And this apply for you all over the EU so if you're on vacation, let's say in Germany... you are covered because you're a EU citizen... in the US you make more money but how much would you spend for the Healthcare Insurrance alone... I mean one that covers you exactly as we are covered here in Italy with NO CO-PAY so that if you are sick you just go to the doctor or go to the hospital or call an ambulance (20 Euros extra) and you are fully covered? That's something to take into account when you talk about how much money you really have in your hands after the taxes and Healthcare insurance...
Hi Sebastian. Yes, I gladly pay taxes to have that health care service when I need it. The point of the video was more informational and a bit less on the discussion side. But you're right.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly ...sooner or later you could consider making a video about health care system in Italy (all the other EU countries are similar), compared to what happens in the USA. So, the information would be complete. Health care and welfare are always a "delicate" point of discussion for me with my American friends (they are not lib, so...). Last but not least, keep in mind that Roma and Milano, just to say, are very different and life in Milano costs more. But salaries in Milano are also a bit higher. Best thing would probably be, for an American, working here for, say, 1 year with a permesso di lavoro, but keeping his/her American salary 😬
In Australia our wages are very high compared to Italy plus we have universal healthcare etc. prices are higher for many things but that is a reflection of our high wages
@@sgm6690good for you
@@sunmand6136 The life expectancy of Itslians is among g the highest in the world... this is only possible in the presence of an excellent national healthcare system that provides prevention and treatment, the well known Mediterranean good food and good lifestyle habits alone would not be enough!
Don't forget that if you are hospitalized to be treated or have to undergo an operation, you don't spend anything and you don't have to commit the house.
For the most part yes but often there’s a ticket to pay as they call it. My niece was hospitalized for a number of days in Florence and didn’t pay anything. I myself had to have day surgery a number of years ago and this was before I had a national health card. Didn’t pay anything
But what about longer term treatments? Eg what happens if you get cancer? Or develop a chronic heart condition? I would be nervous that the system in Italy is optimized around emergencies and quick treatments.
If you find yourself in an ambiguous difficult situation, in the US you have a lot of autonomy to choose specialists, get multiple opinions, choose hospitals and settle on a treatment plan you want. I get the feeling that isn't as true in Italy. Of course that's only true in the US with good insurance.
National average NET salary is over 1600 euros per month and it includes health insurance with no co-pay. Comparing to US, you should also point out that any job gets, from day 1: around 4 weeks of payed holidays a year, payed sick leave, a few hours a month of payed "permission" (you can be out of work and be payed to do your own business), payed parental leave, pension credits, "tfr credits". TFR is money that your employer have to give you when you stop working for him and it's about one month of pay per year worked.
Hi Alex. Another spot on observation. yes those are all true. The trade off for a contract that pays you less is that you are better protected with more benefits. The solution to the lower salary? Start a side hustle and then when you build that one up create another. No one should live on just one salary. It's too risky.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly true but... this is American mindset, not Italian's.
That said, to have a better view of italian cost of living, the best thing is to search for "istat indice prezzi al consumo". This is a full list of national average prices of over 1700 common goods updated by the national statistics office. It's a great resource to have a broad idea
I agree with you, David, and with others here. The US is difficult as salaries rarely go up anymore, but the costs keep going up and up.
Car insurance & house insurance are also one of the highest in the country.
State employees in our state have not received a raise in a few years.
We are Italian/Greek & family values are important to us, definitely more important than material things like fancy cars & expensive phones.
We are planning a trip to see how life is there.
Salaries are stagnant here too I’m afraid. But I think it’s easier to have less money here in Italy than in the US. I think the only real solution is to be an investor or start a business and preferably online. My YT channel for example is a small business.
Best of luck In whatever you do! If you do decide to make the move here consider Rome and northward if you like cleanliness (relatively speaking ) and organization
@David's Dose of Italy - Thank you for the advice, David .
Davis, what part of its,y do you live in?
Living in Italy it’s been very difficult for many years now. Worse and worse year by year. People and family are struggling to make payments and find a good job.
It's difficult in the us. Alot of inflation sky high rents
Conditions aren't good, very true. I also feel that a lot of people accept their fate because in Italy you're taught to be grateful even if you have a miserable salary.
😐. Not a good time in our history it seems
That's a crazy thing to say. People easily forget about ww1, ww2, the great famines before that, the middle ages, etc etc.
@@josephaugello1527high rents is a problem around the world
Italians get more vacation time than Americans. I’m in Florida. It’s getting expensive like California. I’m retired and can’t afford to stay here.
Hi Carol. Come on over here! With a US pension (consult a tax expert however!) and investments you can live well here!
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I bought a place in Scalea Calabria. Italy will tax me 7% for ten years. I’m moving to Italy in March. I’ll be there first week of December to organize some things. I cannot wait!
