Hello and a very warm welcome back to Travels to Europe. When it comes to buying property in Italy many people think of the two major cities, namely Milan and Rome or even the amazingly beautiful city of Venice, but unfortunately property is very expensive in these cities, in particular in Venice and Milan. Today I want to give you my opinion on the 10 best places to buy property in Italy for the year 2024 and it was very difficult because a number of cities towns or Villages nearly made it into the top ten. Now it was based on a number of factors including price, city attractions and also lifestyle within the city. Now before I begin, please let me know if you agree or disagree commenting on the bottom of this post.
The best cities in Italy to buy a house are:
- Trani
- Perugia
- Siracusa
- Lake Como
- Parma
- Genoa
- Scalea
- Trieste
- Palermo
- Turin
Trani
So coming in at number 10 is Trani. 40 kilometers Northwest of Bari in the region of Puglia and with a population of about 56 000 is the beautiful town of Trani. Trani has a lovely Marina a beautiful Romanesque cathedral which is set Over the Sea, it has a picturesque old town and a beautiful Jewish quarter. The town has a nice array of bars, cafes, restaurants, lovely shops and stores, and there are a number of festivals that take place here each year and of course it’s got lovely beaches too. Trani is well connected to Bari with three to four trains per hour, which only takes about 30 minutes, so very useful if you’re going to or come from Bari international airport. But best of all, prices on average are only 1 550 Euros per square meter.
Perugia
Now coming in at number nine is Perugia. With a population of around 163 000 and the capital of Umbria, Perugia is off the radar when it comes to foreign buyers, but it is a beautiful city with many attractions including an amazing Cathedral, beautiful churches and some noteworthy museums. The city also has two universities and an annual jazz festival, amongst other annual festivals. Property prices are very cheap at an average of 1150 Euros per square meter. This is especially low when you consider it has two railway station Stations and its own airport, which flies to a number of destinations in Europe, and even in the City Center prices are on average less than 1 500 euros per square meter, not bad at all.
Siracusa
Now coming in at number eight is the beautiful city of Syracuse, that is a gem of a city in Sicily, with property prices at an average of 1 200 Euros per square meter, really cheap when you consider just how beautiful this city really is. Now the population is around 120 000 and there is so much to appreciate in Siracusa. It has one of the largest ancient Greek theaters in the world, it has many lovely churches, an amazing Roman Amphitheater, an amazing Cathedral, temples, castles and a very famous archaeological Museum, and the city also has the bonus of nearby beaches. The Airbnb could be attractive here and you could get long-term yields as well if you’re lucky enough to get a good tenant. The only downside is that Siracusa is a long way from a major International Airport which is Catania.
Lake Como
Now coming in at number seven is Lake Como. Now when people think about buying property on Lake Como they often think about having the wealth of George Clooney, to be able to afford to do so, but this is not the case, there are a number of towns around the lake where property is very affordable, an example is the wonderful Mandello del Lario, with lovely churches and sanctuaries, and it’s only about an hour by train to Milan. Here you can find really good size lakeview property for under 200 000 Euros. Other places as well where you can find cheap lake view properties are Bellagio and Bellano. Lake Como has generally cheaper prices than Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, and many people including myself would argue that of the three major lakes, the Lake Como is the prettiest.
Parma
Now coming in at number six is the City of Parma. Parma is a very wealthy City in the region of Emilia-Romagna and it regularly comes at or near the top when surveys are done on the best cities to live in Italy. On average property prices are only just above 2 000 Euros per square meter and there are much all around the same in the historic Center, so they’re not much more expensive in the historic Center. Parma is obviously famous for its ham and cheese, but it also has numerous beautiful churches, museums, palaces, theaters and the Citadel. The population of Parma is just under 200 000 habt and it does have a university and its own an airport, although flights are limited and it is on the Bologna to Milan Railway system. Now many actually think it’s the most beautiful city in Emilia-Romagna.
