10 best Florence neighborhoods for students and expats

Not sure where to live in Florence? This guide covers 10 neighborhoods from the local cultures, transportation and rent prices, to who they are for to help you find your perfect home.

Ellie

15 minute read

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Updated on 12 May 2026

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Living

Florence's neighborhoods for students and expats range from affordable Novoli (rooms from €420/month) to the upscale wine bars of San Niccolò so which one you pick will influence your commute, budget, and social life.

Located in Italy's Tuscany region, Florence hosts various industries and university campuses spread across the city. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Florence is one of the best cities to live in Italy. But choosing the right area can feel tricky if you don't know the city.

To help you land on your feet in Florence, we'll compare some of the finest neighborhoods in the city and tell you why they might work for you.

Key takeaways:

• Novoli is Florence's most affordable base for students (rooms from €420/month), while Santa Croce (€570/month) and Campo di Marte (apartments from €1,300/month) are the best-value options closer to the center.
• San Marco and San Lorenzo sit next to the University of Florence's humanities and architecture campus, with rooms from €620/month and easy walking-distance access to the Polo del Centro.
• The south bank's Oltrarno, Santo Spirito, and San Frediano has an artisan, less touristy atmosphere with rooms from €600/month.
• San Niccolò and Duomo are Florence's most central and upscale options, with rooms from €620/month, but the rent prices are very expensive.
• Florence's international community makes up 16.2% of the city's population, concentrated in the historic center (Q1) and Novoli/Rifredi (Q5).

Florence is divided into 5 official administrative districts called Quartieri (Q1–Q5). The Arno River cuts through the middle, separating the northern historic center and the south bank. Most of the famous landmarks and tourist activity is in the north of the river, while the south bank has a slightly more local, residential feel to it.

If you are studying in Florence, the University of Florence (UNIFI) is spread across separate campuses, called polos, in different parts of the city. So students at the Novoli Polo (law, economics, political sciences) have a very different daily experience than those studying humanities or architecture near San Marco.

The Santa Croce neighborhood is one of few areas of Florence that has remained authentic to its historical heritage. Located east of the city center, it has extensive options when it comes to shopping and entertainment but with less tourists. You’ll have plenty of public transport connections here, so don’t worry about making your way around.

Via dei Benci is the neighborhood's social hub with international pubs and late-night bars. If you are looking to eat cheap and local, you can go to the Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio in Piazza Ghiberti (open Mon–Sat, 7 AM–2 PM).

Santa Croce is one of the pricier options, higher than Campo di Marte or Novoli. One thing to be aware of: the area around Piazza dei Ciompi has some late-night disturbances, you might want to consider that into which specific street you choose to rent in Santa Croce.

Average rent in Santa Croce:

• Room: €675–€740/month
• Studio: €1,100/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €1,500–€2,000/month

San Marco is a residential neighborhood located north of the city center, and it's the best neighborhood for UNIFI humanities and architecture students. Several University of Florence faculties are within walking distance, including Architecture on Via Micheli and Via Gino Capponi, and the Accademia Gallery.

But unlike Santa Croce, San Marco doesn't have much of a nightlife scene if that is something that you are looking for. The tradeoff is that you're more likely to find a calmer vibe with a mix of local and international residents rather than party crowd.

Since it is popular with both locals and internationals, finding accommodation in San Marco does take some effort. Rooms are relatively affordable, but studios and apartments are harder to find and more expensive. Start your search early if you have your heart set on this neighborhood.

Average rent in San Marco:

• Room: €600–€680/month
• Studio: €1,150/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €1,800/month

Located south of the Arno River, which splits Florence in two, the Oltrarno district is the city's most vibrant area.

It's maintained its reputation as the artisans' quarter throughout Florence's century-long development, and despite the high energy with its bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, it's actually a quiet place to live in.

Something to keep in mind when looking for accommodation anywhere in Oltrarno is the narrow streets. Always try to live on the upper floors of buildings to get some natural light into your apartment. Oltrarno is certainly one of the most popular places to live in Florence, which can make finding a place quite tricky, so build in extra time for your search.

