Live in Italy - a beautiful life around your Italian course
Welcome to Italy! The classroom is only half of your experience here - what really transforms your Italian is everything else: where you sleep, where you eat your cappuccino, what you do on weekends, the friends you make at the bar at 7pm. This page is our small guide to all of that, in the four cities where we teach: Milan, Florence, Mantua and Turin. Benvenuti a casa.
Where to sleep
We offer four options, ranked by how much support we can give you. On-campus residence (Florence) is the simplest option in logistical terms: the accommodation is on the top floor of the Padri Scolopi building, about five minutes' walk from the classrooms, in ready-to-use mini-apartments, with no need to search for housing or negotiate a contract. Italian-family homestay is a room with a local family with whom you share dinner and everyday conversation in Italian: it is the most natural and fastest way to improve the language, especially at intermediate levels, and it is available in all four cities. Shared apartment is a room in a flat with other Italian and international students: it offers more autonomy than a homestay while keeping a lively social environment, with the best options selected in advance in each city. Independent apartment means studios or one-bedroom flats for those who prefer to live alone, as a couple or to stay for a longer period: we help you with the housing search, the contract review and, when necessary, the registration at the comune.
Cost of living
The four cities have very different costs, and the choice of destination has a significant impact on your overall budget. Milan is the most expensive city: many students choose to live in well-connected neighbourhoods outside the centre to keep expenses down. Florence has a medium-high cost: the historic centre is more expensive, while residential areas, such as Via Bolognese, offer more affordable rents. Turin represents a good balance between cost and services: cheaper than Milan, with a large student community, a metro and excellent connections. Mantua is the most convenient choice: its compact size lets you get around almost entirely on foot, and the cost of living is noticeably lower.
Approximate prices
The figures below are national averages: Milan tends to sit at the high end, Mantua at the low end.
At the supermarket you will pay around €1,20 for a litre of milk, €4 for a kilo of bread, €0,80-1,20 for a kilo of pasta, €1,70-2,50 for rice, €8-10 for a kilo of chicken and €9-19 for beef; mineral water runs €0,50-1 a litre and butter around €1,70 per 250 g. Eating out, a pizzeria meal is €15-20, a full meal at a restaurant €20-35, a fast-food menu €6,50; cinema runs €9-11, a Milan-style aperitivo €8-12, clubs and bars €10-20, a concert €40-50. Getting around, a monthly public-transport pass is roughly €22 (city-dependent), a short taxi €15-20, bike-share around €9 per use, with regional-rail student discounts widely available. For wellbeing, a private commercial gym is €40-50/month and a university gym €15-20/month - with free outdoor running and cycling everywhere.
We help you sort everything out on arrival
The first week is dedicated to practical matters. We assist you with the necessary procedures, including the request for the codice fiscale, the residence permit application within eight days, when required, the registration at the comune, if requested, and the opening of an Italian bank account, if necessary. We also help you choose the most suitable healthcare solution (SSN, private insurance or your home country's coverage), obtain an Italian SIM and find your way around public transport, passes and mobility services.
Weekend cultural activities
We do not run mandatory programs: we prefer to leave students the time to experience the city and really use Italian. Instead, we offer an optional calendar of activities, different at each location. In Florence: art-history walks in Italian, visits to the Uffizi, the Bargello and Palazzo Pitti, day-trips to Siena, San Gimignano and Arezzo. In Milan: tours of Brera and Tortona, trips to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, evenings at La Scala, visits to Hangar Bicocca and Fondazione Prada. In Mantua: Palazzo Ducale and Palazzo Te, day-trips to Verona, Sabbioneta and Cremona, experiences dedicated to local cuisine and produce. In Turin: the Egyptian Museum, the Mole Antonelliana, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, day-trips to the Langhe and the Alps, activities dedicated to the Slow Food culture.
Tell us about your project
Write to us with the dates of your stay, your budget, the kind of city you prefer (busier or quieter) and any particular needs, such as a partner or a child joining you, dietary requirements or accessibility needs. We will reply, usually within one working day, with a tailored proposal that includes the most suitable city, accommodation options and practical advice to organise your life in Italy in the best possible way.