Imagine Italy: the beautiful landscapes, the history, the people, the food, the wine…now imagine living there. Imagine living in your beachside villa with a pool. Sound impossible? In parts of southern Italy, you could buy a 5,500-square-foot villa with a pool or a charming farmhouse in Tuscany for $450,000, the median home price in the U.S. That’s according to an analysis of home prices by My Dolce Casa, a research blog about moving, living and retiring abroad.

Homes in the U.S. have become increasingly unaffordable, according to ATTOM real estate data, which found that median-priced single-family homes and condos remained less affordable in the third quarter of 2022 in 99% of counties across the nation. One year before, it was 69% of counties.