Genoa
Now coming in at number five is Genova. Genova is the one of the most underrated cities in Italy, with a population of around 560 000, Genova is the capital of Liguria, region on the north-western of Italy. There’s a lot to see and do here, there are some great artworks in the city, amazing Museums, Art Galleries, the Genoa’s Old Port, palaces, there’s a very large historic Center of which part of it is on the world heritage list. Genoa has two football clubs namely Sampdoria and Genoa and in the surrounding area you also have the advantage of many beaches. There’s a good transportation system there’s in fact two main Railway stations, and a busy Seaport. Genoa has its own airport Which flies to a number of European destinations but best of all, house prices in Genoa are very low at an average of 1600 euros per square meter and this is quite a drop from 2400 euros in 2014, the past 10 years. So a bargain perhaps to be had.
Scalea
Now number four is Scalea. Although Scalea does not have the big city attractions or tourist attractions as in other parts of Italy, this town in Calabria with a population of 10 000 has an amazing Beach of over 6 kilometers and property prices um are among the lowest in Italy and are actually unbelievably low for a coastal town. You often get property here for well under 800 Euros per square meter. Furthermore, there’s so much property to choose from with sea views, I’ve seen Sea View Property here for well under 50 000 euros and in some cases, all be a very small apartment, you can get Sea View Apartments for under 30 000 euros. I think nowhere else in Italy is this the case. It does have its own railway station and you can get to Naples in about 2hrs to 2:30hrs, where in Naples is a major airport in Italy.
Trieste
Now coming in at number three is Trieste. With a population of just over 200 000 habitants, Trieste is the capital of the Friuli Venezia Giulia, region in the northeastern of Italy, it is a city that keeps going up and up in my estimation. It is a absolutely truly beautiful city it has many attractions including museums, two magnificent castles, a 14th century Cathedral and a Roman Amphitheater. The city has a very high standard of living and has a rich architecture mix of Italian, Austrian and Eastern European architecture so especially this is true of the main square. You can buy property in the center for under 2500 euros per square meter. Trieste has its own airport which flies to a number of European cities, but perhaps more important is that it has an international legal status as a free port and this makes Italy’s most important commercial port. It is the gateway to the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean and Central and Eastern Europe, so very very important indeed.
Palermo
Now coming in at number two and this again is an absolutely Wonder City, it is the city of Palermo. Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily, has very cheap property as only an average of 1 300 Euros per square meter which is a huge drop from 1 800 Euros per square meter in 2014. Palermo is Sicily’s most populous city with over 640 000 inhabitants. Palermo is the Tourist economic and cultural capital of Sicily, it’s steeped in art history, culture music and food, Palermo has beautiful churches palaces and buildings which vary in history from Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau periods. Palermo also has an International Airport Which flies to many European cities plus Tunisia and Dubai. Finally, I want to add Palermo has a number of lovely beaches nearby. So you have an amazing combination of a wonderful City full of art, beautiful buildings and beaches nearby, and I’ll repeat at an average of only 1 300 Euros per square meter.
Turin
Now coming in at number one is, I think, the best value for money place to buy property in Italy and it is Turin. Now with a population of nearly 900 000, Turin is the capital of the Piedmont region of Italy and for me the best value for money place to put your money in the Italian property Market. On average prices are below 2 000 Euros per square meter, which is almost unbelievable for a wealthy City like Turin. Turin has a great Aerospace industry and Auto industry, especially with the world famous Fiat, above all though it’s a beautiful city, it has amazing Baroque architecture, a beautiful raw Palace, churches and many noteworthy museums, education wise it has two famous universities, two big football clubs namely Juventus and Turin. Turin also has its own Metro system and an airport Which flies to numerous cities in Europe plus Tel Aviv in Israel and to Moroccan cities as well. So that’s why in my opinion, Turin comes out in position number one.
Anyway, that’s it for today, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Do you agree do you disagree with me? Anyway, thanks very much and I shall see you soon on the next article.
