# close to retirement is Italy a smart choice?



## Lisa&Rudy (4 mo ago)

It seems that Italy is a beautiful and a peaceful place to retire is it a good financial move to retire there?
It is less expensive to rent/buy a place. Is the cost of living better than the US?


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Like the US there are more expensive places to buy a home and less so. I doubt any area hits the peaks you see in the US . OTOH in some areas they almost pay you to take a home. But much depends on your wants.

Which gets to the next part of your question. Cost of living is highly tied to lifestyle. Starting from food to home size to car choice etc. 

If you insist on buying your home town favorite brands it might be expensive. OTOH higher quality local products might be less.

Start by thinking about what you want to do? There is a big difference between just sitting in front of the fire and jetting around the world. 

Once you've decided on that you can narrow down location which will help you figure out costs.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Another big factor in "cost of living" is that of lifestyle. If you choose to live like an Italian it can be far cheaper to live there - but depending on the area, many Italians like to grow their own vegetables, raise their own chickens, and certainly to shop locally, which means in the local markets and patronizing the local merchants and artisans. All that means you really do need to have a reasonable level of Italian and to familiarize yourself with local procedures and customs.


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## Lisa&Rudy (4 mo ago)

Lisa&Rudy said:


> It seems that Italy is a beautiful and a peaceful place to retire is it a good financial move to retire there?
> It is less expensive to rent/buy a place. Is the cost of living better than the US?





NickZ said:


> Like the US there are more expensive places to buy a home and less so. I doubt any area hits the peaks you see in the US . OTOH in some areas they almost pay you to take a home. But much depends on your wants.
> 
> Which g
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for the helpful information


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