Imagine waking up and deciding that that day you'll sip your morning coffee next to the Grand Canal and afterwards visit S. Mark's Basilica and other historic sites. You're excited to explore the floating city but since your local friends gave you some tips and tricks, you manage to avoid the busy tourist areas and enjoy Venice like never before.
Your everyday life consists of finding the ideal location to study and taking breaks to enjoy the Venetian lifestyle. That's what my life has looked like the past 3 years as an international student at Università Ca’ Foscari in Venice. While my experience has been that of a student, I'll cover things that all foreigners moving to Venice will want to know to settle in.
Venice is often called "the Lagoon City" since it is built on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges, all set within the Venetian Lagoon, a shallow enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea.
Living in Venice allows you to experience daily life in a truly unique city, where every corner of the historic centre tells a story. Let's dive right in.
Short on time? Here's the cheat sheet:
💭Living in Venice is a great option for those that want to immerse themselves in history.
🏠To save a lot on rent, I recommend living on the mainland part of Venice in Mestre or Marghera.
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🛂Most non-European foreigners who live here are students.
💰Cost of living varies greatly based on if you live on the island or on mainland. Earn travel rewards on all expenses with a Capital One Venture Card.
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☂️Although the city can get really crowded with tourists,
🏖️New friends will be able to show you the parts of Venice that are just as dreamy that tourists often overlook.
Best Areas to Live in Venice
Venice, in addition to the island, also has its mainland part: Mestre and Marghera. Many residents and students live in these places and they're cheaper options for tourists to book hotels or AirBnbs.
I have lived in Marghera for the past three years, and as a student who enjoys peaceful and quiet neighborhoods, I really loved it. To get to the island, I would take the bus and have a ride of approximately 20 minutes to get to Piazzale Roma, the last bus station and place where regular traffic stops.
Don't forget Venice is a pedestrian and boat-only zone!
Marghera
Regarding Marghera, you can rent an apartment here, usually a shared one. You can search for the apartments on Facebook (like I did) or on some websites like Airbnb, Idealista.it, Immobiliare.it.
My rent was €300 for the apartment+bills, and on top of that, I typically spent an additional €200-300 on food, shopping, and occasional trips. It is a two-bedroom apartment, and there were 4 of us - so the rooms were shared.
Marghera is also known for the number of foreigners that live there, as there is a factory that produces cruise ships nearby. So, don’t be surprised if you see more non-Italians than Italians around.
Mestre
If you want to live in Mestre, you can rent an apartment or a room in a dormitory. CX Mestre is a dorm that has opened recently and is very modern. I find it a bit pricey, as the cost for a shared room starts at €450 and a single room at €700.
It has a bus station right next to it and it is very close to the train station. If you've ever been to Venice before, you likely remember there are 2 Venice train stations: St. Lucia (on the island) and Mestre (on mainland).
However, it is usually recommended to avoid areas near the train station as they are often not the safest ones. Other areas in Mestre are usually much prettier and quieter and recommended by students. Also most of the native residents live in this part of Venice.
Venice Island
Living on the island of Venice means being surrounded by history and canals but also dealing with higher prices. Venice offers the possibility to rent an apartment or a room in the dormitory.
Some of the dormitories in Venice are San Giobbe and Santa Marta dormitories. The price for a shared room goes from €400. Prices for rents in Venice's historic center can easily exceed €1,000 per month for a small apartment.
Grocery shopping can be a bit tricky if you are living on the island as the stores are much smaller and in some cases products are more expensive than usual, however you get to experience their local markets, the most famous one being Rialto market, where you can enjoy their fresh produce.
Public Transportation
Venice is connected very nicely to Mestre and Marghera by public transport. You can take a bus, tram or take a short train ride to get there.
At the time of publication, the cost for a one way ticket is €1.50, but there is an option of getting a VeneziaUnica card that you top up every month. The cost of getting a card is €35 and the monthly top top is €30. It is used for the bus and tram, and instead of paying €9.50 for vaporetto (water bus/public boat) with VeneziaUnica you pay only €1.50.
Other transportation options on the island include water taxis, and the most iconic of all: the gondola ride. The cost of a gondola ride goes from €90 and higher. I definitely wouldn't recommend this for your daily commute!
If a full gondola ride is too expensive but you still want a taste of the experience, you can opt for the traghetto — a short, 3-minute crossing that takes you across the Grand Canal in a traditional gondola.
Regional Scholarships
If you are thinking about studying and living in Venice, or Italy in general, I have some great news for you: Italy is known for its regional scholarships which are a big help for their students (even non-EU).
Keep in mind that you have to satisfy a few conditions, the main one is having an income below their (usually high) limit. Although it is not a 100% guaranteed that you will get it, the big majority of students get it. The amount you can receive covers the university fees and up to €7,000.