Average rent in Oltrarno:

• Room: €550–€700/month
• Studio: €1,200/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €1,750/month

If you had to put a label on the Campo di Marte neighborhood, it would be "the sports neighborhood." It is home to the Artemio Franchi Stadium, where ACF Fiorentina plays regularly. You're guaranteed to hear the excitement of fans from time to time. The Firenze Campo di Marte train station keeps you well-connected to the city center via public transport.

As you’d expect, this area sees a lot of traffic, with soccer fans coming to watch games hosted in the Stadium. This can lead to some nuisance in terms of noise and occasionally in terms of crime. You’ll find a slightly elevated crime rate here as fans celebrate their win or loss by drinking alcohol in and around the stadium. That said, there’s usually more police around on these occasions, so it’s still safe— but something to be aware of.

One of the biggest advantages of living here is the affordable accommodation. While there aren’t many studios or private rooms to rent, apartments here are quite affordable. The occasional football fan interruption can’t take away from how pleasant it is to live peacefully and affordably outside the city centre.

Average rent in Campo di Marte:

• Room: €500–€550/month
• Studio: €900/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €1,300/month

Located on the south bank of the Arno River, San Niccolò is in the upscale part of the city. The area is famous for its delightful wine bars dotted across the narrow streets. The riverside location makes San Niccolò a particularly aesthetically pleasing place to live. Locals will often pop up their own picnics alongside the river to catch a sunset.

The neighborhood's upscale vibe means that everything, from rental prices to restaurant and bar prices, is more expensive than in the rest of the city. But you’ll soon see why when you take in the scenery and the very chilled vibes of San Niccolò. This area is also well connected with public transport.

Notoriously pricey and exclusive, housing in San Niccolò can be hard to find. Private rooms are extremely rare, as are studios. Your best bet is to rent an apartment, but even then, you’ll need to give yourself plenty of time to grab an apartment here.

Average rent in San Niccolò:

• Room: €650/month
• Studio: €1,300/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €2,000/month

Novoli sits in the western part of the city, and it's the first choice for students at the University of Florence's Polo delle Scienze Sociali, the campus that houses the faculties of Law, Economics, and Political Sciences. The tram runs directly through the neighborhood, connecting you to the city center and San Marco in around 20 minutes. Trams run every 4–5 minutes during peak hours (6:30 AM–8:30 PM), so you're never waiting around much.

Large supermarkets like Lidl and Esselunga are closeby with many affordable options for daily groceries. You most likely also go to the San Donato shopping complex for everyday errands. You got Parco San Donato for your green space, and the university's D10 library building in Novoli as a popular study space for students at the campus.

Novoli is home to a large resident international population, which makes it easy to meet other people in a similar situation when you first arrive. The neighborhood is sometimes described as "soulless" compared to the historic center, and that's not entirely unfair, but for long-term PhD students, law majors, or anyone prioritizing budget over nightlife, it makes a lot of sense to rent in Novoli.

Average rent in Novoli:

• Room: from €420/month
• Studio: €900/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €1,200/month

San Lorenzo is one of Florence's busiest commercial neighborhoods. It is located just north of the Duomo in the heart of the historic center. As you can guess from the location, it is quite expensive to live here. But it is a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood and several UNIFI humanities faculties are located in and around this neighborhood.

Like all of the historic center, San Lorenzo has no large supermarkets. For budget grocery shopping, you'll need to either use the Mercato Centrale during market hours, make the trip to Novoli or Rifredi where the big stores are, or budget for higher prices at the small central convenience shops.

The area around Santa Maria Novella station, a short walk west, can feel uncomfortable at night due to reports of pickpocketing and loitering. If you're choosing a specific apartment in San Lorenzo, prioritise streets further from the station and the most tourist-saturated zones near the market.

Average rent in San Lorenzo:

• Room: €600–€680/month
• Studio: €1,200/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: €1,600/month

The Duomo neighborhood is part of Santa Maria Novella, one of the city's oldest districts. Located in the heart of Florence and hosting some of the city’s most prominent cultural landmarks, Duomo attracts tourists worldwide.

The quality of life in the Duomo neighborhood is among the highest in the city. It’s a limited-traffic area, with only authorized vehicles allowed to drive through it. Take a breath in this low-emission neighborhood!

What’s best: you’d be living within 5 minutes walking distance away from the most popular parts of the city. You can swiftly reach the further parts of the city thanks to the well connected public transport system.

