The price of an espresso: a 20 cent difference between Bologna and Naples. Fresh milk: 38 cents difference between Florence and Bari. Numbers expats and retirees spend a lot of time researching. As it turns out, they matter very little for the time we spend looking at them (in this particular example, less than €100 a year, combined), and they don't explain why a couple can live on less than €30,000 near Caserta, and needs twice as much north of Bolzano.

The cheapest and the most expensive towns in Italy are just 16% per cent apart in living costs. What makes the biggest difference is your lifestyle, your needs, and your habits.

This week, we have tackled how much it actually costs to live in Italy, and not just regionally, but for each one of Italy's 7,896 towns.