This article is about my personal views on some points of my experience of almost 3 years in Milan, which I hope will be helpful for those that would like or plan to live and work in Italy.
▹Very-demanding, but relatively low budget tech market
Finding a job in tech can be relatively easy, but depending on many factors, it can be the other way around. Anyway, the tech market is red-hot also in Italy, especially in Milan. On the other hand, the wages are not like many other European countries (Germany, France, etc). They are comparatively low despite the high cost of living. Anyway, it seems they have accepted like this because I think Italians are asset-rich but income-poor, thanks to the savings set aside during the boom years (the 60s-80s), and families act as informal welfare mechanisms (grandparents and parents sell their assets to support their children’s or their consumption).
▹Italian food, diversity of nature, and good weather
Italian food is high-quality, I am sure you will like and enjoy it a lot the Italian cuisine. Besides food, Mediterranean climate, the weather in Italy is some of the best in Europe. You will enjoy the 4 seasons. This will come with a wide range of landscapes too, beautiful surroundings, a lot of history written, traditions, great art, beautiful churches, museums, etc.
▹Complex procedures and misleading information
When I relocated from Albania to Italy, I thought the law will work (the way it is intended to work). Unfortunately, also Italy is another story, it will frustrate and tire you. Even Italians find it difficult to figure out how some procedures work, how some laws apply, what rights they have, and nothing is clear because they have so many things. In my case, I just hope the one at the information desk that day has a clue about the things I need to do. 🙂
▹Language
If you don’t speak Italian it will be very hard, because most people don’t know English. On the other hand, I would say that Italian is a very beautiful language and quite easy to understand.
▹Taxes
Be prepared to pay lots of taxes and see how your money is not used for what it should be used (I think there is a lot of corruption and improper management of resources). Moreover, it seems you will have to work 100 years before you get your retirement. 😅 Though, a good thing is that you have a 30% discount on your taxes for 5 years if you haven’t been resident in Italy in the two tax periods before the transfer and undertake to reside there for at least two years. So the work activity needs to be carried out mainly in the Italian territory. Anyway, this is very difficult to get, most of them don’t even know this law. If they know it, probably would be just a hope to be able to benefit from it.
▹Italians are friendly
Most of the people are hospitable, kind, and friendly. I think they love to talk and share their emotions. They seem to be very emotional and impulsive. They are smart and fun, and probably you will enjoy being with them, but sometimes reflecting their emotions so much (depending on their mood), can affect you, so you need to know when you need to get distanced from them. Also, from my experiences I think there is a general disorder and an unorganized way to cope with various tasks, some can’t constructively confront critics.
▹Traveling in and around Italy is not cheap
If it wasn’t because of the covid tampons this year, for me, it is cheaper to fly to Albania, than to go within a distance of 30 km starting from Milan. Moreover, besides from metro that is on time and relatively very often, around 40% of the trains (Trenord mostly) that I have gone with, have been late. It is what it is. :)
These were just some of my opinions; visiting Italy is always a pleasure and can never be boring, but living in Italy, I think is a completely different thing, especially nowadays.