14 Cities in Italy That Will Pay You to Move There

Italy is one of the most magical, beautiful, incredible countries in the world. However, because of the economic troubles that Italy is currently facing, a lot of the younger population is being forced to move to larger cities like Rome, Milan, and Naples. This is bad news for the little Italian villages and towns that are being abandoned, but good news for people who want to move to Italy!

For Americans, getting a visa for Italy is nearly impossible unless you have Italian heritage or get a work visa. However, because of the decline of population in small Italian towns, there’s now another way to get into the country! Here are Italian cities, towns, and villages that will pay you to move to them.

1. Sardinia, Italy – $16,000

We start the list with one of the most beautiful places in the entire world, Sardinia. It’s known for having some of the whitest sand beaches in the world, delicious food, and even has its own little mountain range!

This Italian island paradise has been decreasing in population year after year since 2022 at an alarming rate. Because of this, the Italian government has decided that anyone willing to move to Sardinia and live in a village that has fewer than 3,000 inhabitants will pay $16,000. The catch is that you have to use the money to buy and renovate a property. Still, for the opportunity to live in Sardinia and get paid to do it? How can you beat that?

2. Albidona, Calabria – $30,000

Calabria is another region of Italy that is offering to pay you to move there, but this time you can do whatever you want with the money. The towns have to have under 2,000 residents and be on the approved list of cities.

One of the cities on the Calabria list is Albidona. It’s close to the beach and the mountains and has one euro houses! That’s right, you can get paid to live here and buy a house that costs just one euro. These houses will need a lot of work, but you’ll have nothing but time and money to help with the renovation, right?!

3. Santa Severina, Calabria – $30,000

This hilltop village in Southern Italy is one of the most jaw-dropping beautiful places on the planet. You can move to this ancient city that has the oldest Byzantine monument in all of Calabria.

Not only will you get the $30,000, but you can also get funding to open a restaurant or hotel here! If your dream has been to open a little B&B in a small little Italian town, you can’t miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime.

4. Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Abruzzo – $8,700

This town will pay you $8,700 per year for three years for a total of $26,100. Also, another thing to keep in mind when looking into these “get paid to live here” Italian cities is that they usually want a certain age group to move to these towns. For example, for Santo Stefano di Sessanio you need to be 18-40 years old in order to apply for the grant.

Not only will you be getting paid $8,700 a year to live here, but you can also get a 20,000 euro grant to open a business in the town. This means that you’ll have a way of making money, on top of getting paid by the government just to live here.

5. Candela, Apulia – $850 per Person

This adorable town is just 1.5 hours outside of Naples, Italy, is known as “Little Napoli” and is paying single people €800 to move here, couples €1,300, and families €2,000. The difference between this city and Naples is that Candela claims that they haven’t had a crime occur in this city in the past 20 years, whereas Naples is known for crime and the mafia.

The salary requirement to move here is 7,500 euros per year, which means you will need to be making this amount in order to live here. This is a city of mostly elderly people so they are looking for young couples who want to start families or already have a family with young children.

6. Molise Region, Italy – $27,000

This entire region of Italy is offering $27,000 to move here. The towns must have a population of under 2,000 and be on a list of participating cities, but besides that, it seems like an easy way to make a bit of cash! It’s known as the secret region of Italy because of how small and new this region is compared to the rest of the regions of Italy.

You will receive up to 700 euros per month for 3 years to live here but man, is this little region cute! If you and your family are looking for the adventure of a lifetime, this is your chance!

7. Presicce-Acquarica, Apulia – $33,000

This is the city on the list closest to the sea, so beach lovers listen up! It’s just a 15-minute drive to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Apulia Region, Spiaggia Marina Di Salve. On top of the $33,000 you’ll make by moving here, you will also get $1,100 for every newborn baby registered in the town.

This town is also just an hour’s drive from the capital of the province, Lecce, where you can find big supermarkets, malls, fast food, and anything else you might miss living in a big city. To receive the $33,000 you need to live here for at least 10 years and purchase a property. There are also some one euro properties in this city so this could be a fairly lucrative move to this little city.

8. Mantua, Lombardy – $160 per Month

This town is the highest north in Italy on this list and is in the Lombardy region. You will get $160 a month for a year for moving here and with a population of around 50,000, this is by far the largest city on this list that will pay you to move here.

The mayor of this city also said there will be many new companies moving into this city that will offer new jobs to young people. You will also need to sign a rental contract for at least a year in order to get the $160 per month along with a remote job with a salary of 1200-1500 euros per month.

9. Santa Fiora, Tuscany – €200 per Month

This town will pay up to €200 per month or half of your rent, which is about €300-€500 on average. They are looking for people who work remotely or have some kind of steady income coming in each month. The town will also give you up to €30,000 to open a bed-and-breakfast or hotel.

With a population of about 2,500, this might be a small city, but with how adorable this city is, you won’t even notice! One of the highlights of this city is the La Peschiera in the center of town which is a little lake with a view of the old town.

10. Aieta, Calabria – $33,000

This city is known for its Tuscan vibes but is actually in the Southern part of Italy in Calabria. It’s a tiny mountain city perched on top of a hill and on a clear day in some parts of the city, you can even see the ocean! The closest beach town is Praia A Mare, which has a sand bar that leads out to an island.

Like a lot of the towns on this list, you need to be between the ages of 18-40 and must be able to relocate to Calabria within 90 days of your application being accepted. You also need to have a job before moving here, which ensures that you will not be taking any money away from the city.

11. Zeri, Tuscany – $32,000

Zeri is a commune in Tuscany that will pay you to relocate here. It’s right on the border of Liguria and Tuscany, so you can get the best of both provinces!

In this little commune, there are about 15 small villages that you can choose from to make your home. Also, there’s a ski area here that’s open in the winter! If you want to experience the seasons and live in an incredible little part of Italy, why not get paid to do it?!

12. Bova, Calabria – $33,000

High in the mountains of Calabria, the town of Bova sits partially abandoned but still full of culture and life! It’s a hilltop town that climbs up a mountain and has incredible views of the sea that’s only a 20-minute drive away. This town is one of the few cities in Italy that speaks a dialect of Greek-Bovesian, but don’t worry, they also speak Italian. Not to mention that it’s been voted one of the ten most beautiful cities in Italy!

The average apartment here costs about $50,000 and has 4-7 bedrooms. I don’t think you could get anything that cheap in all of America! If you are looking for a change of pace somewhere that is truly magical, then check out Bova!

13. San Donato di Ninea, Calabria – $33,000

If you love history and medieval villages, then you’re in luck! San Donato di Ninea is offering you $33,000 to move here! This is another hilltop village in the Calabria region that is on the other side of the Aspromonte Mountain Rage, so you won’t be getting any ocean views, but you will be getting some epic mountain views!

With its population quickly dwindling, they are looking to get young people to move here quickly, so make sure that you apply soon before all the spots run out. They only have about one million dollars in grant money to offer new residences and once it’s gone, who knows if this will ever happen again!

14. Civita, Calabria – $33,000

Civia is a little hill village in Southern Italy that is right at the base of some incredible mountains. If you love hiking and exploring, then you will love this city. It’s right on the border of Calabria and Basilicata and surrounded by other amazing little hilltop villages. You can hike from one hilltop village to the next and basically never run out of villages to see!

This city looks like it could be in Hawaii there are so many green mountains and rivers running through it! The houses are all stacked up on top of each other like a true Italian hilltop town, which makes for one of the most beautiful sights you’ll ever see!

What do You Think?

Would you be willing to make the move to one of these Italian villages? Which one is your favorite? Make sure to leave it in a comment! Thanks for reading!