Hello:I am going to retire in two years

deborahbender Image
10/06/2017 - 15:01

Hello:I am going to retire in two years and I would like to live the remainder of my time in the Tuscany Valley.  Realizing that the USD looses converting to EURO can someone tell me or point me to stats on how much per month can a person live on?Regards, Deborah

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Hello;Thanks much for such a quick response.I would say middle of the road (middle class?).  A 1-2 bedroom preferrably villa in a more rural area (anywhere in Tuscany) but would consider apartment. I would most likely not have a car - perhaps I could get a scooter. So average expenses for a 1 person, food, utilities, etc. considered middle class.Since I live in the USA it's hard to do an apples-to-apples situation. I'm most likely considered middle-class.Regards, Deborah 

I lived in Tuscany for 10 years and Northern Italy for 5.  It is difficult to budget for the new and unexpected taxes the government is always pushing on the people.  If you plan on living the rural life as I did, you must calculate gas and driving and high insurance. I believe 25K a year is a bit slim.  I would consider cost of living just as it is here and you should not have too many surprises.Be prepared for lots of red tape. You can buy a house there, but as far as permanent residency?  You are still considered a foreigner and 6 months is your limit no matter what you own over there. Maybe there are special retirement rules and laws I do not know about. Research all the rules and changes you will need to make the change so you are prepared. smiley  

Hi,totaly not true about the six month limit , if you get a long term visa like an elective residency visa and then a permesso di soggiorno then you can stay for as long as you can afford it.I live in Umbria not Tuscany and I can tell you its beautiful , less touristy and cheaper to live in.as for a budget , that depends on how you live but you can live well on 1500€ in Umbria.

expenses for monthRenting ( 80 sqm ) in Perugia - 500 euro - in a little city  400 euro  -electicity + gas  ( midium in the year) + phone line (voice + internet) + water (two peoples ) = 315if you have a little car , in a little city , for about 500 km month 180 euroif you do not have a car , and use public services ( only in the city !! )  20eating ( two peoples - at home ) 120 monthif you go to restaurant ( 40 for people ) - pizzeria -  ( 15 for people ) .if you go to cine or teatre , about 10 euro for people (tiket only )So -- this is Umbrian retired standard  living - With healt from theyr Italian pensionInstead if you have a Elective residence - you has to charge a Full risk Healt insurance - that for TWO seniors (  60 years ) have a cost about  1500 for year = 125 month Then 1500  month DO NOT ARE ENOUGT ...   

In reply to by Ugo

Ugo:  Thank you for taking the time to respond back with all this helpful information.  This as well as gleaning information regarding social security, taxes, everything a person needs to do to stay is exactly what I need to have in order to reach the goal.It has also shed a harsh light on something else.  In most of the research regarding moving to Italy it states that you must provide proof of income as to not live off the state.  I find this very straightforward and I admire your country for this.  I am embarrassed to be from the USA because in this country they clearly state "come on over, you don't have to be an asset to society or even legal, just come over and we'll give you free insurance, food, housing - and don't worry about the cost - 'cause the people who live and work here will pay for you!"........disgusting but true.All reasons why I can't wait to leave - also since I have heritage on both sides with all my relatives from Italy....well I guess I feel like I'd be going home. 

In reply to by Ugo

Hi.I think the prices you quoted are a little high and he can save a few hundred euros on them.as for the little car with 500 km a month for 180 € ? As far as I know 1 liter of benzina costs about 1.5 €so we are talking about 120 liter of benzina . A small car averages 10 km per liter so so 1200 km a month, unless of course your idea of a small car is red with a yellow horse and "Ferrari" logo .Even if you include insurance you will not reach that price.

In reply to by Light12il

Light12il:  Thanks for the info.  I think I have a good grasp on enough information regarding what I would need to live like an Italian in Italy.  So far, so good.  I still need to glean info regarding taxation and processes of staying there, at least for the first 5 years.  Info said that at 5 years you can apply for permanent stay.Regards, D 

In reply to by Light12il

on the 180 euro - you has to find , not only fuel , but  other car expenses , in percentage ( insurance - you receive the first italian car insurance , no discounts , maibe pay 1500 euro yearly for 500 fiat - then we have fairly wobbly roads, cars are often broken - the workmanship in a country workshop costs 35 euros + VAT now - in a mercedes workshop, never less than 60 euros now + vat) - yesterday I had to replace the radiator of my car, because a stone splashed by the road has washed it if you want  i can to send you the invoice ... 200 euro of radiator + 400 euro labor = 600 eurosWhat makes life costs rise in Italy are the unforeseen -They are normal - unfortunately

Well the OP said for one person, living in Tuscany, villa preferred, rural and was prepared to even use a scooter. So I read likely to not be looking at high end rental rates in the city (more expensive). We do not have rent, but looking at this Casa.it site, go with €350/month rent. I know the rest of our figures for two people living here rurally in Abruzzo. Okay we do visit the UK (where it is much dearer by the way) 3-4 times a year, so these figures are lower than would be. For shopping i.e. supermarket, petrol and vino etc. we actually spend circa 300/month. For utility bills and car (tax, insurance etc) it’s about 170/month. Even allowing for other incidentals like travel we would live on a totally different scale to Ugo even at double the amount – we consider we live well by the way and do whatever we want.I’m also kind of saying you need to look at more detail and apply it to how you live. So for rent look at the site above and others to get an idea of the cost, ask the likes of Ugo and/or Modicasa (estate agents) what you should add to that cost (if anything). Have a look at online supermarkets here to see what your costs would be. Clothes shops and furniture shops for how they compare. Not too sure of any clothes shops on-line, but this a well-known low (ish) cost furniture shop and this a large supermarket we have used. I should add that we shop locally and taking everything into account found it much cheaper to do so. Don’t get me wrong, some things here we found a lot more expensive such as car insurance and , electrical goods.