These scholarships are applicable for all public universities and some private ones. You apply for the scholarship after you get accepted to your university and the call opens in September and lasts till October/November. They have their website where you upload all the needed documents so they can calculate your ISEE (something like the financial situation of your family).
The Reality of Living in Venice
Living in Venice means weaving through its narrow streets every day — getting lost is part of the fun, and you always discover something new.
Your daily life here is really living the ‘la dolce vita’ lifestyle. You grab your cappuccino + your favourite croissant in the morning while you are sitting next to a canal and writing your to-do list for the day.
My typical day usually looks like this: go to lectures, visit charming cafés with friends or some art galleries, study a bit, have lunch, get my 10k of steps by going to the historic centre, and enjoy the Piazza San Marco and Rialto Bridge.
During summer, you can take the water bus to Lido, a nearby island known for its sandy beaches and relaxed seaside atmosphere. It is a very popular destination among many locals.
Important to note: Residents of Venice regularly deal with the phenomenon of 'acqua alta,' or high water, especially during autumn and winter. You'll want some rain boots to get around the city on days like this. Also, there are only 3 bridges to cross the Canal Grande so if you enjoy walking and want to skip the vaporettos pay close attention to your route. Sometimes even in walking directions on Google Maps you'll be expected to walk on water to get to the other side.
Want more options of where to move in Italy? See what it's like living in:
For more in-depth information on the steps it takes to move to Italy, this guide has you covered.
Cafes & Restaurant Recs
Once you move here, start off by enjoying some of my favorite spots to grab a coffee or a bite to eat.
My favorite cafes/bars:
And my favorite restaurants are:
Don’t miss the famous gelato at Suso — it’s a must-try in Venice!
Seeing More of Italy
Another thing that this city offers are affordable travel options. With a little bit of luck you can visit other Italian cities without spending much.
It is possible to find a ticket to some other city (even Milan) for 99 cents! You can go by bus, train or even take a flight for example to Sicily (one of the most popular tourist destinations). If you wish to travel to a different country you can always find some cheap tickets. I went to Vienna for €9.99!
I recommend taking advantage of Flixbus for cheap bus tickets and RyanAir and WizzAir for cheap flights, both of which fly out of Venice Airport. UniDays offers some great discounts for students, too!
Carnival
Tourist season runs from mid-May to late August, when Venice is hottest and most crowded. I recommend visiting Venice in April, May, or early autumn (September–October). There are fewer tourists, better weather, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy the beautiful city.
However, there is a significant rise in the number of visitors in February due to the Venice Carnival, one of the oldest and most famous carnivals in the world dating back to the 12th century, famous for its extravagant masks and costumes, and lavish balls. It's an amazing way to learn about this historic city.
If you decide to live in Venice, I highly recommend you make the most of the city during low tourist seasons and traveling the rest of the country or going back home for a visit when peak season arrives (so long as your school or work schedule accommodates!).
Residence Permit
One of the things you will struggle with while living in Venice is getting the famous permesso di soggiorno, or residency permit. Although the procedure is easy to follow, the waiting period for an appointment tends to be quite long (a few months).
As if that is not enough, on the day itself you need to be at the Questura (police headquarters) as early as 5 or 6 am. Their office is located in Marghera.
As a non-EU student, I had to get a study visa to come to Italy, and a few days after I started living in Venice, I started the procedure for getting my residence permit. I could enter Italy without a visa, but getting one is required before you can officially register your stay. I obtained my visa in the Italian embassy of my home country.
Tips to Those Moving to Venice
Before coming to Italy, it’s a good idea to learn the basics of the Italian language. Italians aren’t always eager or comfortable speaking English, so even a little knowledge can go a long way and once you're here, keep learning.
Depending on your goals, I recommend these apps/platforms for language learning:
- Drops: Use the free version of this app for 5-minutes of vocab lessons a day. This is good for improving vocab but little else.
- Mondly: If you want to have a little bit more practice, this app is similar to Duolingo but has less silly prompts and more realistic phrases and sentences.
- Babbel: Babbel is similar to Mondly but also teaches cultural tidbits during the language lesson.
- iTalki: If you're more serious about learning to speak the language, this platform allows you to have 1:1 or group lessons with native teachers.
No need to worry about adapting to their local culture and lifestyle — the city’s atmosphere naturally helps you settle in and feel at home. Take some time before coming to explore Venice's history and you will enjoy the city even more. If you did not have time to do it you can join the walking tours and learn on the spot.
Generally speaking, once you move past the crowds around St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace, you start to discover the slower, more authentic pace of Venetian life. There's a lot more to the floating city than most tourists see, trust me!
Are You Moving to Venice?
Whether you're moving to Venice as a student like me, landed a job here, or are taking advantage of Italy's Digital Nomad Visa, you're in for a real treat living here. Most tourists only see a small portion but Venice residents know there's much more to the islands than you initially think.
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