Thread by @thealepalombo

I've analyzed every affordable, strategically located coastal town in Italy for a €200-300K budget.

Taxes, airports, cost of living, remote work infrastructure. I've called a couple of friends to confirm the data.

10 towns. The definitive guide for FIRE and Digital Nomads in Italy.

Thread 🧵

First, why Italy in 2026?

Three reasons:

• 7% flat tax for 10 years on ALL foreign income for retirees in small towns (pensions, dividends, capital gains), 50% tax exemption for remote workers

• Property at half the price of Portugal and Croatia

• Ryanair is opening bases and routes across the South at record pace

Italy is becoming THE game.

The real tax advantage for FIRE, explained simply:

Italy: 7% flat tax for 10 yrs (town under 20K people, southern region)

Greece: 7% for 15 yrs, but pricier property

Spain: no special retiree regime (standard progressive tax rates apply)

Portugal: NHR closed. Now progressive taxation up to 48% for pensioners.

Croatia: no special retiree regime

On €100K/yr of foreign income, Italy = €7,000 total tax. That's it.

For non-EU citizens: Italy launched a Digital Nomad Visa in 2024.

Requirements: €28K annual income, degree or 5+ yrs experience, health insurance.

1 year, renewable for 2 more. Path to permanent residency after 5 years.

50% tax exemption for 5 years. With conditions.

Now the 10 coastal towns. North to south.

1/ SANREMO, Liguria

The killer advantage: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is 45 minutes away. A major European hub with direct flights to nearly everywhere.

€2,000-2,400/sqm in less central areas → 80-120 sqm for €200-300K.

300+ sunny days, microclimate shielded by the Alps. Established French & German expat community.

The Italian Riviera on a realistic budget. Solid pick.

2/ VIAREGGIO, Tuscany

Pisa Airport 20 minutes away. Ryanair, easyJet, BA, Lufthansa, KLM.

€2,000-2,500/sqm in residential zones → 75-100 sqm within budget.

Flat, bikeable, 62K residents with full services and fiber internet.

Lucca 20 min by train. Florence 90 min.

The Tuscan lifestyle without the Tuscan price tag.

3/ FANO, Marche

The best price-to-quality ratio on the entire Italian coast.

€2,040/sqm average, €1,422 in peripheral areas. €250K buys 120-180 sqm.

61K people, sandy beaches, active fishing port, Roman walls.

Ancona Airport 45 min. Bologna 2 hrs.

Marche = one of Italy's safest regions. And Fano's brodetto fish stew is a religious experience.

My granma was originally from Marche: I love the region.

4/ PESCARA, Abruzzo — My #1 pick for Digital Nomads

Airport IN the city. Ryanair serves 25+ destinations in 13 countries. New Valencia route from Feb 2026.

€1,597/sqm. In practice, €250K buys 150+ sqm even near the beach.

16 km of sandy beaches, fiber internet, growing tech scene. Gran Sasso skiing 1 hr inland. Rome 2.5 hrs.

Cost of living: €1,300-1,500/mo for a couple. Espresso €0.90. Full dinner with wine €20.

Caveat: go and try if during winter vibe check is positive.

5/ MONOPOLI, Puglia

Puglia is southern Italy's trendiest region, and Monopoli is where the budget still works.

€2,432/sqm → 80-125 sqm for €200-300K.

Bari Airport 40 min: 28 airlines, 116 destinations, 39 countries. Direct flights to London, Paris, Amsterdam, New York (seasonal).

Rocky coves with crystal-clear water. Growing café culture for remote work.

49K people, full services, 30-min train to Bari.

6/ PIZZO CALABRO, Calabria — My #1 pick for FIRE

This is where the game changes. Population: 9,268. Qualifies for the 7% flat tax.

Lamezia Terme Airport 15 minutes away. 52 destinations in 19 countries.

€1,437/sqm → €200K buys 140 sqm. €300K gets a sea-view villa.

On €60K/yr of foreign income → €4,200 total annual tax.

Living costs: €900-1,200/mo single. Pizzo's tartufo ice cream is the best in Italy.

Important: very tiny, local place.

7/ TROPEA, Calabria

Italy's most beautiful beach — and it's not an exaggeration.

Clifftop, white sand, Santa Maria dell'Isola. 6,000 people = qualifies for the 7% flat tax.