Being as central as it gets in Florence, you’ll have a choice of a wide array of restaurants, supermarkets and leisure activity opportunities. Despite the neighborhood’s continuous modernization, you can expect to experience a small-town vibe.

The most common rental you’ll find in Duomo is a 1-bedroom apartment. Finding a studio or room to rent can be tricky here. The central location of Duomo makes it a little pricier to rent, but if you spend some time searching, you’ll find affordable options.

Average rent in Duomo:

• Room: ~€620/month
• Studio: ~€1,200/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: ~€1,600/month

Santo Spirito has a strong local identity and a genuine mix of young residents, creatives, and long-term residents. It's more internationally diverse than it used to be, but it still feels distinctly less "expat bubble" than the streets around Santa Croce or San Marco's university areas. If you want to actually meet Italians and pick up the language through daily life rather than just living alongside other international students, this is one of the better neighborhoods to put yourself in.

Rents in are Santo Spirito is mid-range, and transport connections to the rest of the city are very good.

Average rent in Santo Spirito:

• Room: €550–€700/month
• Studio: ~€1,150/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: ~€1,600/month

Moving west, San Frediano has a lot of cocktail bars. The neighborhood has evolved into Florence's primary destination for sophisticated aperitivo and craft cocktail culture over the past decade. If you're after a bar scene that feels more "local aperitivo crowd" than "tourist bar crawl," San Frediano is where you'll find it.

The neighborhood is slightly quieter and more residential than Santo Spirito. You will find a mix of young professionals, expats, and locals. It's well connected by bus, and you can walk to most of the historic center areas in 15–20 minutes.

The housing options in San Frediano are similar to the rest of Oltrarno. Finding a room or studio takes some patience as the neighborhood is very popular, but you can still find good value options if you are looking in time.

Average rent in San Frediano:

• Room: €550–€700/month
• Studio: ~€1,150/month
• 1-bedroom apartment: ~€1,600/month

The further you get from the touristic central areas, the lower the rent, and the easier your access to large supermarkets, quieter streets, and a more local feel. Since rent will be your biggest cut on your budget, Novoli is the cheapest rent you can find in Florence.

Here are the average monthly costs for rents for each of the neighborhoods:

Rooms in the streets immediately surrounding the Duomo are primarily for short-term rental and are the highest in the city. If you plan to stay longer than a few months, it is better to search one or two neighborhoods away from the tourist areas and allow yourself some time to look for them.

The right neighborhood depends on your budget, your university campus, and the kind of lifestyle you're after.

When you have a better idea of which Florence neighborhood is really for you, it's time to discover homes for rent in Florence!

Which Florence neighborhood has a large international community?

Foreign residents make up 16.2% of the city's total population or around 59,000 residents as of early 2025. The highest concentrations of expats and international students are in the historic center covering Santa Croce, San Marco, San Lorenzo, and Oltrarno, and in university neighborhoods Novoli and Rifredi. You're definitely not going to feel out of place. The university campuses is a natural social hubs for meeting other international students when you first arrive.

Which Florence neighborhood is safe for students and expats?

Florence has a low overall crime rate and is generally a safe city to live in. That said, a few specific areas are best to avoid. For example, the area around Santa Maria Novella station and Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo can feel uncomfortable at night because of pickpocketing and loitering.

Check out our guide to areas to avoid in Florence.

Nonetheless, always use your common sense like keeping an eye on your belongings in crowded tourist areas and not leaving valuables visible.

Which Florence nieghborhood is best for families?

The neighborhoods that is popular for families are Campo di Marte, Le Cure, and San Marco for their green space, quieter streets, proximity to schools, and infrastuctures.

Campo di Marte is residential, quiet, and has the Parco dell'Albereta for outdoor space. It has affordable apartments at around €1,300/month, the lowest in the city. If you want to be more central, you can look for houses to rent in San Marco. It's quiet compared to most of Q1, has the Giardino dei Semplici botanical garden nearby, and the T2 tram gives you efficient access to the rest of the city. The trade-off is that apartments are pricier here than in Campo di Marte. For families willing to go a little further out, the Le Cure and Coverciano areas in Q2 — just beyond Campo di Marte — are predominantly local, low-traffic, and popular with Florentine families for exactly that reason.