Ugo:Point taken.  Some would say it is "downsizing" but I would welcome living like an Italian in Italy.  I would and will have no problem walking away from how I lived here with no regrets or issues.We in the USA are used to living in more square footage, driving a bigger gas guzzling car, shopping at stadium sized stores, eating fast foods as well as lving a lifestyle of not even bothering to get out of our cars to chow down on that big mac, fries and coke (all reasons why this country has high percentages of obesity and diabetes); I am not of the mindset that this is better because it is not!I think you guys have it right!Regards

in Italy, people live "small", because the spaces are small - So if you take a big American van and put you in the ancient neighborhoods of Rome, it is likely that you will need to cut the van into small pieces :) - But American living has also plagued our lives, and aimeh, in cinemas, more than Fellini's beautiful films, the reigning thing is the smell of chips, fried in oils that have never seen a Olve oil mill - I hope you can find the Italian of yesterday .. as well as that of today

Got the message!  I think that happens all over the world.  A person or people will leave an area, despite whether they are leaving for life threating issues or not, go somewhere then make that place exactly like the place they left.  After much study it can be coded to humans being tribal.  Easily seen in the USA by areas of major cities designated as "little Italy", "Chinatown", etc.  When people flooded here in late 1800's and early 1900's this is what happened.  It is not a bad thing; it is hundreds of thousands of years of pre-dispositioned behavior.Of course, we can make a conscious effort to "blend"; that is, become adaptable to the environment and not the opposite.  Me, I definitely will take the blend/adaptable route.Regards, D

Oh, my goodness!  It’s the best thing I’ve ever done!  I actually bought a place north of Lucca last November.  The taxes are nothing, the people are amazing, the food is very inexpensive to eat very healthy and organic - most of my neighbors grow their own food and share like I’m a relative.  I would start with getting an a italian SIM card (mine costs €13/month), don’t worry so much about the language - you will learn much better once you get there.  I plan on heading over once i am retired in a few years.  You are more than welcomed to stay (rent for a very small amount) at my place but you will definitely need a car.  Try autoeurope.com or Kemwel.com. I will be shipping mine over in a few months but i still need to work on the legalities of keeping it there long term.  My villa website is (but don’t book through there, just contact me directly): https://abnb.me/MLviUomCkYGood luck, have a blast and feel free to ask for help.  

Yes, but I am shipping my Fiat over.  If you have owned the car for more than one year, you don’t have to pay the VAT tax then.  My auto insurance will insure the car the entire time it is there, I just now need to figure out how to register it.  I am in the process of becoming a resident, which requires proof of “good” medical insurance which I do not have but it is not required to ship my car there.  Also, since my grandparents were both born there, i somehow qualify for dual residency bu that list is very long - working on it.  

Hi Terrydoerif the car was produced in an American factory, for use in america - you have to ask for the certificate of conformity to the italian standards - if instead the car was produced in europe, you have to ask for the COC - in both cases - I'd be curious to know if you will be able to register the car in Italy, within the next 6 months - I have a customer with a Mercedes produced in America, which has been waiting for 4 months, documents from America - Mercedes Italy has budgeted 11 weeks - then it will be necessary to find a motorisation office that accepts to submit the car to the check and subsequent revision - It is my firm conviction that all these bureaucratic problems, are nothing but protectionism - There is an ACI page that explains the whole procedure .. however, the ACI offices in Rome - Perugia - Florence - Naples and Milan - have told me that they have no staff able to follow this procedure and that the time can exceed 18 months. http://www.aci.it/i-servizi/guide-utili/guida-pratiche-auto/importare-un-veicolo.html  Multi-risk Health Insurance for Elective Residence - (ie without pension or work contracts)3. PRIVATE INSURANCEThe private insurance does not give the right to the registration to the SSN but covers the expenses for health care if, translated into Italian, it has the following requirements:- is valid in Italy;- provides for full coverage of health risks;- has an annual duration with an indication of the commencement and expiry;- indicates any family members covered and the degree of relationship;- indicates the methods and formalities to be followed for the request for reimbursementIMPORTANT NOTE> some municipalities ask that it be translated and sworn in Italian, not only the insurance text - but all the insurance legislation itself (normally over 250 pages, I can imagine the costs - for the sworn translation a fixed fee is required of 80 euros + a revenue stamp of 16 euros, every 4 pages) 

Hi Ugo,wow!  What great information!  Thank you so very much.  I was told that bringing an American car into Italy would be an easy process because our emission standards are more stringent.  I will definitely look into that.  Nice work!  Thanks again.