Having just got over the culture shock of the return from a trip to the UK and Ireland, back into the jungle, just let me say that your pension alone is not enough.
Donna C and I are both pensioners, on the State minimum, made up of a bit from the UK, and majority from Italy. Total between us just short of 900 eurines per month. Bloody good job that in the good times we salted away as much as possible. Now to live a modest but dignified lifestyle we need at least 1500 eurines per month. No rent, no mortgage, but condominium expenses.
A practical example returned home on Friday. Went to collect my pension on Saturday - 782 eurines with the December 'tredicesima'.
Bottle of gas 45, Telecom 99,( Phone and ADSL) Enel 185, (electricity), Water 35, Condominium August - December 280, so just see how much I have left for Christmas! and Golden wedding party next week. Without my own stash I would be buggered.
Think hard before trying to live the dream on a pension alone in Italy, and then being bitterly disappointed.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

Apologies, I meant cheaper.

Hi thanks to all for your replies. There seem to be a few conflicting views as to whether my pension alone would be sufficient. ononno, can you clarify where abouts you are in the country and whether your Enel payment is 185Euro monthly. We will have a reasonable budget for a property, any renovations and solar panelling. I believe there's an arrangement for selling electricity to the electricity company then buying it back at a discounted rate? Bob.

Right now I believe that the incentive payment for installing photo cells is no longer available. This would cut the payment you receive by about 70%. There is talk of re-instating the incentives but given the new government is trying to save money short term it seems unlikely to happen any time soon in anycase a typical 3KW installation would come to about €20,000.
Personally I don't think, as an expat, you could do anything other than just about survive in €1400 a month. Whilst it is true that that is just about the average monthly wage the average Italian has a pretty mundane lifestyle and generally benefits from much intimate local knowledge and the economies of scale that having a family around you bring not to mention the second jobs, grey economy etc.

If its any help one of my neighbours a expat has to survive on 10,000 Euro a year he told me, he seems to do ok to me has a road motor bike an off road motor bike runs a car which someone gave him, It depends where you are in Italy and what you want out of life, I am sure you could live ok in Puglia very cheaply if you dont want to eat out every night, I forgot to say my friend smokes cigars and drinks a bit but is a vegetarian

I just did some sums I think you could live well on 8 grand a year in Puglia, plus you can still buy somewhere liveable in for well under 100,000, in fact my neighbours son has just bought a prefab near the sea for 30,000, it helps if you like a bohemian lifestyle and arty people are moving here

Ciao monza, the bill is bi-monthly for utilities usually. Am in the South, Campania region. Should add we have in-house olive oil, tomatoes, and potatoes; so very rarely have to buy any of these.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

Just out of curiosity, why did you choose the name "Monza". I ask because my youngest was born at San Gerardo in Monza. Or do you like the formula 1 track there?

Cheryl

[QUOTE=chris120;9786442] Personally I don't think, as an expat, you could do anything other than just about survive in €1400 a month. QUOTE]

It depends where you are in Italy and what you want out of life,

The above is a fair description of the situation. I am a (UK) pensioner in the €1400 zone and I survive, without discomfort, in a rural area.
If you had residual capital, after buying the house, you could really make the best of Italy by being able to travel around, not only the Peninsula but Central Europe and the Southern Med. If you don't have, you can muddle by (not struggle by).
From other postings it seems that you can have much more control of your outgoings in a house rather than a flat. My last two electricity bills have been €114 per Qtr and I use bottled gas and wood for heating (inl. CH), cooking and hot water. If these run out I know it will be sunny again in a day or two!

Jim

Well, you all put me to shame-I spend E 1000-1500 per month on food, dinner out maybe twice a month, petrol and things that the kids need. No bills such as utilities, mortgage or kids school fees are included.
And we do grow most of our fruit and veg in our garden( obviously summer only) and have a photovoltaic system.
Surviving on 1500 per month for us even without a mortgage would be impossible.

It depends on what you want from life, I think some people down here live on nothing, every weed growing is good to eat they tell me, snails in the garden, yum yum, one man near me in summer swims out catching fish for his dinner, a woman expat not far from me lives in a field in a caravan has a bike to get around and seems very happy, the most expensive part is the first year or so as you bed in before you find all the cheap ways,just bought bombola for my oven still only 20 euro for a big one, I use about 4 year, I enjoy being a peasant

blimey, € 20 for a big bombola is cheap, I pay 30. Maybe you should starting thinking of sending some to o'nonno!

our gas bottle is 23Euros, I think living down here is much cheaper than in the north where my parents are

Yesterday I paid €49 for 20 kg.
And as for Isikat being able to eat out twice a month, I presume you hire the kids out to chimneysweeps during their holidays!

And as for Isikat being able to eat out twice a month, I presume you hire the kids out to chimneysweeps during their holidays![/QUOTE]

I wish