Is Italy a Good Base for Digital Nomads in Europe?

Ask most digital nomads to name a European base and you'll hear Lisbon, Barcelona or Bali before Italy comes up — but that reputation gap doesn't necessarily reflect reality. Here's how Italy actually compares as a base for remote work in Europe.

Italy vs. Portugal and Spain

Portugal and Spain got a head start on the digital nomad conversation with earlier visa programs and established English-speaking nomad hubs (Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona, Valencia). Italy's digital nomad visa arrived later (2024) and its nomad community is smaller and less centralized — but this also means less competition for coworking spots and housing in the cities that do have a scene, and generally lower cost of living than Lisbon or Barcelona for comparable quality of life.

Italy's Real Advantages

• Central location for European travel — Italy's rail and low-cost flight connections make weekend trips to France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia genuinely easy.
• Lower cost of living outside the big two cities — Bologna, Turin, Naples and smaller cities are significantly cheaper than Milan or Rome, and cheaper than Lisbon or Barcelona for a comparable standard of living.
• An unmatched food and cultural scene — a genuinely different daily-life texture than most competing nomad destinations, if that matters to your lifestyle priorities.
• Strong healthcare infrastructure, both public and private, in every major city.

Italy's Real Drawbacks

• Bureaucracy — the codice fiscale, bank account, and visa renewal processes are more paperwork-heavy than Portugal's more streamlined nomad-focused systems.
• Smaller organised community — fewer dedicated nomad meetups and co-living spaces than Lisbon or Barcelona, meaning more of the networking is self-driven.
• English proficiency is solid in major cities but less universal outside them than in, say, the Netherlands or the Nordics.

Quick Comparison

Who Italy Actually Suits

Italy tends to suit nomads who want a genuine, less nomad-saturated version of European life — where you're integrating into a real city rather than a parallel expat bubble — and who don't mind handling a bit more bureaucracy in exchange for lower costs outside the two biggest cities and a food and culture scene that's hard to match anywhere else in Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Italy good for digital nomads compared to Portugal?

Italy generally has lower costs outside its capital and a smaller, less saturated nomad community, while Portugal offers a more streamlined visa process and larger established nomad hubs.

Is Italy cheaper than Spain for remote workers?

Outside the biggest cities (Milan, Rome vs. Madrid, Barcelona), Italy is often somewhat cheaper, though both countries have wide regional cost variation.

Does Italy have a strong digital nomad community?

It's smaller and less centralized than Portugal or Spain's, but growing steadily in cities like Milan, Rome and Bologna.

Is Italian bureaucracy a real problem for digital nomads?

It's more paperwork-heavy than some competing destinations, particularly around the codice fiscale, banking and visa renewal — but manageable with preparation.

What makes Italy different from other digital nomad destinations?

A genuinely different daily-life texture — strong food culture, central European travel connections, and cities that feel like real Italian life rather than an expat bubble.