As they celebrated the milestone of their 50th wedding anniversary in Venice, Italy, in June 2023, Tony Smarrelli, 74, and his wife, Francine, 75, made an important decision.
The retired elementary teachers, originally from Syracuse, New York, resolved to leave the US and move to Italy for good.
That same year, the Smarrellis, both of Italian descent, relocated to the picturesque coastal town of Scalea, in the southern Italian region of Calabria.
Memorable trip
“We were in St. Mark’s Square (in Venice) when a quartet started playing (classic Italian song) “Malafemmina,’” Tony, whose father and grandfather hailed from the village of Tocco da Casauria in Abruzzo, says of the day they made the decision.
“It brought tears to my eyes, because my father would put on his Italian records every Sunday for dinner and would sing that song to my mother.”
Looking to reconnect with their Italian roots – Francine’s mother was from Naples – the couple began searching for a home, and saw an advertisement for a property posted by real estate agency Super Savvy Travelers, run by an American couple living in Calabria.
They purchased the 1,500-square-feet property, which has three bedrooms, a dining room and a walk-in closet, for €150,000 (around $162,000) in November 2023.
“We flew to Italy for the second time in 2023 and put an offer in for that home. We then secured our visas in the US in three hours, sold our home (in the US), packed up our belongings and flew back to Italy in December 2023,” says Tony.
The Smarrellis hired a lawyer to expedite their permit to stay and were able to obtain an elective residence visa, which allows people to immigrate as long as they have a passive income of at least $38,000 euros ($40,700.)
They say they chose to live in Scalea because of the appealing quality of life, sea views and slower-paced vibe.
Other plus points included the superb restaurants (cheaper than in the States) and the friendliness of the people, say the couple.
Even though their home was already livable when they bought it, the Smarrellis chose to totally renovate it, spending an extra €80,000 (about $86,500) to retile the property, and add a new plumbing and electric system, as well as two new bathrooms, an entire kitchen, doors, windows and screens.
The couple, who rented an apartment nearby while overseeing the renovations, had an “exceptional” architect and construction company, who met their four-month completion deadline.
They say that a similar home in the US would have been near impossible for them to afford.
“It would be easily $1 to $2 million to live on a coast of South California or (a place with) any coastal views on the Eastern Seaboard,” says Tony.
According to Tony, his father and grandfather migrated from Italy to the US in 1938 to make a better life for themselves.
Now, 86 years later, he is living in Italy enjoying a better life, he says.
Lifestyle change
“Some of my best friends said it takes a lot of guts to pick up and move to another country at 74 years of age.
“I tell them it took guts for my father and grandfather to come to another country on a boat for eight weeks with no home, no work, very little money, no resources to make a better life for themselves,” says Tony, who was a physical education teacher and high school basketball coach in the US for 30 years.
“In our modern world, it’s just a lifestyle change and for us it was a good choice.”
Italy’s sunshine, great views, food and characterful villages are all major perks when it comes to luring expats.
But the Smarrellis hadn’t anticipated the incredibly lower cost of living in comparison to the US, particularly for retirees.
They say they’ve cut back nearly $3,000 per month on expenses, which amounts to $36,000 a year, since moving there permanently.
The couple now spend around $1,200 a month between the two of them.
“The $1,200 includes dining out two to three days a week with a bottle of wine, about $50 to $70 each time out, for a total of $400 to $500 a month,” says Tony.
Their monthly internet costs are €40 (around $43), while their mobile phone bills are less than €20.
Veterinary services for their beagle Cooper come to about €20 (around $21.64) per visit, while electricity and water costs them €200 (about $216) with gas around €75 (around $81).
Back in the US, the couple’s mortgage alone was $1,500 per month, and Tony’s golf membership, including dining at the golf club and cart fees, came to $1,200.
Services were also more expensive. They say that their television fees amounted to $200, internet $180, and they spent around $265 for three mobile phones. Their monthly costs also included running two cars.
Cheaper living costs
“Monthly expenses in the US before leaving were between $4,800 to $5,000 a month. In all we are about $3,000 less monthly living here in Italy,” adds Tony.
He’d like to apply for Italian citizenship, but the fact that his father was naturalized as an American citizen before Tony was born has complicated things.
Tony, however, hopes to rectify this by appealing to a local court.
Scalea is the second destination that he and Francine have relocated to since retiring in 2006.
Both avid golfers, the Smarrellis first moved from Syracuse to a golfing community in Pinehurst, North Carolina, later that year in search of warmer weather.
“We loved living there, but after 18 years the quiet golfing community was exploding and no longer the quaint golfing community we loved,” he adds.
View this interactive content on CNN.comTony, an 11-time senior club champion at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, has since given up golf.
But he’s found other activities, such as painting and mosaic wall art, to keep himself busy while in Calabria.
He and Francine are enjoying all that Italy has to offer, exploring nearby villages and frequently dining out together.
Each day, they kill time by walking out on their balcony in the morning and sipping coffee, and/or enjoying a glass of wine there in the evening.
As for useful tips for other retirees potentially looking for an expat life in Italy, the Smarrellis suggest doing some thorough online research before making the big move, and spending time in different Italian regions, weighing up the pros and cons of each.
“Southern Italy is not as busy and commercial (as the rest of the country). It is truly the Italy of old!” says Tony.