Awesome! Time is drawing near. What happens after 10 years?
@@DavidsDoseofItaly taxes go up to normal tax rates. Italy may extend. If not, then I move north possibly
@@carolc1543 I am told Friuli Venezia Giulia is cheap and decent area to live in in Italy.
Italian salary is a different case. Most of the jobs get 14 salaries per year and a TFR, lunch coupons, additional insurances and discounts that make the job more attractive for applicants. I have to say everything is based in Italy on your ISEE, for example university fees, so if you are poor you can anyway afford it.
Many taxes are optional like the one on the house, and make the people afford more with less salary. Unfortunately younger generations have it difficult though, but it's a general perception in many countries.
Sure there are various ways to save money and to make life a bit easier. If you own a second property you do in fact need to pay taxes on it. A lot of younger people don't want to work and it may be that they don't have the same work ethic as their parents. However a lot of jobs pay peanuts and I can't blame people for not wanting to work for such low wages.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly It is not that people don't want to work but not for crap money, The property taxes (IMU) on a second home are quite low, on an apartment that is valued at 250K and is 70m2 are about 75 Euros per month, practically nothing compared to property taxes in USA!
Hi David, grazie! I am so exited, my flight to Rome is on the 16. I wish I could spend enought time in Rome to visit with you but I am traveling with 3 chihuahuas and need to get to my place in Scalea "a presto!". I will keep in touch once I settle there.
Only 3??! 😄. It's ok, I'll be here for a long time so if you pass by here again let me know! Buon viaggio
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Grazie. Ci vediamo
I'm an artist and admire how much Europeans support their artists.
I think that’s an accurate statement
Pretty much like Puerto Rico, except the coffee, it seems that in Italy is more cheap
Unfortunately I’ve not been to Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Great to see you. Hope all is well.
Hey Jeff. Doing rather well. I'll give you the dirt on what's happening in our lives in a whatsapp message! hehehhe!
Very interesting indeed...seems the cell phone bills can offset some off the higher utility bills. Here in the SW of the US, I have solar panels and they cover my electric bills...cable TV, internet, 'landline" is about $200 a month, utilities (cooking/hot water heater gas, garbage, water) about $75 average, but a bit higher in winter. Car insurance, house insurance...well, it all adds up!
It definitely adds up. I’ll bet you’re saving a lot with those solar panels.
My husband and I are moving from super expensive California, to Italy because we cannot afford to retire here in the US. We are self employed, and between the high costs of living, inflation, and medical, well, you get the idea!
Absolutely. I was in the US two months ago visiting my parents and every time I come back I am always shocked at the rising costs. I also worry for my parents because their income is set and the cost of living just keeps going up. I can tell you right now one thing that I will never miss the United States is health insurance, and I hope it never goes to that system here in Italy. You do have to pay for the system here, however, the costs are no comparison to what you would pay in the United States.
In Rome, I think every carrier should have 5G coverage by now. I'm not sure about smaller cities though. I remember traveling in a small town in Calabria and I had 3 SIM cards, none of them worked. The locals told me that there was only one carrier which had coverage there. Then I found out each carrier has a webpage that lets you select a location and tells you if they have coverage there or not. Kinda convenient to check it out first I guess.
They may all have it by now. I’m not surprised you had limited coverage in Calabria. Mountainous towns tend to be be that way. It happened in Abruzzo to us
honestly both my parents are (actually my dad just got retired) statal average workers, no big curriculum needed, and took 1700-1800 here in Florence, but probably after many years of career. So i think that 1500 is a starting point when you start a new job but with time the salary should increase, step by step, at least for statal workers it is this way, i suppose even for private ones. Also you should mention that in many jobs you get a 13th and even a 14th salary per year, outside other benefits like lunch coupons, so you spend less for food.
Yes, this is true. My wife’s job is like this and I also get the 13th month.
Very helpful
Great info!!!!
Thank you 😊
You did not mention that salaries are quoted NET not GROSS like in the US and Britain. Let's look at Mr. Average-Italiano - they are paid for 13 or even 14 monthly payments per year - a double salary paid in July and December. In addition, Italians with regular contracts receive a total of 26 days of "paid vacation" that is the equivalent in the US of 5 weeks of paid holidays plus all of the national holidays of which there are 12 from Jan 1 New Year's Day, January 6 Epifany, Easter Sunday and Monday, April 25 (Liberation Day), May 1 (Labour Day), June 2 (republic Day, August 15 (Annunciation), November 1 (All Saints), December 8 (Immaculata), December 25 and 26 (Xmas and S. Stefano), next no outlays for healthcare - souse and children are covered whether or not they work, additional payments only due if salary is higher - not on the low ones 1500 etc that you mentioned. So no outlays for insurance or copays or deductable, higher education is very low cost with most university fees being under 1000 Euros a year and for families making 1500 the fees are probably waived. Moving on, this salary also means one is paying in to the national pension program as well which is not the same thing a social security. So there is a lot more there than what it seems.
