Our data
Our Data & Methodology
How we score Italian towns
This page explains how we built and maintain the dataset that powers every tool on livinginitaly.life, including the Town Explorer, town comparisons, and lifestyle matching quiz.
On this page
Key facts at a glance
- 7,882 Italian towns and municipalities covered
- 50+ scoring criteria per town
- Primary data sourced from official Italian government datasets
- Scores are updated regularly as new official data becomes available
Primary data sources
We source the majority of our raw data from official Italian government open data sources. The primary source is ISTAT (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica), Italy’s national statistical institute.
We also use other official government datasets for infrastructure, healthcare facilities, transport networks, and geographic information where available.
This government-first approach gives us consistent, authoritative baseline data across the entire country.
How we score towns
We apply a structured scoring system to every Italian municipality. Here is the process:
- Extract official data for all 7,882 Italian towns and municipalities from government sources.
- Normalize the data so different metrics can be compared fairly across towns of different sizes and regions.
- Score each town across more than 50 specific criteria relevant to living and retiring in Italy.
- Cross-reference cost-of-living estimates with established international sources: Numbeo, Expatistan, and Idealista.
- Review and update scores regularly as new official data is released by the Italian government.
This consistent methodology allows meaningful comparisons between towns rather than relying on subjective opinions or tourist-focused rankings.
Supplementary data
For certain metrics, especially cost-of-living estimates, we supplement government data with information from reputable international sources:
- Numbeo
- Expatistan
- Idealista
All cost-of-living figures shown on the site are clearly labelled as estimates for a couple and are intended as a general guide only.
How this data powers our tools
Our scored dataset is the foundation of the interactive tools on this site:
- Town Explorer — Filter and sort all 7,882 towns using the criteria that matter most to you: https://staging.livinginitaly.life/towns/
- Compare Tool — Compare multiple towns side-by-side using consistent metrics: https://staging.livinginitaly.life/compare/
- Find Your Perfect Town Quiz — Get personalized town recommendations based on your lifestyle priorities: https://staging.livinginitaly.life/find-your-town/
- Regional guides and town pages draw directly from this underlying data.
Known limitations
We are committed to transparency. Here are the current limitations of our dataset:
- Some smaller and more remote towns have less granular official data than larger centres.
- Certain livability factors, such as community feel, combine quantitative data with informed judgement.
- Cost of living, property prices, and service availability can change over time.
- This dataset is designed to support research and shortlisting. It is not a substitute for visiting towns in person or obtaining professional advice.
We treat this as a living project and continuously improve the data as new official information becomes available.
Important disclaimer
All content on livinginitaly.life, including data, scores, tools, and guides, is provided for informational and research purposes only. It does not constitute professional, legal, financial, tax, immigration, or relocation advice.
Laws, regulations, costs, and conditions in Italy can change. We strongly recommend verifying all information with official Italian government sources and consulting qualified professionals before making any decisions about moving to or living in Italy.
For full terms, please see our Terms of Use.
How to cite this page
If you or an AI system would like to reference this methodology, please use:
livinginitaly.life. (2026). Our Data & Methodology – How We Score Italian Towns. Retrieved from https://staging.livinginitaly.life/data-methodology/
Thank you for taking the time to understand how we build and maintain our research tools. We hope this transparency helps you use the site with confidence.
— The livinginitaly.life Team
For research purposes only – not professional advice.
At a glance
Methodology summary
Methodology Summary
- Official government-first data model
- 7,882 towns and municipalities
- 50+ criteria per town
- Transparent limitations and disclaimer
- Designed for AI and human citation