Living in Sicily Italy: 7 Harsh Truths They Don’t Tell You

Sicily is a dream destination, but it’s not without its challenges. Today, we’re revealing 7 harsh truths about life here.

Living in Sicily offers a captivating experience, blending rich cultural heritage with breathtaking scenic beauty and a relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. As the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is steeped in history and traditions, featuring diverse landscapes from pristine beaches and rugged mountains to lush vineyards.

Sicily’s allure is undeniable, with its deep historical roots and picturesque landscapes. The island’s charm and relaxed pace draw many, but living here also presents unique challenges that may take time to be apparent.

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00:00 – Living in Sicily Italy: 7 Harsh Truths They Don’t Tell You
00:17 – The Trash Problem: A significant issue in Sicily is the persistent trash problem. Local government corruption often leads to poor sanitation management despite adequate funding. As a result, while some towns maintain cleanliness, others suffer from litter, detracting from the island’s natural beauty. The problem has escalated, so Sicily now exports trash due to overflowing landfills.
01:46 – Narrow Streets and Driving Challenges: The quaint, narrow streets, reminiscent of an era tailored for carriages and horses, pose daily navigational challenges. In places like Baglio di Carini, navigating one-way bridges can result in traffic standoffs, with cars meeting nose-to-nose, requiring delicate maneuvering. Many locals adapt by using vehicles with folding side mirrors to prevent damage.
03:07 – Coin-Operated Public Bathrooms: Visitors and newcomers often find coin-operated public bathrooms inconvenient. This system, intended to fund maintenance, can be frustrating when urgent access is needed, but change is not handy.
03:59 – Fruit and Vegetable Shopping Etiquette: In Sicilian markets, unlike the self-service practice common in places like the U.S., the shop owner selects and bags produce for customers. This can be a significant adjustment for those used to handling and choosing their fruits and vegetables.
05:01 – Access to Over-the-Counter Medication: Another notable frustration is the unavailability of over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or Advil at grocery stores. These are only accessible at pharmacies, diverging from the convenience of many other countries.
05:45 – TV Tax on Electric Bill: A peculiar local policy includes a television tax on the electric bill, regardless of television ownership. Recently reduced from 90 euros to 73 euros annually, this tax remains a contentious issue among locals and expatriates.
06:28 – Water Shortages: Occasional water shortages disrupt daily activities, necessitating a reserve of water for essential uses like flushing toilets or washing dishes. Although these shutdowns are not frequent, residents must be prepared, adding an unpredictable element to daily life.
06:55 – Bonus: Driving and Parking Anxiety

Living in Sicily Italy: 7 Harsh Truths They Don’t Tell You

If you’re worried you’re not getting the full picture of Sicily, you’re in the right place. We reveal a realistic, balanced view from personal experience.

Nobody can accuse me of having rose-colored glasses on when it comes to retirement in Sicily because today they’re coming off.

The Trash Problem

The thing that we really dislike is the big trash problem. And what do you think that is due to, Croce, mostly?

I think it’s a lot of corruption within the government.
Okay. So Rome gives money to each of the 20 regions, and they appropriate those monies according to their regulations and the things that they decide upon in that local government.

And for some reason Sicily just does not put importance on cleaning up trash.

Now it depends, it depends on the town. Some towns are very, very clean.

Some towns you’ll find trash strewn everywhere.

And there’s a migrant problem as well. A lot of foreigners are coming through so the migrant problem does contribute to it.

It’s become so bad that Sicily is now exporting its trash so the landfills are filled.

And it angered me when I first came because — Croce can vouch for this.

I would be so upset when I would go to the beach or go somewhere and see trash all around on the ground with receptacles closeby.

And people just couldn’t take the time to put it in the trash can.

So I thought, you know, why didn’t they take pride in their own beautiful country, their own beautiful island?

They are making headway. They’re putting cameras in a lot of places and trying to put fines in place to catch the people that are leaving the country and the rural areas, and driving to the city and just dumping.

So that would be the biggest emotional dislike that I have.

Narrow Streets and Driving Challenges

One of the big negatives is narrow streets and trying to drive and navigate through these narrow streets.