3:55 you correct yourself about versatile but, in fact, an obsolete meaning of it is "changeable" or "inconstant". So, you were right, more or less.
Thx Steve. Wasn’t too sure about that one.
Good stuff as always
I can't remember where I heard it. Might have even been one of your videos. But for an American retiree to get an Italian retirement visa, they are required to show 3000 euro a month of retirement income. If that's true, then based on what you just said, those individuals would be wealthy in comparison to an average Italian.
Yes, it is $3000 now, and it fluctuate with the Euro USD conversion, and it also depends on what consulate you apply from. They do nit update in tandum
I have just recently learned this bit of info and it's good to know. It doesn't apply to me but still good to know and to pass onto others. 3000€ is a decent monthly salary here in Italy IF, IF, you are smart with your money. If you have expenses, if you travel a lot, if you eat out a lot etc then 3000€ can get eaten up real fast.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Yes - but it will get eaten up a lot faster in Venice than in Naples, but who would choose Venice over Naples anyway.
Well, Napoli is an interesting city and full of culture but I am not sure if I'd live there again.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly 3k is a LOT in Italy, you can live more than comfy out of it, specially if you avoid the more expensive big cities such as Rome and Milan.
It's true that foreigners tend to spend more than a local for obvious reason (as expat in Asia, I see that everyday), but with 3k it's quite hard to go bust in Italy.
Anyway, you actually don't need that much. The req. is currently at 31k/year (38k for couples) of savings.
Take note that the requirements are generally flexible and as an american would be easier than, lets say, as an african (sad but true).
Very informative and shocking to see how much the cost of gas has risen.
it's insane, we need to get off this fossil fuel addiction.
I left Italy in 2005 making about 1,300 euros per month having a decent job.
I have been living in America for the past 16 years now and I can’t believe salaries are still so low over there.
Plus talking to my family and friends that live in the northwest side of Italy the Covid thing made it even worse.
Not sure if when I retire I’ll go back home but I really do miss the lifestyle.
I think all the problems in Italy can be traced back to a lack of organization. There are other factors, of course, but I think that’s the main one. I also think that too many Italians do things which are in theirs and their friends’ best interest. As a result, everyone else loses out.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Organization? Actually, the main issue is that the labor market and contracts were designed for a country of industrial and agricultural workers in the years following the war - there are many cultural and labor/political belief systems that make freeing up the system very difficult as much of the system is designed to support and work in concert with the welfare state.
Your video is very accurate.
Scusa se scrivo in italiano, ma faccio prima, dovrebbe comunque apparire il pulsante "traduci" e non essere un problema.
In italia abbiamo molte piccole e medie imprese che investono poco in automazione e che sono male organizzate. Questo si traduce in bassa produttività e bassi stipendi a parità di ore lavorate. Io stesso ho lavorato in una ditta che usava macchine di 50 anni fa. Che produttività gli puoi chiedere? Inoltre c'è un problema culturale: si crede che i dipendenti siano un costo da abbattere invece che una risorsa. Per questo si cerca di abbassare gli stipendi anche affidandosi a personale straniero o dando in subappalto i lavori. O anche evitando sicurezza e manutenzione. Questo si traduce in un mondo del lavoro un po' pazzo. Ecco perché molti ti chiedono "perché dagli usa sei venuto in Italia?".
Ormai non mi stupisce più quando me lo chiedono. Tutto ciò che hai detto mi sembra una mancanza di organizzazione che parte dallo stato. Non sono un esperto in economia ma il mio istinto mi dice così
Sempre belli i tuoi video. Dovresti avere almeno 100000 iscritti. Non mollare 😉💪
I am learning Italian and just now love the phase 'non mollare'. What a beautiful language!
Ciao zio e grazie mille! Non so se arriverò mai a quel numero di iscritti ma anche avendo fatto 5000 per me è stata una cosa che non mi aspettavo!
I have always love the Italian language although sometimes it doesn’t make sense in specific situations. At least for me
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Well, in defense of Italian language... American English can be very obtuse.
@@Davearmstrong42 how so ?
I have 2 cell phones on 1 package in NL, Canada, unlimited calling and 50 gigs. I pay 200.00 a month for the packege not including buying the phones, 8 euros is sooooooo cheap.
Yikes that’s a lot. I have no idea why other countries charge so much
If these are bills in Rome, I assume smaller cities are ridiculously cheap? I mean 900/mo for a 2 bedroom apartment in Rome seems crazy cheap. I assumed Rome was like every other major developed country world city and it would be several thousand per month. Wow.😊
Salaries are very low compared to Australia. There is no minimum wage either. Of course cost of living is generally lower but not sure it balances out because of the low wages there.
