Italy vs Greece
Two retirement contenders on one comparable scale. Same published formula, same source-cited data; every fact below keeps its citation.
Axis by axis
- HealthcareTied
- Retiree visaItaly +22
- AffordabilityTied
- SafetyTied
- ClimateTied
- Expat communityTied
The facts, side by side
Each value links to the exact source it was verified against.
Elective Residence Visa (visto per residenza elettiva), a national long-stay Type D visa
Financially Independent Person (FIP) national long-stay visa and residence permit
Consulates look for stable passive income commonly cited around EUR 31,000 per year for a single applicant (roughly EUR 2,600 per month), with more expected for couples; higher amounts and savings strengthen the application.
Minimum passive income of about EUR 3,500 per month for a single applicant, plus roughly 20% (EUR 700) for a spouse and 15% (EUR 525) per dependent child. Over USD 3,000 per month, so a high band.
Legal foreign residents can register with the SSN; many non-EU retirees carry private insurance for faster access and to satisfy visa requirements, and costs remain well below typical US healthcare expenses.
Non-EU expats typically need private health insurance; public insurance (EFKA/IKA) does not cover private hospitals, and proof of health insurance is required for residence permits. Private facilities offer newer equipment and shorter waits.
A single person's estimated costs are roughly USD 1,000 per month excluding rent; a comfortable all-in retirement budget commonly falls in the USD 1,800 to 2,800 range depending on city and lifestyle.
Cost of living (excluding rent) is about 23% lower than the US; including rent about 36% lower. A single person's estimated monthly costs are around EUR 784 excluding rent, and a family of four around EUR 2,767 excluding rent.
Rent in Italy averages about 48.9% lower than in the United States, and overall cost of living including rent is about 23.5% lower.
Rent is roughly 66% lower than in the US. A one-bedroom city-centre apartment averages about EUR 484 per month and a three-bedroom about EUR 821.
Foreign pensioners who become resident in a qualifying southern town (in regions such as Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia, Campania, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise, and Puglia, with no more than 30,000 inhabitants since April 2026) can elect a 7% flat tax on all foreign-source income for up to ten years, versus standard rates of 23% to 43%.
Greece offers a flat 7% tax on foreign-sourced income, including foreign pensions, for qualifying new tax residents, exhausting the tax liability on that income; it applies for up to 15 years and is paid in one instalment by the last working day of July. Application by 31 March of the tax year.
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