Bologna
Italy · Europe · 390K people
Italy's culinary capital and one of its oldest university cities.
Ranked #81 of 303 overall · 44.49, 11.34
Overview
Bologna sits in Italy, on the European continent, home to roughly 390,000 people. Its reputation is built on history, architecture and a dense cultural calendar. It carries a strong student-city energy, with a young, transient population. People who choose to settle in Bologna tend to point to a genuinely affordable cost of living, a strong sense of safety, and solid infrastructure for remote work as the deciding factors. Within the 103 cities we track in Europe, the regional average sits at 6.9/10, which puts Bologna's 7.0/10 comfortably ahead of the regional norm. On CityMatch, Bologna scores 7.0/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #81 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is healthcare at 8/10, while environment & air quality is its softest spot at 6/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Reasonable day-to-day costs.
Generally safe with normal precautions.
Air quality is acceptable most of the year.
Public transport covers the basics well.
A normal seasonal mix, nothing extreme.
Reliable access to quality care.
Remote work is a non-issue here.
Is Bologna right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
Healthcare scores 8/10, a meaningful factor for families, retirees, or anyone planning to stay long-term.
Internet and connectivity score 8/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
At 7/10, Bologna is genuinely easy on the budget — one of the more affordable options for the lifestyle it offers.
Trade-offs
Environment and air quality sits at 6/10, comparatively the softest of Bologna's scores though still a reasonable baseline.
Climate is the comparatively softer spot at 6/10 — pleasant enough, just not where Bologna stands out most.
Is Bologna safe?
At 7/10, safety in Bologna is unremarkable in a good way: no particular risk stands out, but it's not a standout strength either.
At night
Nighttime is fine in most central areas, but it's worth checking which neighborhoods quiet down early versus stay lively and populated.
For tourists
Tourists are generally fine sticking to well-trodden areas; the usual advice about watching belongings in crowds and transit hubs applies.
For families
Safety, healthcare (8/10) and environment (6/10) together suggest a reasonable, if not exceptional, environment for families.
For solo travelers
Solo travel here is broadly fine with standard precautions; it's worth reading recent, specific traveler reports rather than relying on the city's reputation alone.
On public transport
Transport is reasonably safe day-to-day; late-night service quality and crowd levels are worth checking if you'll rely on it after dark.
Practical tips
- →Stick to well-lit, populated streets after dark, as you would in most cities.
- →Keep valuables out of sight rather than out of caution about any specific threat.
What's the climate like in Bologna?
Bologna scores 6/10 on climate — pleasant enough for most of the year, without being a specific draw on its own.
Seasonal character
Expect a normal four-season rhythm (or a wet/dry split closer to the equator), without extremes dominating the calendar.
Comfort level
Comfort is generally good, with the odd day or short stretch that calls for planning ahead rather than year-round ease.
Best time to live here
Shoulder-season months (spring and autumn, broadly) tend to be the safest bet if you can choose when to visit or move.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Bologna
Put together, quality of life in Bologna is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: with a large student population, bologna has a younger, more transient energy than its size alone would suggest, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's genuinely workable.
Pace & lifestyle
With a large student population, Bologna has a younger, more transient energy than its size alone would suggest.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor time is reasonably pleasant, with environment (6/10) and climate (6/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Transport (7/10) covers most needs reasonably well, with occasional gaps a bike or rideshare fills in easily.
Culture & leisure
Bologna is specifically known for its cultural and historical scene — museums, architecture and a dense calendar of things to do are part of its identity, not an afterthought.
Based on its actual score profile, Bologna tends to suit people who prioritize healthcare and internet & connectivity over environment & air quality — see "Who Bologna suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Bologna?
Bologna scores 6/10 on environment — decent air quality most of the year, without being a specific standout.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Bologna suits
Young professional
Young professionals — early-career movers who want nightlife and transit within budget, without yet prioritizing healthcare or climate (fit score 7.0/10 here).
Student
Students — students who need affordability, transit and a lively social scene (fit score 7.0/10 here).
Expat
Expats — expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (fit score 7.2/10 here).
Freelancer
Freelancers — independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (fit score 7.1/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Bologna scores 7/10 on affordability — not cheap, but reasonable: expect a moderate budget to cover a comfortable, unremarkable lifestyle.
Safety
Bologna scores 7/10 on safety — generally fine, with the usual big-city precautions rather than any particular red flag.
Climate
Bologna's climate scores 6/10 — a decent mix of seasons without extremes in either direction.
Quality of life
Bologna's overall quality of life (7.0/10) comes from consistency rather than any single standout: every criterion sits within a few points of the others, with healthcare edging out as the strongest and environment & air quality the softest spot. The average across all seven criteria is 7.0/10.
Transport
Transport in Bologna scores 7/10 — workable public options exist, though a bike or occasional car still helps for some routes.
Internet & remote work
Remote work is well supported here: Bologna scores 8/10 on internet and connectivity, with fast, reliable connections in most neighborhoods.
Why choose Bologna?
The short version: Bologna doesn't have a genuine weak point on our scorecard. Healthcare is its clearest strength at 7.0/10 overall, and environment & air quality — while relatively its lowest score — is still comfortably decent.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bologna safe?
Bologna scores 7/10 on safety — generally fine, with the usual precautions you'd take in any mid-sized city.
What budget do I need to live in Bologna?
Bologna scores 7/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Bologna good for families?
Bologna is a reasonable family option — safety (7/10) and healthcare (8/10) are solid enough, without being standout strengths.
Is Bologna a good city for students?
Yes, Bologna is tagged as a student city in our database — affordability (7/10) and transport (7/10) both matter for that, and both are workable here.
Is Bologna suitable for digital nomads?
Bologna isn't specifically marketed to remote workers, but the fundamentals are there: internet scores 8/10 and cost of living 7/10.
What's the climate like in Bologna?
Bologna scores 6/10 on climate — a normal seasonal mix without real extremes.
Is Bologna pleasant to live in year-round?
Reasonably — Bologna scores 6/10 on climate and 6/10 on environment, a fair rather than exceptional combination across the year.
Is Bologna a good choice for a first move abroad?
It's a reasonable choice for a first move: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to 7.0/10 here, a fairly forgiving combination for someone settling in for the first time.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Bologna?
Yes — Bologna scores 8/10 on internet and connectivity, comfortably enough for video calls and day-to-day remote work.
Is Bologna a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 7.0/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Bologna?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Turin and Florence are the closest matches to Bologna in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Bologna worth living in?
Reasonably — Bologna scores 7.0/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Bologna?
Based on its score profile, Bologna suits people who value healthcare and internet & connectivity more than the average mover — see the "Who Bologna suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Bologna walkable, and is public transport good?
Reasonably — Bologna scores 7/10 on transport, covering most day-to-day needs without being a standout transit city.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Bologna?
Healthcare is Bologna's standout strength, scoring 8/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Bologna?
Environment & air quality is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 6/10 — the lowest of Bologna's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.