I don’t think there is a minimum wage on a national level however, there are minimum wages with certain contracts. Correct, It does balance out because the cost of living is less here
Australia's cost of living is astronomical compared to Italy! It depends what you do and who you are in Italy - socially and politically!
No that’s not the case. Prices might be double in Australia but so are wages. It all balances out for the most part
@@mediterraneanworld yes. Social connections are everything in Italy.
@@sgm6690 same as the US really.
David... come on, how can you show the general cost for the gas in Sicily as an example where you have the outside temperature at an avarage of 14°C throughout the winter... come up here to the north, where heating is running 24/7 from December to February... with the OLD gas price of ONLY 16cent per cubic meter of gas + taxes ecc ecc (of course) and in one month you would be lucky if you spend from 400 to 700 Euros for the avarage 100square meter apartment... 🙈🙈🙈🙈 I cannot imagine how the average family will be able to warm up the house the next winter with the gas nowadays price at an avarage of about 1.2euros per cubic meter of gas + taxes ecc ecc just as before... there will be people who's monthly income will not cover the gas bill alone... 😱😱😱😱 Sicily and the northern Italy are the opposite and the extremes on this topic... If I could have a 200 euro only gas bill up here in winter time I think I would have a party to celebrate the event!!!! People from Sicily stop complaining... you "lucky Ducks"!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 anyway nice to see you back on another video! Cheers Seb
Hey Seb. Oddio, that is a huge increase ! My wife wanted to mention that we were dealing with Southern Italy where it's not too cold. So with that said the viewer hopefully can realize that bills in the Alps and Dolomites are considerably higher. I am also worried about families this winter, hopefully a solution can be found. Personally here in Rome, I'd never or seldom turn it on as I like the cold and I just wear warm clothing in winter. I WISH I had more time for videos as I am loving this whole YT experience. Un abbraccio!
@@DavidsDoseofItaly In some way a solution must be found and I an sure it'll be found... as usual... Italians like dramas so now there is all that "winging" but we will survive... as far as Italians havevtimeband energies to make their drama everything is normal... remember the covid, that was serious and there were very little drama, people were throuly scared avtotally different approach to the problem. For sure up here we cannot even think about not turning the heating on, simply because the water would freeze inside the pipelines and would destroy the entire water and heating systems... we will save money in some way to pay our gas bills... less Christmas presents, less winter vacation, less money for Netflix or Sky or other amusement... we will use money for the bare necessities as our grandparents did during WW2 because this is a war and we are in the middle of the WW3 it's just a new kind of war with no bombing (at least over our heads for the moment) but it is a real tangible war!!! We are all involved, we enter the battlefield every time we go to grocery stores, supermarkets, malls, cinemas, ecc ecc ecc... it's, as usual, all about money just in a different way... every war in the past, at a final analysis, was about money and this one is not an exception, the different is just that it is openly about money since the beginning instead of pretending to be for other reasons! That's the reality, we've got to face it and, fingers crossed, we must find a way out, hopefully as smooth and painless as possible! 🤞🤞🤞
I view this as a wakeup call for all of us. We’re all feeling the pinch of these increases and I think the only solution that we can do for ourselves, aside from voting the right people into office is to increase our income. There are many ways to do that if you’re willing to put the time, money and effort into learning new skills that can pay you for what you’re worth. This channel for example does pay me a bit of money every month and while it’s not enough to go full time, it is proof that learning a new skill can pay off. 3 years ago, I had no idea how to make videos, talk into a camera, edit, etc. Is this approach for everyone? No. Does it work? Yes. In the meantime we need to be patient and just think of this as a diffilcult period in our lives.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I totally agree... but in general learning new things that in some way are into our comfort area is important to keep feeling alive... to keep going without having that feeling of the time passing and just getting older!
@@CandyBimatic That’s important too. But if we stay in our comfort zone and we aren’t learning and growing then I think it becomes harder to maintain that comfort zone
Hey man this is another incredibly informative and entertaining video. My family and I are official coming April 2023, got the tickets!
I’ve got a million questions about renting an apartment. Are websites the best place to find an apartment? Or is it better to get to know people and find a word of mouth place? How do I know I’m not getting ripped off? What questions should I ask a landlord?
Anyways, thanks for your videos, and it would be an actual dream to meet you when we pass through Rome. Cheers!
Yo Joe! So you're moving here in 2023? Nice! Good questions and I should really make a video on this. So, to avoid all the problems you have just mentioned I would consider getting a place via an agency. Now, as you can imagine, they are more expensive as you need to pay fees.
