15 Best Places to Live in Liguria, Italy (2026 Update)

If you are an expat in Liguria or considering a move there, here are the 15 best places to live in Liguria according to expats. This Mediterranean oasis attracts tourists from around the world, who flock to Liguria's varied coast. However, Liguria has much more to offer its residents than the typical tourist attractions. As one expat in Liguria shares, "I love Liguria...we have mountains, temperate weather, the sea within 20 mins, 2 great airports (Pisa and Genoa) and really wonderful health facilities". Liguria is well known for Focaccia, Pesto, and, of course, Cinque Terre.

• Genoa
• Camogli
• Rapallo
• Chiavari
• Moneglia
• Levanto
• Carro
• Lerici
• San Terenzo
• Sarzana
• Bordighera
• Sanremo
• Portofino
• Cinque Terre
• La Spezia

1. Genoa (in Italian: Genova)

Population: 560,000
Location: On the coast an hour and a half south of Milan.

Genoa is Liguria's capital and the sixth-largest city in Italy, a working port city with a UNESCO-listed historic center that rewards wandering more than checklist tourism. The dense caruggi — narrow medieval alleys radiating out from the old port — sit beside grand Renaissance palazzi on Via Garibaldi, making the city feel layered in a way few Italian cities match. Cristoforo Colombo Airport handles direct flights to several European hubs, and Genoa's central rail position connects it to Milan in under two hours, Pisa in roughly the same, and Nice across the French border. Costs run notably lower than Milan or the eastern Riviera, making Genoa one of the better-value larger Italian cities for expats.

"Genova is a beautiful and interesting city. There are always surprises to look at, i.e. statues, frescoes on old buildings when you wander around the somewhat dirty, mysterious alleys. The piazza around the old port is beautiful. There is a great aquarium and some restaurants where you can have dinner or drinks overlooking the yachts and the water. There is a little village called Bocadese which is now incorporated into Genova. It has a small beach where you can swim and looks very traditional. Another small village, Nervi, has a beautiful seacliff walkway with lots of restaurants. Genova is connected by rail with Cinque terre, Santa Margarita Ligure, Pisa, Milan, and Nice, France - all of which make interesting day or overnight trips." advised one expat.

Restaurants: If you are in Genoa, we recommend the ravioli at Le Rune as well as the meatballs at SettePolpette.

2. Camogli

Population: 5,332
Location: 40 minutes east of Genoa's city center.

Camogli is a former fishing village turned quiet coastal town, distinguished by the pastel-painted houses stacked along its harbor — a Ligurian visual signature that draws photographers and day-trippers but never the overwhelming crowds of Portofino or the Cinque Terre nearby. The town sits at the edge of the Portofino Regional Park, with hiking trails leading to San Fruttuoso abbey, reachable only on foot or by boat. Train service to Genoa runs every 15-30 minutes and the journey takes under 40 minutes, making Camogli realistic for residents who want small-town life with easy big-city access. The expat presence is modest but well-established, drawn by the slower pace and protected setting.

One expat shares, "Camogli is my one of my all time favorites...small town feel with all the history and glory of the sea."

Restaurants: While in Camogli, enjoy the fresh and delicious seafood at Da Paolo and for a romantic dinner with a spectacular view don't miss Ristorante la Piazzetta.

3. Rapallo

Population: 29,778
Location: 20 minutes east of Camogli

Rapallo is the largest of the central Riviera towns and offers more practical infrastructure than its smaller neighbors — full-size supermarkets, year-round services, a substantial weekly market, and the hospital that expats in the area repeatedly cite as a deciding factor. The Thursday market is one of the biggest on the central Riviera, drawing residents from the surrounding hill towns and smaller coastal villages. Rapallo's train station puts Genoa under 30 minutes away and connects directly south to Cinque Terre and Pisa. Property prices sit between the small-village premium of Camogli and the more affordable inland options, making Rapallo a common choice for expats who want town life rather than village life.

"Rapallo is probably my favorite go-to vacationing city and we go often to walk and shop and eat. The market on Thursdays is amazing." described one expat. Numerous expats also revealed that Rapallo is known for its state-of-the-art medical facilities since the build of its brand new hospital. As one Italian expat shares, "Rapallo has a beautiful new hospital and it equaled anything we saw at home in Boston."

Restaurants: In Rapallo you cannot go wrong with the highly regarded Hostaria Vecchia Rapallo. Also, be sure to head to Sole Bar for a sunset aperitivo.

