Life in Lucca: Renting a Tuscan Dream Home for $1,100 a Month

Life in Lucca: Renting a Tuscan Dream Home for $1,100 a Month
Lucca is a historic town, bursting with modern energy and convenience.|©iStock/Orietta Gaspari

“Living here feels like living in a movie—in the best possible way—every single day!” exclaims Alyssa Daniels, a 30-something American living in Tuscany on a DN (Digital Nomad) visa. 

Until she made the big move to Italy, Alyssa Daniels had lived within 30 minutes of her hometown in Connecticut her entire life. While working for a financial company in corporate America, she was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. She used this time to reevaluate her life and make some big decisions. 

Using her marketing degree, she found work remotely as a social media manager and started to grow her client base. Realizing how expensive living in the US had become and not enjoying the hustle culture, she began researching the brand-new digital nomad visa offered by Italy. 

“I have family ties to the Abruzzo region, and it has always felt like a really special place for me,” Alyssa said. She took time to visit different areas within Italy, looking for the perfect spot. Milan. Reggio Emilia. Rome. Parma. Florence. Although she loved all these amazing places, nothing called to her. She continued her search. 

While managing social media accounts for her American clients, she started her own travel page and began connecting with other expats in Italy. A woman reached out and invited her for coffee and offered to show her around Lucca.  

“As soon as I walked through the ancient arches of Porto San Pietro, I knew that Lucca was home,” she tells me with a dreamy expression.  Alyssa felt something she had never felt anywhere in the world, and it brought her to tears and took her breath away. She knew that this place was “it.” 

“Lucca is truly a magical place,” Alyssa sighs. It’s a historic city where Renaissance-era walls, constructed for defense, are now lined with charming boutiques, quirky bars, and cozy cafes. There are yoga classes held on the top of the wall, and you’ll see locals relaxing on park benches, reading the Lucca in Diretta newspaper.  

“One of the things I love most about Lucca is the juxtaposition of everything,” she says. “You’re walking through this incredibly old city with stunning architecture and statues, and ornate villas just dripping with history sit on every corner. But inside these structures you can find posh and modern restaurants, family trattorias, art galleries, and gorgeous clothes!” 

Cost of Living in Lucca

Alyssa reinvented herself as a digital nomad and moved to Italy.
Alyssa reinvented herself as a digital nomad and moved to Italy.

One of the main reasons for moving to Italy from Connecticut was the low cost of living. Dining out is very affordable. Sharing an appetizer and a bottle of local wine with friends, ordering a heaping plate of the speciale del giorno (daily special) and a delicious Italian coffee or amaro digestif to end the night costs between $23-$35—a far cry from the usual $80-$90 she was paying for the same on the East Coast. 

Groceries, too, are more affordable. In Connecticut, she was spending between $150 and $200 each week, and in Lucca, the cost is $46-$58 weekly. For this price, she can purchase local or organic food and amazing wine, as well as all the usual household staples such as cleaning supplies, shampoo, and cat food—Alyssa brought her furry friend along with her to Italy. 

Rent is much less than she was paying in the States as well. For a two-bedroom, three-bath fully renovated and completely furnished apartment with “mod cons” like AC, laundry and a dishwasher, she pays around $1,100 per month. Her utilities (gas, water, electricity) run anywhere from $175-$275 per month, and she pays $35 for unlimited high-speed internet. Her Italian phone plan with unlimited text, calls and data is only $10 each month. 

As one of the requirements for the digital nomad visa, Alyssa needed private healthcare insurance. For $261 each month, she has excellent coverage with $10 copays for doctor visits. She has had no issues getting medical appointments within a few days of inquiring, and prescriptions are a bargain. Although she is learning Italian with a tutor three days a week, she prefers consulting with English-speaking doctors so there’s no misunderstandings (on her part!) and they have been easy to find. 

A Perfect Day and Words of Advice

Living in Italy, she has really enjoyed walking through Lucca to explore the nooks and crannies full of delightful surprises. “I just walk out my front door and start walking—it never gets old because I’m constantly discovering new things!” 

She recently purchased a bike because there are wonderful bike paths throughout the city, so she will take advantage of a new way to explore. Alyssa also enjoys taking day trips to little-known villages and writing about them on her Instagram travel account sharing her photos—and her joy—of these newly discovered places. 

“When I wake up, I start up the moka pot for my morning espresso, enjoying the music wafting up to me from the violinist and his pup on the street corner below who serenade folks entering the city,” she begins when I ask her about her perfect day in Lucca. “The coffee and the music put me in the best mood every day. Then I’ll head out for a walk on the walls, and maybe take a blanket and a book to relax and read. Or maybe I’ll write in my journal, capturing a slice of life in Lucca. Things like this remind me of what a cool life I’ve been fortunate enough to create for myself.”

Although it’s dreamy and movie-like, Alyssa cautions people contemplating a big move like this to expect challenges, setbacks and frustrations—and to be patient. “Piano, piano,” means “slowly, slowly” and the bureaucracy and paperwork are just that. 

She recommends learning the language, networking, reaching out to others and making local connections. “I cannot imagine making this move without the local friends and contacts I had made. It would have been impossible!”  But above all, “it’s 1000% worth it and I would do it 100 times over to have this beautiful life I now have,” Alyssa smiles. 

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