In short
Athens is the cheaper capital: a single person with a central 1-bedroom spends about €1,500 a month, against about €1,930 in Rome. Italy offers Americans a digital nomad visa, a retirement visa and a golden visa. Greece offers Americans a digital nomad visa, a retirement visa and a golden visa. Citizenship takes about 10 years of residence in Italy and 7 in Greece. Every figure below is checked against official sources.
The verdict
Which Country Fits You?
Where one side is clearly better for most Americans, it gets the point — the rest depends on your plans.
Choose Italy if…
- You work remotely and want the lower bar: Digital nomad visa — at least €24,789 a year; degree or experience required; 1 year, renewable.
- You live on a pension or savings and want the lower bar: Elective residence visa — about €31,000 a year of passive income; no work at all.
- You are a founder: Italia Startup Visa — €50,000 of funds; decision in about 30 days.
Choose Greece if…
- You want lower costs — about €430 a month less for a single person with a central 1-bedroom in Athens.
- You want citizenship sooner: 7 years, B1 Greek and civics exam; dual citizenship allowed.
- You will run a company — corporate tax is 22%.
Investor Residence
Both Offer Open Golden Visas
| Italy | Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| Golden (investor) visa | ItalyInvestor visa — €250,000 in an innovative startup, €500,000 in a company or €2 million in bonds; no property route | Greece€800,000 property in Athens and popular islands, €400,000 elsewhere, €250,000 to convert or restore a building; 5-year permit |
| Retirement / passive-income visa | ItalyElective residence visa — about €31,000 a year of passive income; no work at all✓ | GreeceFinancially independent person — €3,500 a month; no work |
| Apply from inside the country | ItalyNo — D visas from your Italian consulate; a tourist stay cannot be converted | GreeceNo — D visas from a Greek consulate before travel |
Cost of Living
Athens Is About €430 a Month Cheaper
| Italy | Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed apartment, city centre | Italyabout €1,085 (Rome) | Greeceabout €665 (Athens)✓ |
| 1-bed apartment, outside centre | Italyabout €780 (Rome) | Greeceabout €575 (Athens)✓ |
| Everyday costs, single person (no rent) | Italyabout €845 (Rome) | Greeceabout €835 (Athens) |
| Total a month — single, central 1-bed | Italyabout €1,930 (Rome) | Greeceabout €1,500 (Athens)✓ |
Living costs: Numbeo estimates for the capital (2026), as shown with sources on each city guide and in the key facts below.
Settling In
Greece Leads to Citizenship Sooner
| Italy | Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent residence | ItalyEU long-term permit after 5 years, with A2 Italian | GreeceLong-term residence after 5 years, with Greek language and civics |
| Citizenship | Italy10 years, B1 Italian; dual citizenship allowed | Greece7 years, B1 Greek and civics exam; dual citizenship allowed✓ |
| Public healthcare | ItalyFree SSN for workers; others pay at least €2,000 a year to join | GreecePublic cover through social-security contributions; FIP and golden-visa holders need private insurance |
Tax & Business
Taxes & Company Rules
| Italy | Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Italy23% to 43%, plus regional and municipal surcharges | Greece9% to 44% (top rate above €60,000) |
| Special tax regime | Italy7% flat on foreign income for pensioners in small southern towns (10 years) | Greece7% flat on all foreign income for retirees with a foreign pension, up to 15 years |
| Usual company | ItalySRL — €10,000 standard capital, or €1 if fully paid in cash; notarial deed | GreeceIKE — capital from €1; no notary with standard articles |
| Corporate tax | Italy24% IRES plus 3.9% IRAP | Greece22%✓ |
US citizens & Green Card holdersThe US still taxes you
Wherever you live, the US taxes its citizens on worldwide income. You keep filing a US return, and an FBAR once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000 at any time in the year.
Daily Life
Daily Life in Rome and Athens
| Italy | Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| Population (capital) | ItalyAbout 2.75 million; 4.2 million in the metropolitan city | GreeceAbout 643,000; 3.8 million in Attica |
| Public transport (capital) | ItalyMonthly pass €35; Leonardo Express to Fiumicino €14 | GreeceMonthly pass €27; metro to the airport €9 |
| Nonstop flights to the US | ItalyRome and Milan about 8–9 hours nonstop from the East Coast | GreeceAbout 10 hours nonstop from New York — year-round and seasonal routes |
| Currency | ItalyEuro | GreeceEuro |
FAQ
Italy or Greece? Your questions
Is Rome or Athens cheaper?
