Property Prices by Region and City in 2026

Investment tips

26 March 2026

by Lorenzo

italy property prices purchases 2024

Regional Real Estate Market Observatory in Italy

Irecom’s Observatory team continually researches and analyzes data to uncover the latest real estate market trends. With complete data from 2025-26 now available, we invite you to join us on a brief journey exploring average prices per square meter.

Northern and Central Italy, known for their vibrant economies and rich historical appeal, command the highest property prices. The Trentino-Alto Adige region, nestled among stunning mountain landscapes in the north, leads the market with average prices around €3,704 per square meter. Not far behind are the beautiful regions of Aosta Valley (€2,722) and Liguria (€2,731), famous for their scenic coastline and alpine allure.

Conversely, the southern regions of Calabria and Molise offer much more affordable opportunities, with average prices of around €960 per square meter, just a fraction of their northern counterparts. Positioned between these extremes, Italy’s national average stands at approximately €1.957,40 per square meter, highlighting the substantial regional variation in the market.

The table below illustrates these intriguing regional contrasts in greater detail:

REGION€/m² (2026)Market notes 2026
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (highest)€3.704High demand driven by autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento; limited stock.
Lombardy€2,729An increase of 7.15% compared to February 2025.
Liguria€2,722Imperia first city by average price €/m² up to 2,972.
Aosta Valley€2,722Highest asking price in the municipality of Courmayeur.
Tuscany€2,640Florence and the Tyrrhenian coast sustain regional average.
Lazio€2,592Rome (~€3,000/m²) dominates; inland provinces significantly cheaper.
Sardinia€2,463High prices on Costa Smeralda; rural interior remains low-cost.
Veneto€2,184Venice boosts average; Verona and Padua prices rising strongly.
Emilia-Romagna€2,146Dynamic market; Bologna, Ravenna and Rimini sustain regional average.
Campania€1,959Naples above €2,400/m²; inland stable or slightly decreasing.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia€1,776Trieste leading growth; Udine stable.
Marche€1,610A decrease of 2.36% compared to February 2025.
Apulia€1,438Bari and Brindisi only two province over €1,700/m².
Piedmont €1,425Turin recovering (+3.15% y/y); mountain areas weaker.
Abruzzo€1,381Pescara & Teramo over €1,600/m². Other province way below regional average.
Basilicata€1,308Only two provinces; decreased by 1,8% from February 2025.
Umbria€1,178Perugia very attractive because the university.
Sicily€1,168Palermo and Catania over €1,300/m²; several provinces below €1,000.
Molise€1043Among Italy’s lowest prices; flat market in 2026.
Calabria (lowest)€960Only Vibo Valentia over €1,000/m².

Notes for Reading the Data:

  • Source: IRECOM elaboration based on Immobiliare Data sets (“Property price data in Italy” Q1-2026) and monthly updates (February 2026 last update).
  • Immobiliare Methodology: Median asking prices; auction properties excluded; correction for outliers.
  • Scope: Existing residential properties (excluding new builds), based on listings published on Idealista’s website.

italy property prices purchases 2024
Photo by 35MM North on Unsplash

Within each region, major cities tend to have much higher prices than outlying areas, especially true for economic and cultural hubs. Below we focus on five key city markets – Milan, Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Rome.

Milan (Lombardy)

Milan is Italy’s financial capital and remains the most expensive city for property. In 2026, average asking prices in Milan are about €4,111 per square meter, topping all other Italian markets. This is over more than 2 times the national average. Milan’s prices have been on a steady uptrend (roughly +5.9% year-on-year) due to persistent demand from both domestic and international buyers.

High-income employment sectors, foreign investment, and limited new housing supply keep values elevated. However, the Lombardy region’s overall prices are much lower than Milan’s figure, since smaller cities in the region are cheaper. Indeed, many home seekers are now looking to Milan’s suburbs and commuter towns for better value.

Most municipalities around Milan have averages well below €3,000/m². For example, Rosate, a town in the Milan metropolitan area, has homes around €1,700 per m² – one-third the price of Milan proper. Even relatively upscale suburban towns like Abbiategrasso (~€1,891) or Garbagnate Milanese (~€2,117) remain far more affordable than the city.

This trend reflects how buyers priced out of Milan are driving up demand in the province, a pattern seen in transaction data where non-capoluogo towns outpaced the city in sales growth .

Venice (Veneto)

Venice ranks as one of the most expensive housing market, with an average price of around €2,766 per m². The lagoon city’s unique geography and UNESCO heritage status severely limit housing supply, while global demand for its real estate (often as second homes or short-term rentals) keeps prices high.

Despite a small resident population, Venice’s housing costs have risen about +4,4% over the past year. Veneto as a region saw strong price momentum in 2024 (+3.7% in Q3) , indicating rising values not just in Venice but also in mainland cities like Verona and Padua.

Still, Venice itself sets the regional price peak. Buyers seeking Veneto’s lifestyle at lower cost often turn to these mainland cities or towns on the Veneto coast, where prices can be way less half of Venice’s. For instance, the province of Rovigo averages ~€1,100/m², highlighting the premium that the historic city of Venice commands.

Florence (Tuscany)

Florence, famed for its art and culture, is another high-priced market. As of early 2026, Florence’s average home price is roughly €3,337per m², reflecting a 1,5% annual increase. This places Florence among the top four most expensive cities in Italy.

