The cost of living in Italy is, like most countries, rising steadily. It is no longer feasible to imagine that by transferring your life here, you will suddenly be able to exist on nothing more than a wing and a prayer – the Euro, amongst other things, has well and truly put paid to that.

And whilst in some areas of the country, property prices are still very low compared to the UK, there are other regions which are now almost on a par.

It is all relative. Where you have very low house prices, you will almost certainly also have a very high rate of unemployment – the local youth will probably have all moved away to other regions in search of better job opportunities – and therefore the average age of the remaining population will be a lot closer to retirement; something that leads eventually to the death of what was a once thriving community. Areas that offer very low house prices will also almost certainly have an underdeveloped infrastructure; something that you may wish to take into serious consideration when deciding whether or not you wish to spend a great deal of time there.

And as soon as the low prices are picked up upon by foreign buyers or wealthier Italians looking for holiday homes, the market will experience a boom, prices will rise, and the opportunity to find a bargain will be subsequently diminished. The community won’t necessarily thrive as a result, however, because any locals wishing to return will have been priced out of the market and the result will often be a ghost town/village, most of whose properties are only visited once or twice a year by people with no real ties there, then lying empty for the rest of the time.

Some aspects of Italian life can actually be far more expensive that in the UK; something that may come as a surprise to a lot of people. Car insurance is one of those things. Here in Italy most people opt for the basic Third Party Fire and Theft policy: Fully Comprehensive cover can cost several thousand Euros a year to take out, so drivers simply can’t afford to do it.

Electricity and gas can also be exorbitantly priced, depending on how close you live to a large city with a good mains infrastructure. Gas central heating – very common in Italy – can cost as much as electric, setting a household back up to several hundred Euro a month during the winter. Wood or reconstituted pellet heaters are without doubt the cheaper alternative for those living outside the big city.

One thing to bear in mind in Italy, and indeed in other Southern European countries, is that they do not offer the purchasing range available in the UK. The excellent deals, special offers, thrift shops and so on that we have all taken advantage of back home, are extremely hard to find here. Whether we are talking about supermarket shopping, DIY goods, mobile phone plans or second-hand cars, the opportunities to shop around can be sorely limited.

In many parts of Italy, especial the rural areas, where the pharmacist serves almost a doctor-like capacity, it is possible to buy medicines over the counter that would usually require a doctor’s prescription. Without a prescription, or without being subsidised by national Italian healthcare cover, the cost of medication can also seem high for UK residents used to the simple prescription charge or prepaid prescriptions.

But of course there are still savings to be had in this wonderful country; not least of which is the possibility to enjoy wonderful food and excellent wine for a pittance. So whilst you should most certainly prepare to eat, drink and be merry at will, do try not to expect your Italian cost of living to be vastly reduced from that which you are used to in the UK as you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.