Athens is cheaper: a single person with a central 1-bedroom spends about €1,500 a month there, against about €1,930 in Rome (Numbeo, 2026). Rent for a central 1-bedroom is about €1,085 in Rome and €665 in Athens.
How much do the Italy and Greece golden visas cost?
Italy: Investor visa — €250,000 in an innovative startup, €500,000 in a company or €2 million in bonds; no property route. Greece: €800,000 property in Athens and popular islands, €400,000 elsewhere, €250,000 to convert or restore a building; 5-year permit.
How long until I can get citizenship?
Italy: 10 years, B1 Italian; dual citizenship allowed. Greece: 7 years, B1 Greek and civics exam; dual citizenship allowed.
Do I still pay US taxes if I move?
Yes. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. You keep filing a US return, and an FBAR once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000. Foreign tax credits and the treaties usually prevent paying twice on the same income.
Italy vs Greece: key factsLast verified 1 October 2026
| Italy: 1-bed apartment, Rome | about €1,085/month in the centre, €780 outside (Numbeo, Sep 2026) estimate Source: Numbeo: cost of living in Rome (Sep 2026) |
|---|---|
| Italy: Living costs, single person (Rome) | about €845/month without rent estimate Source: Numbeo: cost of living in Rome (Sep 2026) |
| Greece: 1-bed apartment, Athens | about €665/month in the centre, €575 outside estimate Source: Numbeo: cost of living in Athens (Sep 2026) |
| Greece: Living costs, single person (Athens) | about €835/month without rent estimate Source: Numbeo: cost of living in Athens (Sep 2026) |
| Italy: Investor visa | €250,000 in an innovative startup, €500,000 in an Italian company, €1 million donation or €2 million in Italian government bonds; no property route Source: Embassy of Italy in Pretoria: Investor Visa for Italy |
| Greece: Golden visa (real estate) | €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands over 3,100 residents; €400,000 elsewhere; one property of at least 120 m² Source: Law 5038/2023 art. 100 (Migration Code): golden visa real-estate thresholds |
| Greece: Golden visa: €250,000 option | Only for converting a commercial building to residential use or restoring a listed building — anywhere in Greece Source: Law 5038/2023 art. 100 (Migration Code): golden visa real-estate thresholds · Mitos (gov.gr): golden visa, change of use — initial issuance |
| Italy: Elective residence visa | About €31,000 a year of passive income per adult (US consulates ask about €62,000 for a couple); registered lease or deed; no work of any kind, including remote work Source: Consulate General of Italy in Houston: elective residence visa checklist (Dec 2025) · Embassy of Italy in Washington: elective residence visa |
| Greece: Financially independent person (FIP) | €3,500 a month (€42,000 a year), +20% for a spouse and +15% per child; no work in Greece Source: TaxLaw Greece: residence permit for financially independent persons (Feb 2026) |
| Italy: Where to apply | Long-stay (D) visas come from the Italian consulate for your US state of residence; a tourist stay cannot be turned into a residence permit in Italy Source: Consulate General of Italy in New York: digital nomad / remote worker visa · Italian Foreign Ministry: rights and duties of D-visa holders (Jun 2026) |
| Greece: Digital nomads: where to apply | At a Greek consulate before travel — applying inside Greece was abolished by Law 5275/2026 Source: Law 5275/2026 (Government Gazette A 17/06.02.2026) · PwC Greece: new immigration law 5275/2026 |
| Italy: Permanent residence | EU long-term permit after 5 years: no more than 6 months away in a row or 10 months in total, A2 Italian and enough income Source: Assolombarda: EU long-term residence permit |
| Greece: Long-term residence | After 5 years; absences of at most 6 months in a row and 10 months in total; Greek language and civics, income and insurance needed Source: AIDA (ECRE): long-term residence in Greece |
| Italy: Citizenship by residence | 10 years of legal residence, B1 Italian and enough income; €250 fee; dual citizenship allowed Source: InfoImmigrazione: citizenship by residence (Jul 2026) · Chamber of Deputies: Italian citizenship law — current rules |