4. Chiavari

Population: 27,429
Location: 20 minutes south east of Rapallo

Chiavari is one of the central Riviera's most underrated mid-sized towns, with a walkable historic center built around medieval porticoed streets and a working seafront that hasn't been entirely surrendered to tourism. The town anchors a fertile coastal valley, and its monthly antiques fair (the second weekend of each month) is among the most respected in northern Italy. Train connections put Genoa about 35 minutes north and Cinque Terre roughly 45 minutes south, with bus service into the inland hill towns. Chiavari has the daily-life infrastructure — hospital, schools, year-round shops — that smaller Riviera villages lack, making it a frequent choice for expats wanting town amenities without the size or pace of Rapallo.

One expat from Chiavari noted "we live in a city called Chiavari, and we like it alot. We are close to the sea and the mountains, Genova, and Cinque Terre, this suits us fine. Chiavari is a village but as well a small city with all the services, shops, and social life." Another expat suggested "Have you been to Chiavari? I just spent the day there and it's wonderful...on the coast, good train station (35 min up to Genova or 45 min down to 5Terre). The architecture is beautiful old world, lively town center, good hospital services, antiques fair 1x a month and terrific fruit/veg/cheese market this am"

Restaurants: At Malu you can expect terrific hospitality and a delicious meal. For dessert, you cannot miss the unique and natural flavors of Italian ice cream served at Cremeria Spinola.

5. Moneglia

Population: 2,793
Location: 30 minutes south east of Chiavari

Moneglia is a quiet coastal village tucked into a small bay between Chiavari and the Cinque Terre, with a sandy beach (rare for Liguria, where most beaches are pebble) and a compact historic center that you can walk end-to-end in fifteen minutes. The town is bracketed by two single-lane tunnels that close at alternating intervals, which has the side effect of keeping drive-through tourist traffic limited and preserving Moneglia's slower rhythm. Train service connects to Genoa in roughly an hour and to La Spezia in about 40 minutes. Moneglia suits expats looking for genuine small-village life without the isolation of inland hill towns or the seasonal crush of more famous coastal destinations.

"Cute little town, big enough to walk around and wander but small enough to walk everywhere" described one expat when writing about Moneglia.

Restaurants: Ristorante Levantino is the perfect beachfront eatery in Moneglia; it is well known for its scrumptious mussels and anchovies.

6. Levanto

Population: 5,597
Location: 45 minutes south east of Moneglia

Levanto is the gateway to the Cinque Terre from the north, a working town with a real economy beyond tourism that gives it a sturdier feel than the five villages just to its south. The long sandy beach, the active surf scene, and the converted railway cycle path running south to Bonassola and Framura make Levanto a more recreational choice than most Riviera towns. Trains south to the Cinque Terre take 5-10 minutes, north to Genoa about an hour, and connections to La Spezia and Pisa are direct. Expats regularly cite Levanto as the practical alternative to living inside the Cinque Terre proper — same access, more year-round services, less seasonal volatility in everything from groceries to housing.

"Where would I suggest: Levanto. Maybe not to buy because it would be pricey but it's so central to everything north/south and east. It's a lovely coastal town with good services yet small enough to be homey. And great train service both north and south." one expat advises.

Restaurants: In Levanto be sure to stop by Focacceria Dome for delicious focaccia, pizza, and pesto. Wednesday morning markets are also a great place to taste local cuisine including gattafin (fried ravioli) and farinata (chickpea flour pancake/crepe).

7. Carro

Population: 538
Location: 35 minutes north of Levanto (not on the coast)

Carro is a tiny inland village in the Apennine foothills of eastern Liguria, the kind of place that rarely appears on best-of lists but that draws expats specifically because it isn't on them. Property prices are dramatically lower than the coast — small village homes have been on the market in the 60,000 euro range — and the surrounding hills offer extensive hiking, small-scale vineyards producing local reds and whites, and a quiet that disappears the moment you reach the coastal towns 20 minutes south. Carro suits a specific kind of expat: someone who wants genuine rural Italian life, doesn't mind a car-dependent lifestyle, and values affordability and authenticity over services and convenience. Hospital access is available within 30 minutes.

As an expat living in Carro, La Spezia describes, "The south was too hot and the far north too cold so we settled on just inside the 5Terre between Genoa to the north and Pisa to the south. We can be at a major airport in 1+hrs. There are plenty of ancient hill towns and then there is the sea. We live in a lovely tiny village with grand views, hiking all around and the beaches are only 20 minutes away. Prices of homes vary but for instance there is a charming little house with land to expand in good condition for 60K E, We even have a thriving vineyard on the hills producing very good reds and whites. Hospitals are within 30 minutes and there is a helipad in town for major emergencies."

Restaurants: While there may be fewer restaurant options in Carro, you can still find all the Italian classics at Locanda del Porcino and enjoy a slice from Ristorante Pizzeria Miramonti, a local pizzeria.

