What if I told you that you can buy a charming seaside apartment in Italy for less than the price of a Toyota Camry? That seaside southern Italy real estate often sells for less than US$99,000?
I’m not talking about a run-down studio in the middle of nowhere.
I’m talking about lovely properties with sea views and private terraces, in historic towns where people live longer, healthier lives.
While Americans are paying $750 per square foot for coastal properties, I found ten timeless Italian seaside homes starting at just $26 per square foot.
You heard it right: 28 times cheaper—to live better.
And more: they offer you a 7% flat tax deal that could save you thousands. Sounds too good to be true? So keep reading, because this opportunity won’t last long, and one of these ten homes could change your life—and your wallet—for the better.
The Southern Italy Advantage: A Better Life with Unbeatable Tax Benefits
Southern Italy isn’t just cheap—it adds years to your life and leaves more money in your pocket. You might think that ‘cheap’ means ‘dangerous’ or ‘unhealthy,’ but the data shows the exact opposite in these regions.
Scientists have studied Mediterranean regions because residents live longer, healthier lives than almost anywhere else.
These towns have crime rates so low that many locals don’t even lock their doors at night, and sunshine averages 300 days per year—that’s 2,500 hours annually.
And the best part: the Italian government actually wants you to move there so badly, they’re offering one of the best tax deals in Europe. The 7% flat tax rate for foreign pension holders moving to towns under 20,000 people can save you thousands annually for up to 10 years.
Only Greece offers similar tax benefits for expats.
This isn’t just about buying property—it’s about a lifestyle that could literally extend your life while saving your money. So let’s talk about these 10 properties, ranked from least to most attractive, with number 10 starting things off and number 1 stealing the show.
10. Mondragone, Campania
The first property proves that you can wake up to direct sea views every morning for less than most Americans spend on a car.
Located in the Campania region, Mondragone is a town in the province of Caserta with a population of approximately 28,500 residents. This three-room apartment in Mondragone sits on the fourth floor with unobstructed Mediterranean views, just an hour from Naples.
At €75,000, this 80-square-meter (861-square-foot) flat gives you direct sea views and a turnkey Mediterranean lifestyle. The apartment is in good condition—move-in ready with minimal work needed.
Mondragone is famous worldwide for producing Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Falerno del Massico wine. The location at Via Domiziana 317 means you can walk to local beaches like Spiaggia Libera di Mondragone or enjoy the amenities at the Lido Aurora beach club.
When you want urban excitement, Naples is under an hour away—the birthplace of pizza, with world-class museums and opera houses. For the price of this flat, you could buy a 2025 BMW X7.
So what is your choice? A brand-new vehicle that loses value every year, or a permanent home with Mediterranean Sea views.
9. Rodi Garganico, Puglia
This small town of about 3,400 people is in the province of Foggia, in the northern part of the Puglia region. Given the fact that this town has less than 20,000 residents, if you move there, you can apply for the privileged tax program and benefit from paying one of the lowest income tax rates in Europe.
This property offers a private terrace overlooking the Adriatic Sea, plus a guaranteed parking space, all at the side of a national park. This first-floor apartment comes with something most coastal properties don’t—exclusive outdoor space that’s actually yours. An included parking space is rare in these historic coastal towns where parking can cost extra thousands.
Located within Gargano National Park, you might expect strict building restrictions to make this expensive, but it’s priced at just €78,000.
Its national park status limits development, preserving your views. The dramatic white limestone cliffs and ancient forests surrounding this property create a backdrop where citrus groves dot the landscape.
From the nearby port, ferries run to the Tremiti Islands, adding to your adventure options.
8. Bari, Puglia
Bari is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Puglia region, with a city population of over 315,000, and it’s the largest city we will mention today.
This two-room apartment in Bari’s San Giorgio neighborhood comes completely furnished and ready to live in tomorrow. The furniture is included, along with kitchen appliances, making this 40-square-meter (430-square-foot) space truly move-in ready.
At €80,000, its location is the key factor, giving you urban amenities unavailable in smaller towns, including an international airport and direct high-speed train service to Rome. The private balcony offers a panoramic sea view and fills the home with natural light.
A local described Bari to us:
“The food is delicious, and the people are incredibly welcoming. Public transportation is poor, so having a car is essential. Overall, the area offers great beaches and attractions to keep you entertained all year long.”
7. Agropoli, Campania
This town in the province of Salerno has just over 21,000 residents. Here you find a single-level villa with your own private courtyard and parking, serving as your personal gateway to one of Italy’s most pristine national parks.