| Greece: Citizenship | 7 years of legal, continuous residence (usually after long-term residence; 12 years on other permits); PEGP exam (B1 Greek + civics, €150); fee €550; dual citizenship allowed Source: Mitos (gov.gr): naturalisation of foreign nationals · gov.gr: PEGP naturalisation knowledge exam · US Department of State: dual nationality |
| Italy: Healthcare | Workers are enrolled in the national health service (SSN) for free; retirees and others not working in Italy pay at least €2,000 a year to join voluntarily (since 2024) Source: Arletti Partners: voluntary national health service enrolment (€2,000 minimum) |
| Greece: Healthcare | Public cover (EOPYY) comes through Greek social-security (EFKA) contributions; FIP and golden visa holders need private insurance Source: Argophilia: optional health insurance for third-country pensioners · TaxLaw Greece: residence permit for financially independent persons (Feb 2026) |
| Italy: Income tax (IRPEF) | 23% up to €28,000, 33% to €50,000, 43% above (2026), plus regional and municipal surcharges Source: ECNews: 2026 Budget Law — new IRPEF rates |
| Greece: Income tax | 9% to 44% (top rate above €60,000) Source: PwC Tax Summaries: Greece — personal income tax |
| Italy: 7% regime for pensioners | 7% on all foreign income for 10 years if you receive a foreign pension and move to a southern town of up to 30,000 people (since April 2026); no Italian tax on foreign assets Source: Fiscomania: 7% flat tax for foreign pensioners — towns up to 30,000 · Il Sole 24 Ore: no foreign-asset reporting for the 7% regime |
| Greece: 7% regime for pensioners | If you receive a foreign pension, all your foreign income can be taxed at a flat 7% for up to 15 years; not tax resident in Greece in 5 of the previous 6 years; apply by 31 March Source: Income Tax Code art. 5B: 7% regime for foreign pensioners · PwC Tax Summaries: Greece — individual tax incentives |
| Italy: Usual company type | SRL (limited liability company): €10,000 standard capital, or €1–9,999 if fully paid in cash; notarial deed Source: Civil Code art. 2463 (SRL capital) |
| Greece: Usual company type | IKE (private company): capital from €1 or even zero; no notary needed with the standard articles Source: Law 4072/2012 art. 43: IKE capital · Law 4072/2012 art. 49: IKE formation document |
| Italy: Corporate taxes | IRES 24% plus regional IRAP 3.9% (4.82% in Lazio) Source: PwC Tax Summaries: Italy — corporate income tax · InformazioneFiscale: regional IRAP rates |
| Greece: Corporate tax | 22% Source: PwC Tax Summaries: Greece — corporate income tax |
| Italy: Population | Italy 58.9 million (ISTAT, 1 Jan 2026); Rome 2.75 million, metropolitan city 4.22 million Source: ISTAT: demographic indicators (Mar 2026) · Il Sole 24 Ore: Rome, Italy's most populous municipality (ISTAT data) |
| Greece: Population | Greece about 10.4 million (2025); Athens 643,000 and Attica 3.8 million (2021 census) Source: ELSTAT: estimated population 2025 · ELSTAT: 2021 census results |
| Italy: Rome transport | Monthly pass €35, annual €250; 100-minute ticket €1.50; Leonardo Express to Fiumicino €14, about 32 minutes Source: ATAC: Rome tickets and passes · Trenitalia: Leonardo Express to Fiumicino |
| Greece: Athens transport | 90-minute ticket €1.20; monthly pass €27; metro to the airport €9 (about 40 minutes from Syntagma) Source: OASA: Athens ticket prices · STASY: metro line 3 timetable |
| Italy: Flights from the US | Rome and Milan about 8–9 hours nonstop from the East Coast; nonstops to many US cities; none to Florence Source: Boltflight: direct flights from the US to Rome · The Local Italy: new direct US–Italy flights in 2026 |
| Greece: Flights from the US | About 10 hours nonstop from New York — year-round on Emirates, seasonal from many US hubs Source: The National Herald: US cities with nonstop flights to Athens |
| Italy: Italia Startup Visa | €50,000 of funds for a new innovative startup; nulla osta from the MIMIT committee in about 30 days; free to apply Source: Italia Startup Visa: guidelines (MIMIT) · Italia Startup Visa: official site (MIMIT) |
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