Florence
Italy · Europe · 1.0M people
Renaissance city-museum, small enough to cross on foot in an hour.
Ranked #117 of 303 overall · 43.77, 11.26
Overview
Florence, Italy, is home to about 1.0 million residents and has built a reputation that goes beyond its size. 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 Florence tend to point to a strong sense of safety, a climate most people find easy to live with, 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 Florence's 6.7/10 a little behind the regional norm. On CityMatch, Florence scores 6.7/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #117 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is safety at 8/10, while cost of living 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.
Low crime, easy to feel at ease.
Air quality is acceptable most of the year.
Public transport covers the basics well.
A normal seasonal mix, nothing extreme.
Solid, unremarkable healthcare access.
Solid enough for day-to-day remote work.
Is Florence 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
A 8/10 safety score puts Florence among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Climate scores 7/10 — genuinely pleasant weather is one of the clearer reasons people choose Florence.
Healthcare scores 7/10, a meaningful factor for families, retirees, or anyone planning to stay long-term.
Trade-offs
Cost of living is Florence's comparatively softest spot at 6/10 — still a workable budget, just not its standout strength.
Environment and air quality sits at 6/10, comparatively the softest of Florence's scores though still a reasonable baseline.
Is Florence safe?
Safety is a genuine strength of Florence, at 8/10. It's the kind of city where petty crime and serious crime alike are less of a daily concern than in most of the 303 cities we track.
At night
Walking at night is generally low-stress here, though sticking to lit, populated streets is always sensible advice anywhere.
For tourists
Tourists rarely report serious issues beyond the ordinary pickpocket risk that exists in any well-visited city — normal vigilance in crowded areas is enough.
For families
Safety, healthcare (7/10) and environment (6/10) together suggest a reasonable, if not exceptional, environment for families.
For solo travelers
Cities scoring this well on safety (8/10) are generally considered comfortable for solo travelers, though — as anywhere — checking current, specific local advice before a trip is always worth the ten minutes it takes.
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
- →Standard city awareness is genuinely enough here — no need for unusual precautions.
- →Keep half an eye on belongings in busy tourist spots, the same as anywhere.
What's the climate like in Florence?
Florence scores 7/10 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 Florence
Put together, quality of life in Florence is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: with a large student population, florence 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, Florence 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 (7/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Transport (6/10) covers most needs reasonably well, with occasional gaps a bike or rideshare fills in easily.
Culture & leisure
Florence 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, Florence tends to suit people who prioritize safety and climate over cost of living — see "Who Florence suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Florence?
Florence 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 Florence suits
Young professional
Young professionals — early-career movers who want nightlife and transit within budget, without yet prioritizing healthcare or climate (fit score 6.7/10 here).
Student
Students — students who need affordability, transit and a lively social scene (fit score 6.6/10 here).
Safety-first mover
Safety-first movers — people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (fit score 6.9/10 here).
Expat
Expats — expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (fit score 6.9/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Florence scores 6/10 on affordability — not cheap, but reasonable: expect a moderate budget to cover a comfortable, unremarkable lifestyle.
Safety
Safety is one of Florence's clearest strengths, scoring 8/10 — the kind of place where walking home at night or letting kids out alone doesn't require much second-guessing.
Climate
Florence's climate scores 7/10 — a decent mix of seasons without extremes in either direction.
Quality of life
Florence's overall quality of life (6.7/10) comes from consistency rather than any single standout: every criterion sits within a few points of the others, with safety edging out as the strongest and cost of living the softest spot. The average across all seven criteria is 6.7/10.
Transport
Transport in Florence scores 6/10 — workable public options exist, though a bike or occasional car still helps for some routes.
Internet & remote work
Connectivity in Florence scores 7/10 — solid enough for remote work day-to-day, without being a headline reason to move here.
Why choose Florence?
Florence is a strong, well-rounded pick at 6.7/10 overall — safety stands out most, and even its comparatively softest criterion (cost of living) is still a solid, workable score rather than a real downside.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Florence safe?
Yes — Florence scores 8/10 on safety, among the higher end of the 303 cities we track. Normal city awareness is enough for most visitors and residents.
What budget do I need to live in Florence?
Florence scores 6/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Florence good for families?
Florence is a reasonable family option — safety (8/10) and healthcare (7/10) are solid enough, without being standout strengths.
Is Florence a good city for students?
Yes, Florence is tagged as a student city in our database — affordability (6/10) and transport (6/10) both matter for that, and both are workable here.
Is Florence suitable for digital nomads?
Remote work is possible in Florence, but it's not an obvious pick — internet (7/10) and cost of living (6/10) are less favorable than our dedicated digital-nomad cities.
What's the climate like in Florence?
Florence scores 7/10 on climate — a normal seasonal mix without real extremes.
Is Florence pleasant to live in year-round?
Largely yes — with a climate score of 7/10 and an environment (air quality) score of 6/10, Florence holds up well across seasons.
Is Florence 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 6.8/10 here, a fairly forgiving combination for someone settling in for the first time.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Florence?
Florence scores 7/10 on internet — generally fine for remote work, without being a standout choice for it.
Is Florence a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 7.3/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Florence?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Verona and Bologna are the closest matches to Florence in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Florence worth living in?
Reasonably — Florence scores 6.7/10 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 Florence?
Based on its score profile, Florence suits people who value safety and climate more than the average mover — see the "Who Florence suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Florence walkable, and is public transport good?
Reasonably — Florence scores 6/10 on transport, covering most day-to-day needs without being a standout transit city.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Florence?
Safety is Florence's standout strength, scoring 8/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Florence?
Cost of living is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 6/10 — the lowest of Florence's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.