Italy’s rental costs outpace wages across major cities

A CNA analysis of data from the Agenzia delle Entrate shows that between 2019 and 2025 rental prices in Italian provincial capitals have risen far faster than net wages. In the most affected cities, rents increased by 19 % to almost 50 % while salaries grew only 7 %‑15 %.

Milan leads the surge with a 49 % rise, pushing the average rent for a 70 m² apartment to over €1,800 a month and consuming about 73 % of a typical net salary. Florence follows with a similar increase (48‑49 %) and an affordability ratio of 62 %. Other large cities such as Bologna, Padova, Venice, Rome and Verona see rent‑to‑salary shares above 50 %. Smaller markets like Perugia, Cagliari, Brescia and Viterbo still experience significant gaps; in Viterbo rent now represents roughly 35 % of average earnings.

The widening gap is reported to strain household budgets, hinder labor mobility and make it harder for micro, small and medium‑size enterprises to attract qualified staff. CNA officials call for structural measures – a national “Piano Casa”, incentives for renovating unused properties and policies to increase affordable housing supply – to prevent the rising cost of housing from undermining economic growth and social stability.