8. Lerici

Population: 10,160
Location: An hour east of Levanto

Lerici sits at the southern end of the Gulf of Poets, the dramatic bay named for the English Romantic writers who lived and wrote here in the early 19th century. The town curves around a small harbor anchored by a medieval castle, with a pedestrianized old center and a Saturday market that draws shoppers from across the eastern Riviera. Lerici is far more accessible than the Cinque Terre to the north — frequent buses to La Spezia and Sarzana connect to mainline rail, and Pisa Airport is roughly 35-40 minutes by car via the autostrada, putting low-cost European flights within easy reach. The expat scene is well-established, particularly among British and American residents drawn by the bay's literary history and year-round livability.

"We bought our apartment near Lerici in January 2018 and have absolutely no regrets. From Lerici & San Terenzo there are excellent (and frequent) bus services to/from La Spezia and Sarzanna (both with mainline railway stations to the rest of Italy). Pisa Airport is a 35 to 40 minute drive away (mostly on the E80 Autostrada/Motorway, with low cost flights to most of Europe)" wrote one expat in Lerici. Another expat in La Spezia shared, "A 20 minute walk around the bay brings you to Lerici with its excellent Saturday morning market, many restaurants, castle, marina and ferry to the stunningly beautiful Cinque Terre."

Restaurants: Enjoy an evening treat at the quaint Gelateria Arcobaleno and try their signature Lerici flavor: caramel gelato with toasted pine nuts and chocolate. Also be sure to stop by local favorite, Vertigo Bar, where there is live music every Thursday night.

9. San Terenzo

Location: Western Lerici

San Terenzo is a small village just west of Lerici, fronted by one of the rare Blue Flag sandy beaches on the eastern Ligurian coast and overlooked by a medieval castle that anchors the seafront. The village shares the Gulf of Poets setting with Lerici and is reachable from it by a 20-minute walk around the bay or a short bus ride. Day-to-day services are concentrated in Lerici, but San Terenzo has enough — a handful of restaurants, beach access, the bus connection to La Spezia and Sarzana — to function as a quieter base for expats who want village rhythm with town infrastructure a short walk away. Property runs slightly cheaper than central Lerici but with similar coastal access.

As one expat remarks, "we are fortunate to have gorgeous ever-changing views over the Gulf of Poets (we are located in Solaro, a small village above San Terenzo with a short walk down to the sea). San Terenzo has a beautiful (Blue Flag) sandy beach (free) together with a wide variety of restaurants, shops and (arguably) the best ice-cream shop in Italy! San Terenzo is also a site of historic interest, with an ancient castle and the last home of the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley -other famous poets and writers followed, including: Byron, D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf etc.".

Restaurants: If you are visiting San Terenzo enjoy excellent and fresh seafood at La Griglia.

10. Sarzana

Population: 22,000
Location: 15 minutes north east of Lerici

Sarzana sits inland at the southeastern edge of Liguria, just before the region gives way to Tuscany, and offers something most Riviera towns don't: a fully formed historic Italian town center that isn't oriented around the sea. The medieval walls, the Fortezza Firmafede, the year-round antique fairs, and the genuinely walkable centro storico make Sarzana feel more like a small Tuscan city than a Ligurian coastal town. Train and bus connections reach La Spezia in under 20 minutes, and Pisa Airport is roughly 30 minutes south by car. Rentals start meaningfully lower than the coast — historic-center apartments have been reported in the 500-euro range — making Sarzana a strong choice for expats who want walkable Italian town life without paying the seaside premium.

As an Italian expat advised, "Check out Sarzana...beautiful, historic centro. Rentals c. E500 and up/month. Not too touristy, walkable and good bus/train connections. Good sized city but still has an old world feel."

Restaurants: While in Sarzana make sure to eat at the highly reviewed Mamagamma and the intimate il Calandrino.

11. Bordighera

Population: 10,200
Location: Western Liguria, near the French border (roughly 90 minutes west of Genoa)

Bordighera sits on the Riviera di Ponente in far western Liguria, just 15 kilometers from the French border, and is one of the most photogenic small towns on the entire Italian Riviera. The pastel-painted old town (Bordighera Alta) sits atop a hill overlooking the sea, while the modern town below stretches along a palm-lined seafront promenade — Bordighera is, in fact, the European cultivation center for the Phoenix canariensis palm. The town has one of the oldest established British expat communities in Italy, with roots stretching back to the Victorian era when Queen Margherita of Savoy and a wave of British retirees made it a favored winter destination. That history persists today in the form of English-language services, Anglican church communities, and a quieter, slower expat rhythm than nearby Sanremo.

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is roughly an hour west across the French border and connects Bordighera to far more international destinations than the closer Italian airports. The Italian rail line along the coast puts Genoa about two hours east and Monaco and Nice 30-45 minutes west. Property prices remain noticeably below comparable French Riviera towns just across the border, which is a frequent draw for expats priced out of Menton or Nice.