However, I think it is well worth it because you have a guaranteed contract, all legit and provided you give proper notice in advance you’ll have no problems getting your deposit back. Granted I would only go this route if you’re serious and have a solid 1 year plan to live in Italy in a specific location.
If however you want to do it privately, meet the owner and if you can talk to the other people living there. Trust first impressions and trust your instincts.
When you talk about how much Italians make per month - is that before- or after-taxes amounts?
@@yurisyuganov6348 this is net income. So after taxes.
I pay 5,49 for my cellphone and I have 1000 minutes for calls and 10 GB for internet (which I never use cause I'm always on wi-fi)
You went a bit too high when talking about how much you could get a month. 1.100 to 1.500 euro is if you have an "old" contract, nowadays they tend to pay under 1.000 euros to a young person looking for work and it's always for a limited time (tempo determinato). I'm lucky that my husband has an "old" contract so he has a better salary that most young people do. It's really sad.
Utilities now are a really sad topic, I hope we'll soon leave this sad time behind.
what?! 5,5€ per month for 1'000 minutes and 10 gb?! In Italy?! With ho mobile i pay 7€ for unlimited minutes and sms and 30 gb, but i will change it to 8€ with unlimites calls/sms and 150 gb!
Which company Outis?
Norma, yeah I was quite confused as to what amount to actually say and to not depress people I didn’t want to get into the notoriously low salaries (especially in the South) of under 1000€ which I used to make in Campania. Culturally rich and financially poor situation and all the culture and aperitifs and caffè at the bar doesnt’ pay the bills. Anzi.
I do hope this slavery situation ends within our lifetime here in Italy not to mention this energy crisis.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly ho mobile, a Vodafone brand. The only bad thing is the speed limit
I don't know, David...Italy must be pretty expensive because I see you couldn't afford a NY Yankees shirt; you had to go for something less desirable to save some soldi... ;) - you have a new subscriber as of today!
Well my dad , born bred Bostonian would disown me if I wore a Yankees shirt!
Thanks for subscribing!
Yes.
David hi from fellow YOutuber, it would be nice if say at 3:00 when you say the name of website, if you put it on screen, all ot make things easy for your viewers. I couldn't catch the name of the website you said.
Hi! Thank you for the tip.
I’m always looking to add as much clarity to my videos as possible
Thanks! @@DavidsDoseofItaly
From the recent videos I’ve seen yes it is expensive…. But, where is it cheap anymore anyways… no more cheap safe havens for retirees… 😢
I would say, southern Italy is still a good cheap option. Friuli Venezia Giulia I am told might also be a good option.
How much pharmacist assistant can make in Italy?
Difficult to say. But I think they make more than the national average. My best guess is that they probably make between 1600 and 2000 per month.
Compare immigration income of $3600 year to actual costs and really high entry to live Italy. Being many many ghost towns needing people think they would make it more fair, especially if you bought a house
Can you rephrase that? I don't quite understand. What is immigration income?
@@DavidsDoseofItaly - They're talking about the amount Italy wants you to have to immigrate under a retirement visa. They do consider if you buy a house/apt. in that it lowers your monthly expenses (no rent to pay). Not sure people realize that for a retirement visa, it needs to be passive income, like US Social Security, 401k accounts, or rental property income.
Thank you Beth for the explanation. I confess that I am a little bit ignorant in regards to the retirement process here in Italy for people who are not Italian. I actually think it’s very smart to have passive income in order to exist here in Italy. It’s guaranteed income and this is exactly what you want if you plan to retire here. Thanks to this channel I do make some passive income so I understand firsthand the benefit of making it
Buona sera Davide! I will soon be looking to move to Sicily from Florence. In general I know that the cost of living in Sicily is less than Florence. I have disability benefits from the US because of a spinal cord injury that total roughly $2,000 per month. Plus I have a small nest egg of about $15,000. I know that this is enough to live comfortably in Sicily. However, this does not seem to be enough to qualify for an Elective Residency visa? Any ideas on how to overcome this situation in order to live in Italy full time. I'd rather not be doing that whole 3 months in Italy then 3 months outside Schengen rotation kinda thing. Any advice would be very appreciated. Side note, the exchange rate right now for an American is excellent compared to what it was in October of 2021 when I arrived. So I am certainly saving A LOT of money on that right now. Ok, grazie! Paul in Firenze
Look in palermo cefalu it looks beautiful there. In looking there and bari, calabria I have 100s of cousins there. Maybe rome
Hi Paul. Perhaps you could get a residence visa from one of the countries that reequires less (improbable tho) then transfer to Italy
Regina: that is an interesting idea and worth looking into!
I am not sure what your working status is here in Italy but I would look into making money online. I also don't know what your skill set is, but if you can apply your skills to a money making idea online it might be what you need to satisfy visa requirements. Just a wild idea but consider self-publishing on Amazon. (Spoiler, I am pursuing this business model now alongside this channel!).
