Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean, says it'll pay people up to €15,000 (or around $14,400) to move there. To fund the program, the region's government has set aside €45 million for 3,000 new arrivals.

As of early 2026, the most prominent Italian island offering incentives to move there is Sardinia. The regional government has previously launched a high-profile scheme offering grants of up to €15,000 (approx. $16,000) for individuals to relocate to its "at-risk" rural municipalities (towns with populations under 3,000). While it sounds like "free money," there are strict 2026 requirements: the grant must be used to purchase or renovate a home on the island, you must move there permanently within 18 months, and you must register it as your primary residence. Similar "€1 Home" projects are ongoing in Sicily, in towns like Sambuca di Sicilia, where you can buy a property for a symbolic price but must commit to investing tens of thousands of euros into its restoration within a set timeframe. These programs are designed to combat the "depopulation crisis" in rural Italy. If you are a remote worker or retiree with some savings to invest in a renovation project, these islands provide a unique (though legally complex) opportunity to be "paid" through property subsidies to experience the ultimate Mediterranean lifestyle.