From Russia to Italy: Multiplying Money - Why she moved because of the high cost of living in the U.S.

After the death of her mother, the loss of her job of 10 years and the finalization of her divorce, Barbara Barto found herself at a crossroads in her life. The 62-year-old resident of Fort Worth, Texas, who had previously worked as an office manager, was having difficulty finding a new job and felt she was "stale." Barto decided that now was probably the right time to retire, but worried that she would not be able to live comfortably afterward because of the rising costs of living in the United States. As a loyal viewer of Home & Garden Television (HGTV) for many years, she had often dreamed of packing up and moving to another country, but never had the courage. However, she realized that the opportunity may only be now or never. "I've never been one of those people who just pack up and move and do these ventures," Barto tells CNN Travel and explains that Italy, where she briefly visited in the 1980s, was one of the countries she wanted to live in. "I thought, this is coming of age, why not? I'm going to try it and see how it works for me."

In 2020, Barto began attending regular webinars by A Home in Italy, a company that helps foreigners buyreal estate in the European country, to find out how feasible the move was. "I calculated all the costs and saw that I could afford to live here, and it would be even cheaper than in the U.S.," she says. "Because everything is more expensive over there. When I added up all the numbers, I realized I could live more comfortably here with my pension and the inheritance I have. So I thought, 'Well, why not?'"

In April 2021, Barto traveled to Italy to look for a place to live. She looked at about six houses before choosing a home outside the village of Palombaro in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. "I found a house right away," she says. "So I've only been here once. I was lucky."

Barto agreed to buy the three-bedroom house, along with about two and a half acres of land planted with about 200 olive trees, for 123,000 euros, which when converted was $123,000 when the deal was finalized in late 2021. "You couldn't have bought something [like this] in the United States for the price I bought [this house] for," she says. According to Barto, the company she partnered with took care of the necessary paperwork, and the process was fairly easy for her.

In order to obtain an elective residence visa, a long-term residence permit for non-EU citizens who intend to settle in Italy, she had to take out health insurance and provide various bank statements and financial information to prove that she had enough "passive" income to support herself while living in the country. After completing all the formalities, Barto began planning her big move to Italy. "It was kind of weird," she says. "It's a strange feeling when you pack up your life and move somewhere else. I felt sad and excited at the same time."

In October 2022, Barto returned to Italy to start a new life. "I was accompanied by my younger sister and ex-husband, who helped me get settled," she says, explaining that she and her ex-husband "get along very well." Barto says it didn't take her long to get used to life in Abruzzo, and the locals immediately made her feel comfortable. "They came up and greeted me with coffee and pastries," she says. However, Barto was initially very nervous about driving across the country. "Italians are very intimidating on the roads," she says. "And, of course, it's mountainous terrain. So there are a lot of twisty turns and mountain roads."

Fortunately, she's gotten used to it over time and says it's "normal" for her now. "I'm easy to handle behind the wheel," she adds. "I don't let anyone intimidate me. I think, well, they'll overtake me eventually." She has found that living in Italy is much cheaper than in the U.S., and says most of her necessities are less expensive. While Italian residents don't pay property tax on their primary residence, nonresident property owners must pay local property taxes. Barto isn't sure if she'll have to pay taxes on her home, but says she's confident they'll be less than what she paid in Texas.

"My money is spent much more wisely here," she adds. "Groceries are much cheaper here. I save a lot more money here, which I like." Barto has also found that she has become more adventurous in Italy and spends much of her time exploring the country, relying on buses and trains to get around. "You can travel to different places by train and bus, which is just not available in Texas," she says.

When she lived in the U.S., Barto says she didn't exactly travel far and "sat around a lot." "Since I was retired, I didn't do much of anything," she says. "Because I didn't have much to do. "And half the time in Texas in the summer it's so hot you can't do anything. "Here you're forced to be active. I always have something to do. And I find things to do."

Barto follows what's happening in her native country through online newspapers and admits she sometimes gets frustrated by what she reads. "Crime has increased so much there," she says. "Texas has very lax laws about carrying guns, and there are just too many angry people with guns. That's something I don't miss at all."

Although she hasn't been able to visit home since she moved to Italy, Barto plans to return to the U.S. for the holidays. She is really looking forward to seeing her family, as well as visiting her old neighborhood and eating all of her favorite foods. "Mexican, barbecue, Indian, one of my favorite burger restaurants, chicken-fried steak, Chinese food and well-done steak - you can't find it all here," she adds.

Even though she has learned some Italian, Barto still struggles to understand it and mostly relies on Google Translate when she needs to communicate with Italians. "If I go to the bank and I need to withdraw money, I write on the device, 'I want to withdraw money,'" she explains. "And I practice it a few times in the car so that when I go into the bank, I can tell them what I need. And it's pretty easy to understand each other with them." Barto continues that she has the words written in Italian in front of her when she needs to call her hairdresser to make an appointment, and she repeats them several times before dialing the number. "When they pick up the phone, I just say it quickly," she adds. "So I get it. It's funny because now when I make an appointment with my hairdresser, they always laugh and say, 'Oh, it's Barbara from Texas.'"

Barto also finds it difficult to get used to the fact that local shops and restaurants are closed during the day. "If you want to do something, you need to do it in the morning or wait until four o'clock," she says, adding that sometimes she finds herself in a tough spot. "If you don't feel like cooking in the US and other places, you can just get in your car and go to fast food. That's not the case here. So you have to adapt to it."

Having lived in Italy for almost a year, Barto says she feels at home and hopes to stay in the country forever. "If I encounter any serious health issues that I can't resolve here, then I would go back home," she says. "But in most cases, I will stay here."

Non-citizens with residency rights in Italy can register with the Italian National Health Service to access Italian public healthcare, although a fee may be charged annually depending on the circumstances. Since moving there almost a year ago, Barto has met many other foreigners across the country and often marvels at the number of people who have left their previous lives for Italy. "There are many women like me," she says. "You talk to them, and they say, 'Oh, I've been here for 10 years,' and they have all adapted wonderfully. 'This [moving to another country] helps you step out of your comfort zone. Put on your big girl pants and try something new.'

One of Barto's favorite things about her Italian home is the view of the Maiella mountains from her balcony. "I really enjoy living here. I love stepping out and looking from the balcony," she says, emphasizing that she never takes it for granted. "I know many people say that, but I truly feel that way. Every morning it's a completely new sight."

Earlier in this story, there was a photograph that was incorrectly identified as the village of Palombaro. The picture has been removed.