Experience in Perugia, Italy by Nazaret

What do you think about living in Perugia? Would you recommend it? How is it like?

Perugia is a great city to live, I would recommend it without hesitation for everything, its location (is's in the middle of Italy and it's easier to travel to other cities), for having around thousands of towns with a lot of charm, because it seems that you are in a city of a fairy tale due to the architecture and its mixture of city with forest, for the pizzas, for the people... it is perfect.

What is the student lifestyle like in Perugia?

The environment is great because Perugia is a city like Salamanca in Spain, it is the second oldest university after Bologna and there isn't just Erasmus people but also Italians who go to study there from all parts of Italy.

How much does it cost to live in Perugia?

Let's see, Perugia is "cheap" in contrast to other places of Italy but it depends a lot on how the standard of living in the home country is.

Here in Perugia, I'm in a residency for students (Colegio di Agraria) that costs 150 euros per month all included even heating, to this you should add the money for food, everyone there eats at "mensa" that is like a cafeteria and it's around 4 euros for the full menu.

If you get a flat, you'll spend around 200 euros just on the flat and 30 euros extra for electricity, water and gas.

Usually the food at the supermarkets is more expensive, especially meat.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Perugia? Can you give some advice?

Generally, the universities suggest many places to find accommodation, that's how I got to this residency, at the beginning we were going to stay the first month to look for a flat because it's cheaper than any hostel, and then look for a flat, but at the end we stayed at the residence.

Now, we have decided to move to a flat, any real estate agency can help you to look for a flat right away, the only bad thing is that generally they charge you a quite expensive fee, but there's one that doesn't charge in Perugia, so you have to look for it.

What is the food like? Which ones are your favorite dishes?

The food is really good for the ones who like pizza and pasta, then the meat and fish are different but not bad.

But the food from the "mensa" can't be considered Italian food because it's cafeteria food after all.

The restaurants are very good.

Which sites do you recommend to visit in Perugia?

Everywhere, Perugia has millions of surprising little spots, and every day you can see thousands of new ones. The Piazza 11 de Novembre is amazing, Piazza Italia... all the center is beautiful.

What about going out to eat in Perugia? Can you tell us your favorite places?

La Romantica, la Mediterranea, Pompei...

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Perugia?

Velvet, Red Zone, Cantiere 21, Mercoledì Rock (for the ones who likes it), Urban... there are many places to party.

Is there any other advice that you could give to future students who are going to Perugia?

Enjoy as much as you can, time passes really fast, and it's going to be the best best best experience of your life, and even more in Perugia.