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ThonRetire

Head to head · verified July 2026

Italy vs Philippines

Philippines scores 8 points higher on our balanced view — but that gap is small enough that your own priorities can flip it. The breakdowns below show exactly where each one earns and loses.

Everyday street scene in Italy

ItalyItaly

Western Europe

79/100

Italy's 7% flat-tax deal is the romantic's bargain: all foreign income, ten years, in exchange for living in a southern town under 30,000 people. The SSN healthcare buy-in (~€2k/yr) is world-class, and the EU permanent-residency clock runs at five years. Residential-facility accreditation sits with the Regions; a national FAR monitoring system is not a public name register — Italy stays unchecked here. The consulate decides your Elective Residence visa at its own discretion — real applications get refused, so over-prepare the file.

Full Italy guide
Everyday street scene in Philippines

PhilippinesPhilippines

Southeast Asia

87/100

The SRRV is still the bluntest instrument in retirement migration: deposit $15k (50+, with pension), get a permanent visa on day one, and pay zero Philippine tax on foreign income. English is everywhere and the cost of living is among the lowest on this list. The trade: health insurance past 65 runs thin, serious care means Manila or Cebu, and DSWD licenses social-welfare agencies without publishing a searchable national elderly-care register. Plan for the care gap the same way you plan for the hospital gap.

Full Philippines guide

Side by side

Italy compared with Philippines
CriterionItalyPhilippines
Visa & Residency
Retirement visaElective ResidenceSRRV Classic
Minimum ageNone — passive income is the gate40 (since 2025; 50+ pays less)
Min income / assets~€31k/yr passive$15k dep. (50+, pension)
Visa processing time2–4 mo — discretionary consulate~30–45 working days (PRA)
Path to permanent residency5 yrsPermanent
Path to citizenship10 yrs + B1 Italian — slow but real10 yrs; must renounce AU — impractical
Tax
Tax-residency threshold183 days or registered residenceIrrelevant — source-based system
Tax on foreign pension7%0%
Capital gains tax26% standard; 7% under flat regime0% on foreign assets
Inheritance / estate tax4–8% + forced heirshipEstate tax 6%
Annual property taxIMU ~0.46–1.06% (primary non-luxury home exempt)RPT ≈0.2–0.5% of market value
Finance & Property
Foreign property ownershipYesCondo only (no land)
Deposit / bond requiredNone — income/savings proof only$15k (50+, pension ≥$800/mo) or $30k without
Forced-heirship rulesForced heirship — but AU law electable by will (Brussels IV)AU law governs your succession; estate tax 6%
Cost to establish residency~$2.5–6k incl. lawyer~$2.5–4k + deposit
Living
Cost of living24001500
Healthcare quality8.66.8
Safety7.96
Logistics
Flight time from Australia248
Health insurance requiredYes — private cover ≥€30k/yr for visaYes — health policy required for SRRV
Visa renewal easeAnnual permesso early yrs — questura queuesNone — annual $360 PRA fee; 2-yr ID cycle
Provision for dependentsSpouse OK — couple bar ~€38k/yrSpouse + 2 deps in annual fee; $300 each

Showing the open fields. 17 more criteria — tax-residency day counts, capital gains, forced heirship, setup costs and processing times — need a free Thon account. Sign in to see the full table.

Why Italy scores 79

79/100

Why this number

Every point is accounted for. Nothing is hidden in a weighting you cannot see.

  1. Base country quality80Italy scores 80/100 before anything about you is applied — visa system, tax regime, healthcare, safety and property rights.
  2. Australian passport-1Worse than average for Australian retirees: Long flight; bureaucracy
  3. Best fit for you79A decision aid, not a prediction. Two people with the same passport can rank these differently — that is the point of showing the working.

Why Philippines scores 87

87/100

Why this number

Every point is accounted for. Nothing is hidden in a weighting you cannot see.

  1. Base country quality83Philippines scores 83/100 before anything about you is applied — visa system, tax regime, healthcare, safety and property rights.
  2. Australian passport+4Better than average for Australian retirees: ~8h, English, cheap, permanent-style SRRV
  3. Best fit for you87A decision aid, not a prediction. Two people with the same passport can rank these differently — that is the point of showing the working.