- I moved from a big city in California to a small mountain town in Italy about three years ago.
- My monthly expenses are generally much lower here than they ever were back in San Diego.
- Here, I'm confident I can actually afford to retire one day and live well on Social Security.
Amid the cost of living crisis, it's become challenging for many to cover essential expenses — let alone save for retirement.
As a self-employed writer, I knew I definitely couldn't afford to keep living in San Diego, one of the most expensive cities in the US, especially if I wanted to also save for my future.
And so, three years ago, I moved to Davoli, a small town in Southern Italy with a population of about 5,000, and haven't looked back.
Generally, Italy has a lower cost of living than the US — and moving from a big, high-cost city to a small, more rural town has really helped reduce my expenses.
So far, I've found I can afford to live a good life on a budget here, and I finally feel hopeful I can comfortably retire with money to spare.
My expenses here are far lower than they were back in the US
Across the board, I find I'm spending less to live here than I did back in California.
In terms of housing costs, I'm fortunate in that my Italian husband came with a 600-square-foot house — and I swear that's not why I married him!
We don't pay a mortgage or rent, but when we did, we had a spacious two-bedroom apartment a few steps from the sea in a town called Soverato that cost us about €500, or about $589, a month.
Our heating and cooling bills feel pretty reasonable, too. I hate being cold, so I run the heater a lot — even so, the most we've spent during the coldest months is just €95, or about $112.
Now that I'm here, I also find it mind-boggling how much Americans pay for cellphone plans. In the US, I spent $80 a month on a single line. Here, I pay just €5 (or about $6) a month for 30 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts.
Our WiFi is on the "expensive" side because we live in an ancient village with thick walls and need a special fixed wireless connection. Even so, we pay just €25 (or about $30) a month to access the internet.
Gas is more expensive per gallon in Italy, but other than my husband taking the car to work, we don't need to drive much since our town is quite walkable. We pay €37.50, or about $44, a month for car insurance — about half of what I'd been paying in the US.
I've also saved a lot of money on healthcare because many basic services here are covered by the government.
Our doctor visits are free, and we pay a discounted rate for some prescriptions, specialists, and tests. For example, I've spent no more than €40 (about $47) on a slew of blood analyses that would have cost around $200 in the US.
Sometimes I pay out of pocket for services if I don't want to wait for an appointment with the public healthcare system, but my bills here are still low compared to what I was spending on insurance and private healthcare in the US.
It feels like we get more bang for our buck when it comes to food, too, thanks to our community and access to fresh produce and meat.
My Italian mother-in-law helps keep us stocked with fresh veggies and fruit, much of which is given to her by well-meaning friends and neighbors. In our small town, I've found people are generous in sharing what they have.
We're also lucky to have a butcher in the family, so the meat we get, whether it's chicken, pork, beef, or rabbit, is fresher than what I used to buy in supermarkets.
Since my mother-in-law is a great cook and I enjoy making meals at home, we don't budget much for dining out — maybe about €50 (about $59) a month on the occasional pizza night and happy hour with friends.
Without freebies, we'd probably spend €200, or about $235, a month on all the groceries we'd need for the two of us.
I'm glad I moved here, and I feel confident as I plan for retirement as an expat
Though retirement is still 20 years away for me, I've done research to see what that will probably look like.
I still work as a freelancer for American clients, so I'm able to easily cover both my Italian living expenses and those in the US. (I have a son attending a private university in Florida, so I still have some bills to pay in America.)
I'm still paying into Social Security back home, so I should receive those benefits when I retire. Based on my estimates, those payments alone should more than cover my monthly expenses in rural Italy as I grow old.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying being able to focus more on living and less on working while eating great food, drinking fantastic wine, and enjoying the views.
