Rome

Rome is Italy's second most expensive city for rent after Milan, with the historic centre and adjacent districts clearly pricier than the rest. Public transport, by contrast, is among the cheapest of the large European cities. The gap between zones is very wide: for the same floor area you save by moving along the metro lines.

The centre and historic districts are expensive and partly taken by tourist rentals; the inner ring to the south and east is the usual choice for workers and students; EUR attracts offices and families; the periphery along metro A, B and C is cheaper. Public housing through ATER Roma, student housing through DiSCo Lazio.

Municipal services go through Roma Capitale's portal and the offices of your municipio; the registry works by appointment. AMA manages waste with rules that vary by zone. Tap water is drinkable and the "nasoni" fountains give free water in the street. Network of municipal libraries, Informagiovani and orientation desks for newcomers.

To enter with a dog, cat or ferret you need a microchip, an EU pet passport or health certificate and a valid rabies vaccination. Mandatory registration in the regional pet register, lead at all times and a muzzle to hand. Pets allowed on trains under Trenitalia rules and in apartment buildings by law.

Rules depend on who is arriving: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (no visa, registration with the Comune after three months), non-EU citizens for stays up to 90 days (Schengen rule, type C visa where required) and for long stays (national type D visa and a residence permit within eight working days of arrival).

ATAC runs three metro lines, six tram lines and the bus network; Metrebus tickets are integrated with urban regional trains. Fiumicino is linked to Termini by the Leonardo Express and to other stations by the FL1; Ciampino by bus. The centre is covered by several camera-controlled ZTLs; the Fascia Verde restricts the oldest vehicles.

Euro, cards accepted almost everywhere, a legal cash limit. Anyone living in Italy for most of the year is tax resident and taxed on worldwide income under three IRPEF brackets; specific regimes exist for the self-employed (forfettario), inbound workers, foreign pensioners and new residents. Contributions go to INPS; annual return with the 730 or Redditi form.

The city is split among three ASLs: Roma 2's districts match municipi IV–IX, Roma 3 covers municipi X, XI and XII plus Fiumicino, and the remaining municipi belong to Roma 1. Besides the big teaching hospitals, the ASLs run local hospitals; choose your GP via Salute Lazio or at your district desk; out-of-hours care on 116117.

Non-EU pensioners enter with the elective residence visa, EU pensioners through free movement; public healthcare is accessible by compulsory or voluntary registration. Optional 7% regime on foreign income for those moving to small southern municipalities. Cheap houses in villages, services concentrated in cities.

Rome's economy is dominated by services: central public administration, international organisations and embassies, tourism and hospitality, film and television, health, universities and research. Industry is concentrated in aerospace and electronics in the metropolitan area. Coworking is widespread in the centre, Prati, Ostiense and EUR.

A VAT number (partita IVA) from the Agenzia delle Entrate for freelancers; for businesses the Comunicazione Unica to the Registro delle Imprese, which also notifies the Agenzia, INPS, INAIL and SUAP. Main forms: sole proprietorship, SNC/SAS, SRL and SRLS, SPA. Compulsory PEC, annual chamber fee, e-invoicing. Invitalia incentives; non-EU citizens need a self-employment permit or the investor visa.

Rome has three large state universities (Sapienza, Tor Vergata, Roma Tre), the sports university (Foro Italico) and many private and pontifical institutions. Student support (grants, housing, canteens) is run by DiSCo Lazio. San Lorenzo is the student district par excellence, next to Sapienza's campus.

Rome is a special territorial authority (Roma Capitale) divided into 15 municipi and the seat of the Metropolitan City of Roma Capitale. It hosts the Vatican City State, the national institutions and three UN agencies. The dialect is romanesco; the patron saints are Peter and Paul (29 June).

Mediterranean climate: long, hot, dry summers and mild winters with rain concentrated between October and December. Snow is rare. Air quality is a city issue: exceedances of the daily PM10 limit at some stations and an environmental limited-traffic zone (Fascia Verde) that excludes the oldest vehicles.

The main sites require booking with named tickets (Colosseum, Vatican Museums). The Colosseum archaeological park and state museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, the Vatican Museums on the last. The busiest periods are Easter, May–June and September–October. Day trips: Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Appia Antica.

Roman cooking is trattoria food: pasta (carbonara, gricia, amatriciana, cacio e pepe), offal dishes, artichokes, pizza by the slice and supplì. Neighbourhood markets in Testaccio and Esquilino, Porta Portese on Sundays. Large parks (Villa Borghese, Villa Pamphilj, Appia Antica), the sea at Ostia, the Roma–Lazio derby at the Olimpico, evenings in Trastevere, Testaccio, Pigneto and San Lorenzo.