Notably, Florentine prices now far exceed those in Rome, historically Italy’s other prime market – in February 2026 Florence’s average was about 70% higher than the national average (vs. Rome’s 12% above average). Local experts note that while Florence hasn’t reached Milan’s price levels, it solidly outpaces Rome’s costs, thanks to sustained demand from both international buyers (for its lifestyle and heritage) and domestic relocations.

Within Tuscany, Florence is the pinnacle; even the next priciest Tuscan areas (e.g. the Lucca coast or Chianti areas) are lower. For example, the province of Pistoia (which includes luxury enclaves like Montecatini) remain around €1,500.

Inside Florence, there’s notable variation: historic center properties often exceed €5,000/m², whereas peripheral districts (north and south outskirts) can be in the €3,000–€3,500 range. Overall, Florence’s market has shown steady growth and is now one of Italy’s most expensive, reflecting its status as a high-demand “art city” with limited supply.

Bologna (Emilia-Romagna)

Bologna has emerged as one of the fastest-growing and priciest mid-sized cities, now rivaling Rome in price levels. By early 2026, Bologna’s average price reached ~€2,769 per m², the highest in at least two years and about +6,5% year-on-year.

This is significant, as it makes Bologna one of the most expensive city nationwide, a status bolstered by the city’s strong economy, large student population, and attractiveness to investors. Compared to Milan, Bologna is still cheaper, but within Emilia-Romagna the city is a clear outlier. Bologna stands well above its regional average, with prices roughly 30% higher, confirming its position as one of Northern Italy’s most competitive and supply-constrained markets.

The Bologna market’s recent performance – resilient demand, limited new construction, and spillover interest from more expensive cities – has positioned it as a rising star in Italy’s real estate, now on par with larger metros in cost.

Rome (Lazio)

Rome remains the nation’s capital and largest city, but its housing prices are lower than those in the northern cities mentioned above, except for Bologna. The average price in Rome is about €2,986 per m² in February 2026 , which, while high in absolute terms, ranks only fifth or sixth in Italy. Rome’s prices have seen an increase of 4.77% compared to February 2025 and is continue to grow from 2020 to now.

Rome’s residential market in 2026 shows a pattern of steady, moderate growth rather than sharp acceleration. With an average asking price of approximately €2,986 per square meter, the capital remains significantly above the national average (around €1,957/m²), confirming a price gap of over 50%.

This relative stability is largely explained by the size and diversity of Rome’s housing stock. Unlike more supply-constrained cities such as Milan or Florence, Rome offers a broader range of properties, which helps contain price pressure despite consistent demand.

At the same time, price disparities within the province remain substantial. While the city of Rome sits close to €3,000/m² on average, surrounding areas show a sharp drop. Provinces such as Frosinone (€808/m²) and Rieti (€854/m²) highlight how values can fall by more than 70% compared to the capital.

Even within the metropolitan area, a clear urban–suburban divide persists. Secondary municipalities such as Velletri (€1,395/m²), Tivoli (€1,619/m²) or Ardea (€1,514/m²) remain well below the city average, typically ranging between €1,300 and €1,700 per square meter.

This spread illustrates one of the defining characteristics of the Lazio market: buyers can access significantly lower entry prices by moving outside Rome, often saving 40% to 70% depending on location.

Overall, Rome continues to position itself as a relatively stable and accessible prime market within Italy — less volatile than northern cities, yet consistently priced at a premium compared to most of the country.

To summarize the city landscape, Milan, Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Rome form a tiered hierarchy of prices. Milan is the highest-cost market, and along with Venice and Florence it comprises the exclusive group of cities above €4,000 per square meter. Bologna and Rome are in the next tier, roughly €3,000–€3,500. The table below compares these key cities:

CityRegionAverage Price (€/m²) (2026)
MilanLombardy€4,111 (highest in Italy)
VeniceVeneto€2,766
FlorenceTuscany€3,337
BolognaEmilia-Romagna€2,769
RomeLazio€2,986

(Source: Immobiliare listing data, Q1 2026)

For context, only a few other cities approach these values. One is Bolzano (Bozen) in the Alps, which at around €4,770/m² is essentially tied with Milan as Italy’s highest priciest city. Another is Naples (Campania), the most expensive in the South, though its averages (~€2,400–€2,500) are still below Rome’s.

On the lower end, many southern city markets (Palermo, Reggio Calabria, etc.) have prices well under €1,300. For example, the cheapest provincial capital is Caltanissetta in Sicily, at roughly €635 per m² – a stark reminder of how broad Italy’s regional price spectrum is.

Overall, these patterns highlight a crucial point for anyone looking to buy in Italy: location is everything. Buyers will find premium prices in the historic and economic centers of the North and Center, moderate prices in secondary cities and provincial capitals, and bargain prices in many Southern locales.

The 2026 data confirms that while the market is rising nearly everywhere, the gap between Italy’s most and least expensive areas remains extremely wide – from well over €5,000/m² in elite neighborhoods of Milan or Rome, to under €1,000 in parts of the Mezzogiorno.

Related articles

Get in touch

We're here to answer your questions and help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.

Contact Us View properties
Right Menu Icon