And the weather is excellent
Everything good is expensive. It can't be any other way 🎉
So true!
Is $450 a month even worth looking for in late 2023?
Sure. It might be less common than when I paid in 2017 but it’s possible
Italy is a bureaucratic nightmare. Any issue and you are forced to pay lawyer because the law does not allow you representing yourself....
Since it’s such a confusing bureaucratic nightmare who would dare to represent themselves? I wouldn’t
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Lucky you who can afford to give your money to lawyers
@@msblue1003 I can’t. But if I needed a lawyer for something super important I’d somehow find the money
Wow, so little salary. How do the Italians make ends meet?
They do everything they possibly can by not declaring anything that could be taxed. They do everything in black, under the table.
@@jaimieoxford8212 a lot of that happens. Yes but there are plenty of honest citizens here who declare fairly.
Italians rely a lot on getting by via help from friends and family. Also Italians are better savers than Americans , they don’t fill their houses with expensive items and it’s not uncommon for people to live in houses that belong to their families. So no mortgage payments although a lot of Italians do pay a mortgage.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I think this is something I LOVE about Italy and Italians... experience seems to rank higher than owned items. I have a modest midwest home yet the amount of 'stuff' I have is absurd. I have a storage unit I rent for my 'stuff'. When I am in Italy, I feel completely fulfilled just BEING there. I get that some of this is cultural, some is a novelty, but I do think there is something different there. I intend to investigate this phenomenon every year for the rest of my life! Sadly, I can only go for 3 weeks this year. I intend to turn 'weeks' into 'months' soon.
It's higher than that but unreported that's happening in the us now. many people don't report tips
Some of that novelty never wears off! Once those weeks turn into months you wont' want to go back!
All salaries really that low
Most of them yes.
Didn't know that Kyle Van Noy lived in Italy
😆😆. I see the similarity
So your monthly salary is all gone on the house rent, electricity bill,fuel and food. How do people save ?
Italians rely heavily on a close-knit, social net work and family ties. The government is also more generous, and there are various ways to receive extra money from the government. Plus, I suspect that a lot of income that Italians earn is not declared.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Ahh makes sense now 😅
@@ayoubmalla843 Read the comments, this guy gives only 1/2 the true info, makes it sound as if Italians are all poor or barely surviving. Those salaries are NET after taxes, healthcare etc. and are the lowest net salaries. Italy is a top 10 economy, military AND wealthiest citizens. Italians are the RICHEST in savings in Europe!
That is your perception of how I have presented the information. It is only my view of the average Italian family but for me, it is common place for them to complain about their salaries, and how they can’t keep up with the cost of living. I think would save them as the fact that yes they are good savers and their reliance on social and family networks does make a difference. But still not everyone is that fortunate, and with the average italian salary with no savings, and no help at all from anybody you really can’t save, invest, or comfortably start a family. Italy is a wealthy country because of its many industries and wealthy entrepreneurs, who take advantage of the low salaries. Granted, I am not an economist, but that is how I see the reality here.
What’s the name of the rental website please?
Hi. Try these. www.immobiliare.it/en/
www.subito.it
www.casa.it/
www.idealista.it/en/
What about income taxes? How high are they?
That depends on your income bracket just like the United States. I would say, though that for the average citizen, it is higher here in Italy don’t forget our taxes pay for the healthcare system, which is fine by me.
It is not the same as you are paying different types of taxes with your salary that include pensions and health care.
@@mediterraneanworld I know the taxes are higher than in the US. I just want to know what to expect on a middle class retirement income.
Dude you kinda breezed over the most important expense, which is housing. whenever I look to maximize "geographic arbitrage". the ONLY expense I look as is rent. Rent is your biggest ongoing expense, and other expenses such as cell phone etc are meager in comparison and almost always align with that rent benchmark.
Rent is depending obviously by the place. Rome or Milan is obvious more costly than a little town. The bigger the house the more costly. For example in a little town you can rent a house of 100 m/q for 150-200€ or 250-300€ depending on the exact location (storic center of the town, outside town, etc) or region
Is weed legal there?
I don't believe so, but it's not strictly enforced.
Italy don’t have minimum wage so an employer can decide to pay you less than €700 or more this is very bad
no. they're discussing it. but it also depends on your contract which does guarantee you a set amount per month.
Most jobs have a minimum wage, only some don’t have it but for various reasons
Are they pet friendly or its hell to find a place
Restaurants or stores ? Usually yes. Although at times you do see signs, which indicate no pets allowed.
What's the average salary of a lawyer in Italy?
It depends if they’re good or not. A good one could potentially bring in 50k a month. One who’s terrible 1k. It depends.