12. Sanremo

Population: 54,000
Location: Western Liguria, roughly 30 minutes east of the French border

Sanremo is the largest city in western Liguria and the cultural anchor of the Riviera di Ponente, known internationally for its Belle Époque casino, the annual Sanremo Music Festival, and its position as the historic center of Italy's cut-flower industry. The city offers a fuller range of services than any other town on this list outside of Genoa — major hospitals, schools, year-round shopping, an active port — while still delivering the mild Mediterranean climate and palm-lined seafront that define the western Riviera. La Pigna, Sanremo's medieval old town, climbs the hillside above the modern city in a tangle of stone alleys, while the Corso dell'Imperatrice and its Russian Orthodox church reflect a layered international history.

Sanremo's expat community is more diverse than Bordighera's — Russian, French, British, and German residents are all well-represented — partly because of the city's size and partly because of its longstanding role as a Riviera tourist destination that drew international visitors who eventually stayed. Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is roughly 90 minutes west, Genoa airport about two hours east, and the coastal rail line connects to both. The cost of living runs higher than smaller western towns but lower than comparable French Riviera cities.

13. Portofino

Population: 380
Location: 35 minutes east of Genoa, just south of Santa Margherita Ligure

Portofino is the most internationally recognizable village on the Italian Riviera, a tiny harbor of pastel-painted houses curving around what may be the most-photographed small port in Europe. The town is correspondingly exclusive: at fewer than 400 residents, with property prices among the highest in Italy and a summer season dominated by superyachts and luxury tourism, Portofino is realistic as a primary residence only for expats with substantial resources. More commonly, expats settle in the surrounding Portofino Regional Park towns — Santa Margherita Ligure, Paraggi, or the hill villages above — which offer access to Portofino's setting and amenities at a fraction of the cost.

For those who can manage the economics, Portofino delivers a setting and lifestyle that few places in the world match: a protected marine park, restaurants and hotels with continuous reputations going back a century, and the kind of small-village quiet that returns in the off-season when the yachts have departed. Genoa's airport is roughly 45 minutes by car, and Santa Margherita's train station — about 15 minutes away by bus or taxi — connects to the broader Italian rail network.

14. Cinque Terre

Population: Varies by village (Riomaggiore 1,600; Manarola 350; Corniglia 150; Vernazza 800; Monterosso al Mare 1,400)
Location: Eastern Ligurian coast between Levanto and La Spezia

The Cinque Terre — "five lands" — is a string of five fishing villages built into the cliffs of the eastern Ligurian coast, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a national park. From north to south: Monterosso al Mare (the largest, the only one with a true beach), Vernazza (often considered the most picturesque), Corniglia (the smallest and the only one not directly on the water), Manarola (the iconic sunset shot), and Riomaggiore (the southernmost, closest to La Spezia). The villages are connected by hiking trails, a coastal rail line, and ferries; cars are restricted in all five. Living in the Cinque Terre is its own commitment — the geography that makes the villages beautiful also makes them physically demanding, with steep staircases, limited parking, and a tourist economy that surges from April through October.

Expats who settle in the Cinque Terre tend to be those who actively want the geographic isolation and small-village rhythm; others typically choose Levanto or La Spezia and visit the villages regularly. healthcare and major services require a trip to La Spezia (20-30 minutes by train from Riomaggiore) or Levanto. Property in the villages is constrained by UNESCO protections and topography, which keeps inventory tight and prices high relative to the surrounding region. For the right kind of expat, though, the Cinque Terre offers one of the most distinctive living experiences in Italy.

15. La Spezia

Population: 93,000
Location: Eastern Liguria, at the southern end of the Gulf of Poets

La Spezia is the second-largest city in Liguria and the capital of its province, a working port city that doesn't share the tourist-economy character of the nearby Cinque Terre or Portofino. The city offers the full range of services that smaller Riviera towns lack — major hospitals, government offices, a substantial weekly market, year-round shopping, an active university campus — while sitting roughly 20 minutes from the Cinque Terre by train and a similar distance from Lerici by bus. Pisa Airport is about an hour south, and the rail station connects directly to Genoa, Milan, Rome, and the Cinque Terre line. Costs run dramatically lower than the surrounding coastal villages, making La Spezia a practical choice for expats who want big-town infrastructure with weekend access to some of Italy's most celebrated coastal landscapes.

La Spezia's expat community is smaller and less concentrated than in the coastal villages, but the city compensates with a real urban texture — bookshops, theaters, a substantial naval museum, and a working economy that doesn't shut down in the off-season. As one expat in La Spezia describes the broader region, "our coast on the other hand is quite lovely with beautiful seaside towns and wonderful inland hill towns (we live 20 min from Levanto and the 5Terre) Shopping is good, market days in many larger towns, La Spezia has all medical and governmental requirements one would need."