Milan and Rome
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Once the holidays are over, the topic of high rents is more topical than ever. University students and out-of-town workers are already hunting for houses to rent at a favourable price. To provide concrete help in the search, idealista/news offers a focus on the areas in Rome and Milan (neighbourhoods and neighbouring municipalities) where the average (€/m2) rent is lower than in the city. Which are the cheapest areas to rent a flat in the two main Italian cities?

  1. The cheapest rentals in and around Milan
  2. The cheapest rentals in and around Rome

The latest, referring to August 2023, found a 1.4 per cent increase on a monthly basis, bringing average rents in Italy to 13.7 euro/m2. Even more significant is the year-on-year change, which rises to 11.9%. The most expensive city is Milan at 22.4 €/m2, while Rome ranks sixth at 14.9 €/m2.

The cheapest rentals in and around Milan

In Milan, the city with the most expensive rents in Italy, the cheapest rents are to be found in the province. As many as eight municipalities in the Milanese hinterland, among those monitored, have published enough listings to compile a database, where houses for rent can be found for less than 15.4 €/m2 on average.

The cheapest municipalities neighboring Milan to rent a house

MunicipalityAverage rent (euro/m2)
Abbiategrasso9.7 euro/m2
Legnano10.0 euro/m2
Rho12.7 euro/m2
Basiglio12.9 euro/m2
San Donato Milanese13.2 euro/m2
Sesto San Giovanni14.0 euro/m2
Segrate15.3 euro/m2

The cheapest municipality is Abbiategrasso (9.7 €/m2), followed by Legnano (10 €/m2) and Rho (12.7 €/m2). But rents well below the Milan average (22.4 €/m2) are also found in Basiglio, San Donato Milanese, Sesto San Giovanni and Segrate.

The cheapest neighborhoods in Milan to rent a house

NeighborhoodAverage rent (euro/m2)
Baggio13.4 euro/m2
Cà Granda16.2 euro/m2
Chiesa Rossa16.7 euro/m2
Forlanini16.9 euro/m2
Crescenzago17.1 euro/m2
Val di Sole-Fatima17.1 euro/m2
Accursio17.5 euro/m2
Corvetto17.8 euro/m2
Lorenteggio-Giambellino18.5 euro/m2
Bicocca18.8 euro/m2
Bovisa19.0 euro/m2
Udine19.0 euro/m2
Città Studi19.1 euro/m2
Soderini19.3 euro/m2
San Siro19.3 euro/m2
Istria19.5 euro/m2
Niguarda20.0 euro/m2

The cheapest neighbourhood in the city, however, is Baggio, where landlords charge an average rent of 13.4 €/m2. Cà Granda (16.2 €/m2) and Chiesa Rossa (16.7 €/m2) complete the podium. More generally, there are 32 districts with an average rent below the city average. In the city, however, even in the less central areas such as Gorla-Turro-Precotto and Cermenate-Missaglia, the average rent is still 20 euro per square metre.

The cheapest rentals in and around Rome

In Rome, the average rent (14.9 €/m2) is much lower than in Milan. Yet, the substance does not change. Because even in the capital the situation is similar compared to the capital of Milan, with the most advantageous rents just outside the city. The podium of the cheapest rents in the province is completed by Velletri (7.8 €/m2), Guidonia Montecelio (8.2 €/m2) and Civitavecchia (8.4 €/m2).

Cheapest municipalities neighboring Rome to rent a house

MunicipalityAverage rent (euro/m2)
Velletri7.8 euro/m2
Guidonia Montecelio8.2 euro/m2
Civitavecchia8.4 euro/m2
Tivoli9.3 euro/m2
Albano Laziale9.8 euro/m2
Monterotondo9.9 euro/m2
Marino10.6 euro/m2
Pomezia11.4 euro/m2
Frascati11.5 euro/m2
Grottaferrata11.5 euro/m2
Ciampino11.7 euro/m2

But more generally, rents below 12 €/m2 can also be found in municipalities on the outskirts of Rome such as Tivoli, Albano Laziale, Monterotondo, Marino Pomezia, Frascati, Grottaferrata and Ciampino.

Looking at the neighbourhoods, however, the cheapest areas to rent a house in the Roman suburbs are Borghesiana-Finocchio (10 €/m2), Giustiniana-La Storta-Olgiata (11 €/m2), Casal Palocco-Infernetto and Casilino-Centocelle (both 11.9 €/m2).

The cheapest neighborhoods in Rome to rent a house

NeighborhoodAverage rent (euro/m2)
Borghesiana-Finocchio10.0 euro/m2
Giustiniana-La Storta-Olgiata11.0 euro/m2
Casal Palocco-Infernetto11.9 euro/m2
Casilino-Centocelle11.9 euro/m2
Lido di Ostia12.1 euro/m2

following areas: Lido di Ostia, Trigoria-Castel di Leva, Cinecittà, Aniene-Collatino, Ottavia-Primavalle, Pigneto, Ardeatino, Portuense-Magliana, Tomba di Nerone, Torrino-Tor di Valle.

The analysis reveals a very significant fact about the real estate market in the two major Italian metropolises: only one district in Milan (Baggio) and ten in Rome have rental prices below or in line with the Italian average.