City comparison
Naples vs Palermo: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Palermo is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €200 a month less than Naples, mostly because of rent. Palermo has the milder winter (about 16°C vs 14°C average highs in Dec to Feb). Both are in Italy, so the visa rules, taxes and healthcare system are the same: the choice comes down to cost, climate and lifestyle.
Choose Naples for
- Public transport
- Mountains nearby
- Nightlife
- Flights home
Choose Palermo for
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- Safety
- Beach life
- Lower living costs
Naples vs Palermo at a glance
| Naples | Palermo | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Single budget / month | €1,750 | €1,550 |
| Couple budget / month | €2,650 | €2,350 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €850 | €550 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 14°C / 57°F | 16°C / 60°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 30°C / 85°F | 30°C / 86°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 2,375 | 2,530 |
| City size | Large city | Large city |
| Coastal | Yes | Yes |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Naples or Palermo?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €1,750 a month for one person in Naples and €1,550 in Palermo, rent included. For a couple it’s €2,650 vs €2,350, and for a family of four €3,700 vs €3,300.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €850 in Naples against €550 in Palermo, while a monthly transit pass costs - vs -. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 14°C (57°F) in Naples and 16°C (60°F) in Palermo. In summer it’s roughly 30°C vs 30°C. Naples gets about 2,375 hours of sunshine a year and Palermo about 2,530.
2,375 hours of sunshine a year · 1,008 mm of rain a year · Source: Naples Capodichino 1991-2020 normals (ISPRA; sun and rain from Servizio Meteorologico 1971-2000), via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13°C / 56°F | 5°C / 40°F |
| Feb | 14°C / 57°F | 5°C / 41°F |
| Mar | 16°C / 62°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 67°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| May | 24°C / 74°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 82°F | 18°C / 65°F |
| Jul | 30°C / 87°F | 21°C / 70°F |
| Aug | 31°C / 88°F | 21°C / 71°F |
| Sep | 27°C / 80°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Oct | 23°C / 73°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| Nov | 18°C / 65°F | 10°C / 49°F |
| Dec | 14°C / 58°F | 6°C / 43°F |
2,530 hours of sunshine a year · 591 mm of rain a year · Source: Palermo-Boccadifalco 1991-2020 normals (Servizio Meteorologico) via the Wikipedia climate table; sunshine is the about 2,530 hours a year in the article text
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15°C / 59°F | 9°C / 49°F |
| Feb | 15°C / 60°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Mar | 17°C / 62°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Apr | 20°C / 68°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| May | 24°C / 75°F | 16°C / 60°F |
| Jun | 28°C / 83°F | 20°C / 67°F |
| Jul | 31°C / 88°F | 23°C / 73°F |
| Aug | 31°C / 89°F | 23°C / 74°F |
| Sep | 28°C / 82°F | 21°C / 69°F |
| Oct | 24°C / 76°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Nov | 20°C / 68°F | 14°C / 56°F |
| Dec | 16°C / 61°F | 11°C / 51°F |
Daily life
Naples is a large city on the coast; Palermo is a large city on the coast. Naples has much lower rents than Rome, Milan or Florence, with world-class food, history and the Amalfi Coast and Capri on its doorstep. It is also chaotic, loud and less safe than the north, and you will need Italian for daily life. Palermo is the most affordable city in our whole set, with mild winters, beaches and centuries of layered history. It suits budget-minded retirees and remote workers who can live in Italian and accept patchy public services.
Living in Naples: the upsides and downsides
- Rents well below Rome, Milan and Florence
- Food, culture and street life few cities can match
- Islands, the Amalfi Coast and Vesuvius within an hour or two
- Downside: Petty crime and traffic chaos are part of daily life
- Downside: Little English outside tourist spots
Living in Palermo: the upsides and downsides
- Among the lowest rents of any city we cover
- Mild winters and a long beach season
- Street food, markets and a big historic center
- Downside: Public transport and waste collection are unreliable
- Downside: Few English speakers and a small expat community
Visas and residency
Both cities are in Italy, so you’d use the same residence routes either way:
- Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis) - Citizenship by descent, changing
- Italy Digital Nomad Visa (Remote Worker Visa) - Digital nomad visa, open, €2,125/mo income
- Italy Elective Residency Visa - Retirement visa, open, €2,583/mo income
- Italy Investor Visa (Golden Visa) - Golden visa, open, €250,000 investment
Read the full guides: living in Naples and living in Palermo.
Related comparisons
- Cagliari vs Palermo
- Naples vs Rome
- Palermo vs Valletta & Sliema
- Milan vs Naples
- Florence vs Naples
- Bologna vs Naples
- Cagliari vs Naples
- Palermo vs Rome
- Milan vs Palermo
- Florence vs Palermo
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 56 cities we cover. Methodology.