This terraced house in Colle San Marco offers something rare: privacy and panoramic sea views. The 40-square-meter (430-square-foot) villa plus courtyard comes with a private entrance that leads directly into your exclusive outdoor space, paved and decorated with ornamental flowerbeds.
As the gateway to the wonderful Cilento National Park, you are minutes from beaches, hiking, and the Paestum ruins. At just €69,000 for this villa-style living plus private outdoor space and parking, you get luxury features for a fraction of US costs.
6. Ascea, Campania
Ascea is a town of around 5,800 inhabitants, allowing you to qualify for the special privileged flat income tax of just 7%.
This duplex apartment offers vertical living with a private front terrace, attic bedroom, and covered parking. The first level features a living room with a kitchenette and bathroom that opens onto your private front terrace with stunning sea views.
It is just 2.5 kilometers from Marina di Ascea, a vast beach with Blue Flag waters. Ascea is also built near the ancient Greek city of Elea, where the ruins of Elea-Velia sit as a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological park.
Despite its world heritage status, the price is just €79,000, for duplex living in a splendid site with modern transportation connections.
5. Barletta, Puglia
As a co-capital of the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, this city of approximately 92,000 people offers well-developed infrastructure and public services.
In Barletta, you can own the entire rooftop terrace above your apartment, with panoramic views of a medieval castle, the Adriatic Sea, and a bustling historic port. This third-floor apartment’s exclusive ownership of the roof terrace is rare due to preservation laws.
Your terrace overlooks Barletta’s 800-year-old Castle and the Adriatic every morning. But the real shock comes with the price. At €85,000 for 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) plus exclusive rooftop rights.
4. Cetraro, Calabria (Four-Story Townhouse)
Located in the Calabria region, Cetraro is a municipality in the Cosenza province with around 9,400 residents, making it another town eligible for the 7% flat tax program.
For roughly the cost of a 2025 Acura MDX, this four-level home in Cetraro’s historic center provides distinct living zones on each of its four floors.
The ground floor contains a kitchen and bathroom; the first floor is for living and entertaining; the second floor hosts two bedrooms and two small terraces; and the top floor is an open-plan attic with a terrace and spectacular sea views.
Watch the sunrise from one terrace and the sunset from another, with spectacular sea views on every level. All of this comes at a price of just €50,000.
3. Cetraro, Calabria (Duplex with Renovation Potential)
Also in Cetraro, this duplex apartment offers both immediate living space and future potential. The Via delle Rose property gives you a complete duplex apartment plus a connecting room that’s waiting for your personal renovation touch.
The main duplex spans 120 square meters (1,291 square feet) with a large sea-view terrace. This property’s unrenovated connecting room is a blank canvas for a home office, art studio, or guest suite.
The price is an impressively low €54,000.
2. Porto Empedocle, Sicily (Five-Room Family Delight)
Porto Empedocle sits on Sicily’s southern coast, with a population of just over 15,000 people—yes, that means you can apply for the 7% flat tax rate.
This five-room apartment delivers spacious family living with sea views and elevator access for less than most people spend on a new pickup truck. The layout includes a main bedroom, two smaller bedrooms, and a full bathroom, giving you 120 square meters (1,291 square feet) of family-sized living space.
The price is €55,000, to live in Sicily—where the Mediterranean lifestyle includes year-round sunshine, incredible food culture, and a pace of life that actually lets you enjoy both.
1. Porto Empedocle, Sicily (Massive Rooftop Terrace Apartment)
This Via Vincenzella apartment delivers 180 square meters (1,937 square feet) of living space plus a partly-owned rooftop terrace with sea views.
The apartment is immense by any standard: five rooms, two bathrooms, and rooftop access. Properties this size with rooftop privileges typically cost hundreds of thousands, even in less desirable locations than Sicily.
And now the best part: the price. Hold your chair.
Just €55,000.
For 180 square meters plus rooftop rights, this means a mind-blowing €305 per square meter ($31 per square foot). Compare that to Santa Barbara condominiums at $1,100 per square foot. For the price of this massive Sicilian apartment, you could only afford 5 square meters (54 square feet) in California—the size of a walk-in pantry.
There are plenty of other small towns in Italy, and also Greece, Portugal, and France, with impressively low prices and quality of life. Check more of them in my article with the best cities and towns to retire in Europe.
Levi Borba is the founder of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author. You can find him on X here. Some of the links above might be affiliated links, meaning the author earns a small commission if you make a purchase.