BUT: prices are surging. €2,869/sqm, +22.7% year-over-year.

€200K buys only 70 sqm. The window is closing.

If beauty is your absolute priority and you can move fast, Tropea still works.

For optimization, Pizzo is 40 min closer to the airport and half the price per sqm.

Personal note: I wouldn't live there during winter.

8/ TRAPANI, Sicily — The lowest price in the entire report

€928-970/sqm. €200K buys 200+ sqm. €100-150K gets a comfortable 3-bedroom.

Trapani-Birgi Airport 15 min away. In January 2026, Ryanair opened a NEW BASE here with 23 routes across 9 countries.

Palermo Airport 1 hr for extra connectivity.

68K people, salt flats, San Vito Lo Capo 30 min away, Egadi Islands by 20-min ferry.

Full meal €10-15. Sicily's crime rate is below the Italian national average.

Underrated.

9/ SYRACUSE (Siracusa), Sicily.

2,700 years of history. Greek temples, Baroque architecture, Ortigia's fish market. UNESCO World Heritage.

€1,331-1,448/sqm (€2,388 in Ortigia, €883 in Grottasanta).

€250K: 90-100 sqm in Ortigia or 170+ sqm on the mainland.

Catania Airport 55-65 min: 12M passengers/yr, year-round European routes.

Best DN potential in Sicily: growing remote work scene in Ortigia, emerging coworking spaces, fiber internet.

2,700 hours of sunshine/yr. Sicily's warmest corner.

I love Syracuse beyond reasonability.

10/ ALGHERO, Sardinia

Little Barcelona — Catalan heritage, established British & Northern European expat community.

€2,965/sqm average (priciest on the list) → 60-100 sqm for €200-300K. Peripheral areas €2,000-2,500 with more space.

Airport 10-15 min away. BUT: most international routes are seasonal (April-October).

Sardinia is a Blue Zone. Third-lowest crime rate in Italy.

Weakness: winter connectivity limited to Rome and Milan.

Excellent choice. Not for everyone.

The honest comparison with the competition, for FIRE:

🇵🇹 Portugal: NHR dead. Algarve at €3,200-4,400/sqm. €250K buys 60-80 sqm.

🇪🇸 Spain: #1 for Digital Nomads, but 24% tax and property 2-3x southern Italy.

🇬🇷 Greece: closest competitor. 7% for 15 yrs, no geographic restriction. But pricier property.

🇭🇷 Croatia: Dalmatia at €3,883/sqm (+91% in 10 years). No retiree regime.

Italy is the cheapest for coastal property. Period.

Digital Nomad strategy:

TIER 1 (infrastructure + airport): Pescara, Viareggio

TIER 2 (lifestyle + connectivity): Syracuse, Monopoli

TIER 3 (extreme value, less infrastructure): Trapani, Fano

Eastern Sicily (Catania/Syracuse) is building a tech ecosystem: startup hubs, coworking, growing community. Still early.

ALWAYS check fiber coverage before buying.

FIRE strategy:

If you have foreign pension income: → Pizzo Calabro (7% tax, airport 15 min, €1,437/sqm) → Tropea (if you move NOW, prices climbing fast)

If you have a higher budget and want culture: → Syracuse outskirts + 7% tax in a nearby qualifying town → Fano for those who prefer the Adriatic

Wildcard: Trapani under €1,000/sqm. The highest sqm-per-euro in coastal Europe. Caveats apply: go and check, before moving.

Three important warnings:

1. Italian bureaucracy is REAL. Opening a bank account, residency, tax applications: you need a good commercialista and patience.

2. Fiber internet in small southern towns is NOT guaranteed. Check address by address.

3. Seasonality in smaller coastal towns is a real factor: November to March some become VERY quiet.

Nothing is perfect. But the tax/property/quality-of-life ratio is unmatched in the Mediterranean.

To sum up:

• 7% flat tax for 10 years on all foreign income, for retirees
• Coastal property from €928 to €2,965/sqm
• Ryanair opening bases in the South (Trapani, January 2026)
• Cost of living from €900 to €1,800/mo
• Digital Nomad Visa active since 2024+ 50% tax exemption on income (social security is due)

The window is open. Tropea is up +22.7%/yr. The others will follow.

I'm preparing a separate guide for higher budgets and high net worth.

Follow me on substack so you don't miss it:

—> palombo.substack.com

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