Well under the table is more than what is declared.. IAM Italian living in Australia..
Better come and freeze in Germoney. You can apply for Bürgergeld paying for your housing, healthcare, your energy, your water, food and cultural participation = drinking and smoking up to 3.200 Euro per month for a family of 4.
good to know. thx
how can i open a bank account as a non resident? is it possible? grazie mille
I don't think you can cause you'd need a "codice fiscale" it's like your personal code and you can get it only if you're a resident.
@@OKuusava It depends what bills you have to pay. If you want to be a resident in Italy you have to have a personal code, you can't do anything without it.
Although it helps that before I moved here I was an Italian citizen, I however did not get my residency for a good 10 years afterward. I was able to open a bank account with, yes, a codice fiscale. I don't think you need to be an Italian citizen to get that.
is it difficult for an American citizen to find a job in Italy?
That's a very broad question and not easy to answer. The short is no it's not incredibly hard. The longer answer is it depends on many factors.
YES - what would you do? If you don't have a work permit, speak Italian or have some type of useful skill or talent..
Your video is completely off and gives a completely distorted view of Italy making it seem a 3rd world country! Here are the stats:
Italians are the richest in Europe in savings and one of the highest in home ownership,
have 4X less debt per household than the Dutch,
8th in the world in household net worth, 4th in Europe,
7th in the world in National Wealth,
3rd in total NET contributions to the EU among many others.
Italy: #10 ...in Ultra High Net Worth Individuals
Above USD $50M.. #7...just below India that has 25X the pop.
Number of Millionaires by country: #7...
In REAL wage growth, not skewered by exchange rates...between 2017 & 2018 in increased millionaires... #1
Gold reserves... #3
(from official eu statistics):industrial production by country Germany recorded the highest value of sold production, equivalent to 29 % of the EU total, followed by Italy (18 %), France (12 %), Spain (9 %), Poland (5 %) and the Netherlands (3%). The other 21 EU Member States contributed with smaller shares (up to 3 %).14 lug 2021
Italy depends on German money? NET CONTRIBUTOR to the EU budget since DECADES and each years gives 14 bn euro to the EU budget, receiving far less. This money go to Poland, Hungary, Spain and rd NET other poor countries in EU.
Italy has a private wealth that is up to 11 trillions dollars, so even if she "goes bankrupt" for her debt (which is 166% of the GDP although most in Italian hands, Japan has 270% debt and America also over 130% and ALL THESE COUNTRIES ARE TOO BIG TO FAIL, Italians have the money TO BUY ALL THE DEBT!
The regions (and autonomous provinces) of northern Italy have the following GDP per capita (2019): Alto Adige/Südtirol 48.1k, Lombardy 39.7k, Trentino 38.8k, Aosta Valley 38.8k, Emilia-Romagna 36.7k, Veneto 33.7k, Liguria 32.3k, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 31.9k, Piedmont 31.7k.
Comparable with the GDP per capita (2019) of: Saxony 31.4k, Schleswig-Holstein 33.7k, Rhineland-Palatinate 35.4k, Saarland 36.6k, Lower Saxony 38.4k, North Rhine-Westphalia 39.6k, Berlin 41.9k, Hesse 46.9k.
Better than Saxony (31k), Thuringia (29k), Brandenburg (29k), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (29k), Saxony-Anhalt (28.8k). Worse than Baden-Württemberg (47.3k), Bavaria (48.3k), Bremen (49.2k), Hamburg (66.8k).
According to the German institute Stiftung Markwirtschaft, in 2018, the aggregate explicit debt + implicit debt of Italy is 122%, lower than the German one at 170%.
To be honest, objectively speaking and nothing personal I find these stats arbitrary. While facts about wealth, GDP, or the number of billionaires can demonstrate the economic strength or prosperity of a nation, they do not necessarily reflect the economic conditions of the entire population.
By solely focusing on positive economic indicators, one may overlook or disregard the struggles faced by certain segments of the population, such as the poor or the middle class, who may be experiencing financial difficulties or challenges in meeting their basic needs.
I could show plenty of positive looking stats of the US and an outsider who knows nothing about the US might think it sounds like paradise on Earth. I stand by what I say because I look at Italy from a sociological perspective and from personal experiences. Take it with a grain of salt.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Stats are stats and of course these do not take into consideration every person, some will always do better than others, however I'm so sick and tired of the impression given that Italy is some type of "poor man of Europe" a complete basket case, low wage, high unemployment dystopia and many times this impression stems from Italians themselves. As commenters have told you, your wage model of 1000-1500 Euros per month salary does not say this is after taxes, healthcare benefits etc. That model gives an impression the vast majority of Italians could not possibly be living a comfortable life, how can a supposed 1st world country get by with such 3rd world salaries?