One practical note: Florence has a small number of international schools, including the International School of Florence (Bagno a Ripoli, southeast of the center) and St. James School. If international schooling is a priority, factor the commute from your chosen neighborhood into the decision before you sign a lease.

Is it better to live north or south of the Arno River in Florence?

Both sides have real advantages. South of the Arno, covering Oltrarno, Santo Spirito, San Frediano, and San Niccolò, offers a quieter, more artisan atmosphere with a strong local identity, but rents tend to be higher for studios and apartments, and narrow streets mean lower-floor apartments get limited natural light. North of the river, neighborhoods like Santa Croce and San Marco give you easier access to the University of Florence's humanities faculties, more affordable rooms, and a wider variety of rental types.

Is Oltrarno safe at night?

Florence has a low overall crime rate, and Oltrarno is not flagged as a safety concern in available data. The only neighborhood specifically noted for elevated crime is Campo di Marte on ACF Fiorentina match days near the Artemio Franchi Stadium, and even then the area is considered safe overall with increased police presence on those occasions. Standard nighttime awareness applies across the city.

What should I know about getting around Florence?

Florence is a compact, walkable city, and all the neighborhoods in this guide are connected to the city center by public transport. The T2 tram is the main line for Novoli residents, linking them to San Marco and the city center in around 20 minutes. The T1 tram connects the city center to Careggi in the north. Campo di Marte has its own train station (Firenze Campo di Marte) for connections beyond the city. A standard 90-minute transit ticket costs €1.70, and student annual passes are available for around €278.

Which Florence neighborhood is best if you're new to the city?

San Marco or Santo Spirito tend to work well for newcomers. Both offer a genuine local atmosphere without the extreme tourist density of the Duomo area, reasonable rents, good transport links, and a mix of long-term and international residents. That said, if you're starting at UNIFI, check your faculty's campus location first and factor the commute into your decision before anything else.

Where do locals actually live in Florence?

Most Florentines have moved away from the heavily tourist-saturated historic center and into quieter outer neighborhoods. Q2 areas like Campo di Marte, Le Cure, and Coverciano have a genuine local feel and are popular with families and young professionals who want community without tourist-zone prices. In Q5, Rifredi attracts a mix of locals and long-term international residents who prefer a quieter, lower-density lifestyle. Santo Spirito and San Frediano in the Oltrarno retain more local character than the north bank center, despite their growing popularity with expats.

Which neighborhoods are most walkable?

The historic center is Florence's most walkable zone. Duomo, San Lorenzo, San Marco, and Santa Croce are all connected on foot within 15 to 20 minutes of each other, and most daily errands are within reasonable walking distance. Oltrarno, including Santo Spirito, San Frediano, and San Niccolò, is equally walkable on the south bank, and a single bridge crossing gets you to the center in under 15 minutes. Campo di Marte and Novoli are more spread out and car-friendly in character, though both have their own walkable local areas around the market square and campus respectively.

What's the best neighborhood for food in Florence?

It depends on what kind of eating you're doing. For markets and cheap daily ingredients, San Lorenzo is unbeatable — Mercato Centrale has fresh produce, meat, and cheese at honest prices on the ground floor (Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM). Santa Croce has Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio, which is smaller, more local, and one of the best spots in the city for a cheap lunch. For restaurant dining without tourist markup, the Oltrarno consistently delivers — Santo Spirito and San Frediano have some of the most respected trattorias and aperitivo bars in the city at prices locals are actually willing to pay. For budget grocery shopping, Novoli wins outright, with Lidl and Esselunga offering significantly lower prices than anything in the center.

What's a quiet area near the center of Florence?

San Marco is probably the quietest central option in this guide. It has an academic atmosphere, no major nightlife strip, and genuinely calm streets after dark, while still sitting in the heart of Q1 with strong transport links. San Niccolò is another good answer — it's residential, tucked along the south bank of the Arno, and noticeably less trafficked than the tourist core, while being a 15-minute walk from the Duomo. If you want quiet without sacrificing character, Santo Spirito is worth considering too: livelier than San Marco but significantly more peaceful than Santa Croce or the San Lorenzo area, particularly on weekday mornings and early afternoons.