CNA: commuting costs in Italy can erase rent savings, costing up to a full salary

The CNA analysis shows that families moving to cheaper housing outside city centres in Italy can save about €300 a month on rent, but the extra commuting expenses – fuel, vehicle maintenance, tyres, parking and other travel costs – add more than €2,000 a year. As a result, over half of the rent‑saving is wiped out. In Milan a typical household saves €5,400 annually on rent but loses €2,300 to mobility, leaving a net gain of just over €3,000. In Rome the figures are €4,800 saved versus €2,200 spent on travel, and similar patterns appear in Florence and Bologna. In medium‑sized cities such as Bari, Napoli, Perugia and Ancona the mobility cost absorbs more than two‑thirds of the rent benefit, while in southern towns like Potenza, Catanzaro, Salerno and Lecce up to 85‑90 % of the saving is cancelled. For artisans and small enterprises the impact is larger: a carpenter drives about 20,000 km a year with mobility costs exceeding €4,500; an electrician around €5,600; and installers of plant equipment can incur up to €8,000 per vehicle annually. “Casa e lavoro stanno diventando due poli sempre più distanti,” stresses CNA president Dario Costantini, calling for coordinated policies that combine housing measures with improved infrastructure and public‑transport services.