And look up the meaning of arbitrary, it does not apply to these stats. And I agree, the US, Germany, Japan are not the utopias they seem to be, but neither is Italy the basket case so often portrayed. Yet those 3 are always portrayed as rich, Italy, poor which is far from the truth. This video seems to enforce those stereotypes, showing only the negatives.
It wasn’t my intention to say that the stats are arbitrary. The stats don’t lie, of course, but what I meant was it may be arbitrary to only look at Italy from a statistical point of view and not examine other factors when looking at the overall health of the country.
I have seen how Italians make ends meet with their salaries, and they often they rely on friends and family networking, which is a key component Italian culture. There’s also the matter of your ISEE which in our situation, helped us to alleviate some of the cost of childcare. The point is this, while there are ways to save money, via friends and family and you do receive some help from the government, Italians salaries are somewhat low, compared to other countries. They are certainly not the lowest.
From personal experiences, and via people that I have met throughout the years, I have just heard too many horror stories about low wages, and too often situations where stipends were either delayed or not paid it all to say that this is even normal in Italy would be a bit misleading but trust me, these situations do exist, and I myself have gotten stiffed out of money, at least three times in my life here. That’s a bit off-topic, however.
In my opinion, what keeps Italy competitive in the world is its reputation, tourism, numerous industries that compete on global level and of course its culinary fascination. I think there are enough entrepreneurs who keep it really competitive however, there is a considerable separation between them, and your average worker.
Without the help of family and friends, if you have just arrived in this country for the first time, and you were starting from scratch, which, by the way, it does happen in this country as many people want to live here, but I don’t think an Italian salary is the way to create Real financial stability in your life.
not an accurate comment
yes I agree totally@@DavidsDoseofItaly
50 years ago it was 4 bilion people now over 8 bilion. Lets see the prices when 10 or 12 bilion. Allover the world its expensive... but you can set yourself free of slavery.
Yeah ? How ?
@@DavidsDoseofItaly get out of the area you are and travel the world around and see it
Thank you David. Great information.
Here are some comparisons that I can share.
- single man paying for good medical insurance $ 400 - $600 per month
- one persons grocery bill nearly doubled from last year
- Open southern border for illegal aliens seeking refuge only to receive free cell phones to “track” them when they arrive, free lodging, health care and education on the dime of the American tax payer.
My cell phone bill is cheap compared to other here that pay $200 to $600 per month.
There is no bed of roses no place. It is what we make of it. As I see it there is a certain order and a level of respect in italy where here in the US they are losing control and order.
Interesting Louis. Thank you. Medical insurance costs never cease to amaze me in the US. What do you mean though by "certain order and a level of respect " in Italy?
@@DavidsDoseofItaly There seems to be a certain order and courtesy in Italy. Law enforcement isn’t intimidated by and being told to back off from enforcing the law in Italy as opposed to defunding the police here in the US.
@@louisdangelo9375 no this is true. The police aren’t feared here but they aren’t abused nor are they bullies
It's going to get VERY VERY expensive very soon. Italy has THE LOWEST salaries on average in Italy as it has no legislation on minimum wage. Be warned. Do your homework and inform yourselves.
That's not entirely true: almost every sector has its national contract with wage tables and levels, so for example if you work in a metalworking company you will be paid minimum 1.509,07 euro per month (gross salary, and x 13 months) and that's really entry level. There are some productive sectors that doesn't have this kind of national contract, but we're talking about small businesses and few productive companies. The average net salary in Italy is 1.600 euro (13 months) or 1.500 (14 months). If you are in your 30s and you get lower than that chances are that you just started to work in a small town in the south of Italy.
True I have a contract which is dictated by national standards.
Unfortunately yes this energy crisis has hit the whole world. The only solution that I see is to increase your income because pennypinching can’t work forever.
well we are still here 10 months later despite your doom and gloom!
It's probably too soon to tell, but how is the new, Right-wing, government?
It really is too soon. We’ll see what Happens.
The new government is a people's government. .It's not right-wing at all. They are doing exactly what they promised that they would do.
I think maybe the economy is less than the US and the way of life there is where you don’t need as much so the cost of living is less. The government isn’t one that is super wealthy like the US which is another reason. And personally, I don’t think there is as much greed there as there is here in the US. All those factors come into play, I believe. Can’t wait to move there. So looking forward to it!
There’s greed here. Absolutely. Italians, very often look at their own interests first. However, I do find them much more helpful than many Americans. It’s all relative.
Italy is one of the wealthiest nations in the world - you cannot compare things just based on salary - another point not mentioned is that generally Italians carry almost no debt other than mortgages or car loans as university is quite inexpensive. In addition, it is quite common to own your home or even a second one. It is not just about how much comes in esch month.
You speak English them you need to tel us a US money , thank you .
What???
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