English If you’ve been following our coverage of affordable places to live in Italy, you’ll know that beyond the usual suspects like Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, there are incredible deals hiding in plain sight. And Umbria is one of them.
Landlocked, lush, and genuinely beautiful, Umbria is often called the “green heart of Italy” – and while it doesn’t have beaches, it more than makes up for it with rolling hills, medieval towns, exceptional food, and a pace of life that’s hard to find anywhere else in Europe. Oh, and property prices that might make your jaw drop.
We’ve used our Town Explorer to pull together five towns where you could buy a home in Umbria for under €100,000. Let’s get into it.
Gualdo Tadino (PG)
At just €615 per square meter (around €61,500 for a 100m2 house), Gualdo Tadino is the most affordable town on this list.
With around 14,000 inhabitants, it sits in the eastern part of Umbria in the Province of Perugia. It has a beautiful medieval center, and it’s popular for its ceramic traditions, which is evident in the different shops around the town. Generally speaking, this is a truly authentic place – no tourists, no fuss.
The nearest major airport is Perugia San Francesco d’Assisi Airport, about 35 minutes away. Rome Fiumicino is roughly two hours and 30 minutes by car – manageable for international travel. The town itself has essential services covered, a hospital just 13 minutes away, and you’re well-positioned to explore the Apennine mountains or hop over to Assisi (about 45 minutes).
Narni (TR)
Property prices in Narni are definitely affordable, €860 per square meter – so a 100 sqm house comes out to around €86,000. Still well under budget, and this time you’re getting a town that’s a bit more known but still genuinely stunning.
Narni sits on a hilltop in the Province of Terni and is one of those places that looks like it was designed for a fairy tale…and not without reason it actually inspired The Chronicles of Narnia series. Narrow medieval streets, a dramatic gorge below, an underground city that was literally rediscovered in the 1970s – yes, there’s a hidden city beneath Narni that you can tour.
Practically speaking, Rome Fiumicino is about 1h 30 minutes away by car, making this a realistic option if you travel frequently, while Perugia Airport is around 45 minutes. The town has a hospital, a train station with connections to Rome and is close to Terni (20 minutes), which has a wider range of urban services.
Amelia (TR)
Just a short drive from Narni, Amelia comes in at €976 per square meter – so roughly €97,600 for 100 sqm. Still inside our budget, and this one has a very different feel.
Amelia is one of the oldest towns in Umbria. The historic center is compact but well-preserved, and the town has a warm, lived-in feel – not overly touristic, but with plenty going on, especially in terms of history and culture. Think concerts, workshops, and cultural visits throughout the year, plus lots of natural attractions nearby.
Airport access is similar to Narni: Rome Fiumicino in about 1h 30 minutes, Perugia around an hour. The town itself has a hospital and all the day-to-day essentials covered – supermarkets, pharmacies, and more – but the nearby city of Terni (about 25 minutes away) covers anything Amelia itself doesn’t, from larger shops to more train connections.
Foligno (PG)
Foligno often gets overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbors like Spoleto and Assisi – but that’s exactly what makes it interesting for buyers.
At €1,108 per square meter (about €110,800 for 100 sqm, slightly over our target but worth mentioning), Foligno is actually one of the more practical towns in Umbria. It sits on a flat plain in the Topino River valley, which means it’s less scenic than the hilltop towns, but it’s genuinely livable – good infrastructure, solid internet connectivity if you’re working remotely, supermarkets, schools, a hospital, and a train station with direct connections to Rome (1h 30 min) and Perugia (36 min).
Perugia Airport is about 20 minutes away, and Rome Fiumicino is roughly 2 hours. For expats who need to balance beauty with day-to-day convenience, this is a strong option. The historic center also hosts the famous Giostra della Quintana – a medieval jousting event held twice a year that the whole town goes crazy for.
Todi (PG)
Todi is the most expensive option on the list, but still very affordable compared to similar places in Italy – especially anything in Tuscany. At €1,164 per square meter, a 100 sqm home comes out to around €116,400.
It’s slightly above the €100K threshold, but we’re including it because Todi has a reputation and a quality of life that’s hard to ignore. In the 1990s, a Johns Hopkins study famously rated it as one of the most livable towns in the world. Whether or not that ranking holds up today, the town is genuinely beautiful – a classic Umbrian hilltop with panoramic views, which is also why more and more expats are choosing to move there.
It’s well-connected in terms of airports too: Perugia Airport is about 25 minutes away, and Rome Fiumicino is roughly 1h 30 minutes. So if you’re after a quiet, well-served town with the views to match – and you don’t mind stretching the budget a little – Todi is a solid choice.
How to Find More Towns Like These
These five are a good starting point, but they’re far from the only options in Umbria. If you want to explore more towns that fit your budget, lifestyle preferences, and practical needs, use our Town Explorer – you can filter by price, region, population, and proximity to airports and hospitals to find the place that actually works for you.
And if you have questions about the buying process, residency, or making the move, feel free to reach out – we’re here to help.
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