Cost of Living: Bologna vs Paris (2026)

Italy vs France — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Bologna

Paris

$1,130/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,604/mo

−$10k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$3k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

Regime Forfettario

VAT-free under €85k
26% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Micro-entrepreneur

VAT-free under €38k
22% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRBologna is 30% cheaper on rent ($1,130/mo vs $1,604/mo). Bologna is safer — homicide rate 0.6 vs 1.1 per 100k. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Bologna and Paris are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

How the livability score breaks down

Bologna

Paris

18/25

💰 Affordability

13.4/25

14.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

13.9/15

5.1/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

4.2/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

12.9/15

11.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

12/15

5.4/10

🗣️ English

6.3/10

7.2/10

☀️ Climate

9.3/10

9/10

📊 Stability

8/10

8.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

9/10

7.4/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

6.1/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇫🇷 Paris

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇮🇹 Bologna

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Paris vs Lyon

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Bologna

Metric

Paris

✓$724/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$817/mo

$6,884

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$6,210✓

80 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

77 / 100

✓0.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.1 / 100k

5.0 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.7 / 100k✓

✓51 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

42 / 100

88°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

36°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

36°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

173 Mbps

15 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11.2 μg/m³✓

85 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

7.6 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.0 / 10✓

6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.5 / 9

25 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

62 / 100✓

29/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100✓

$62k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$63k

✓1.0% · Practically frozen

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.0% · Boringly steady

—

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

87/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

A median Software Engineer in Bologna takes home $2,253/mo under Standard employee. In Paris: $3,957/mo under Standard employee.

$1,704/mo more in Paris

🎯 Bologna's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,825/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$43k

💰

Gross income

$66k

−$12k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$12k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

$27k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$47k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$37k

🏠

Cost of living

−$44k

−$10k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$3k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Bologna

$474/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Bologna

0.6 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Paris

8.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

88°F vs 75°F summers

🗣️

English

Paris

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.9h

Shortest day

Dec

8.2h

15.5h

Longest day

Jun

16.2h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend

stable →

Inflation trend

improving ↑

—

Industries

fintechluxury-fashionaerospaceai

—

Startup ecosystem

hub

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Easy

—

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Not recognized

unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

—

Retiree visa

€1,767/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

12 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

On request up to 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

On request up to 14 weeks. Enshrined as a constitutional right in March 2024.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union

Marriage

Legal

Step-child only

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Bologna vs Paris — Common Questions

Is Bologna cheaper than Paris?▾

Bologna is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1130/month there vs $1604/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bologna or Paris?▾

Bologna is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bologna has a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 and Paris has 1.10 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bologna or Paris?▾

Bologna and Paris are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Bologna or Paris?▾

Bologna: no specific remote work visa. Paris: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Bologna or Paris?▾

Bologna is warmer in summer (88°F vs 75°F). Paris has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Bologna or Paris without speaking the local language?▾

Paris is easier for street-level English (38/100) than Bologna (29/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Bologna vs Paris?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1130/month in Bologna, $1604/month in Paris (Numbeo). That's 30% cheaper rent in Bologna.