In fact, I’ve learned to roll down my front window and pull in the side mirror because a lot of times you will scrape your mirror driving if you don’t do that.

So most of the cars, I think the majority of the cars in Italy do have folding side mirrors.

Of course, because of the history of Italy, the roads are much more narrow. Back then they were made for carriages and horses so we understand why.

And Croce, where is that place we go where it’s one way, and we always run into other cars?

It’s Baglio di Carini. When we head down to the beach to Baglio di Carini, there’s a one-way bridge.

There’s a couple ways to get there but we like to take the one-way bridge. It’s a little faster, but you’re driving it blind.

Because you’re coming around a curve, and it’s a one-way lane. Two cars will not fit.

And we end up meeting nose-to-nose in the middle of the bridge.

And then somebody’s got to back down, around that big curve, and back out to allow the other car to go through.

So you think to yourself, wow – this infrastructure is so ridiculous; but then again, look at the history.

And they haven’t made an overpass to that. And the charm and quaintness of that beautiful area; I wouldn’t change it.

Coin-Operated Public Bathrooms

I remember when we took the train in Palermo going to Calabria.

My wife she needed to go to the bathroom. So she left all the luggage and belongings to me.

And looking around to find the bathroom. Finally, she found the bathroom, and she found the door shut. You need a coin to get in.

Yes, that is so frustrating. Coin-operated public bathrooms. Unbelievable.

I walked and walked and walked and couldn’t find a bathroom. And then when I finally did, I didn’t have a euro or 50 cents or whatever it was to get in. To me that is so ridiculous.

I get it, though. I mean maintenance is a problem. Keeping toilet paper and supplies so I think that’s what they use it for.

And then sometimes you’ll see an attendant outside who expects a tip. You know they clean the bathrooms and keep it stocked but that was really frustrating.

Fruit and Vegetable Shopping Etiquette

In the U.S., we’re very used to picking up an orange, smelling it, picking up a watermelon and knocking on it to see if it’s ripe or checking it out, or squeezing the fruit or whatever else.

In Italy, in Sicily, you do not do that. When you go to a fruit market or fruit or vegetable stand where it’s a mom-pop deal, and there’s an owner there, you just tell them what you want.

You can point or you can say exactly what you would like, but they pick up the fruit and bag it for you.

Now, if you go to a grocery store, that’s different, right? Right. It’s different.

Yeah. When you go to Lidl, you just go and get your fruit, and put it in a bag. And you weigh it, and put the sticker on.

So that was something to get used to. After that first time of me picking up the fruit and smelling it and trying to decide what I wanted, and the owner gave me a look, and said, what would you like, Signora; and so after that, I learned my lesson.

I was a little bit frustrated but I have to go with the flow and learn how to accept and fit in with the culture.

Access to Over-the-Counter Medication

One frustrating thing about living in Sicily is that if you need over-the-counter medication like Tylenol or Advil or cold medication, you actually have to go to the pharmacy to get it.

And that is quite annoying because grocery stores do not sell those things. You just cannot find them.

However, on the positive side, you can get prescription medications, that you would normally need a doctor to fill a prescription for in the U.S., but you can go to the pharmacy.

Tell the pharmacist your ailment or whatever your symptoms are, and he can give you something right then and there, without a doctor’s prescription.

So that is super convenient. But it’s a little bit hard to get used to not being able to get just Tylenol or something at a grocery store or dollar store or whatever.

TV Tax on Electric Bill

In Sicily, they have a fee, a tax, on the electric bill that’s included for every single person on the electric grid.

And they just reduced it. It used to be 90 euros per year. But now they just passed a law to change it to 73 euros per month — or no, per year. Yes.

And that’s included on your electric bill. And that’s whether you have a tv or not. That’s really nuts.

Now, I have seen places where they say there’s a form you can fill out if you’re exempt, if you don’t —

If you can prove you don’t have a television, that you don’t owe that fee or tariff, they call it. But to me, it’s ludicrous to include a television, a public broadcasting fee, tariff, on your electric bill.

Water Shortages

One of the problems in Sicily: they shut down the water every so often because of a shortage of water.

And we need to prepare ourselves to get buckets of water to even flush the toilet.

It’s frustrating for sure to have to have water on the side. You never know when it’s going to happen. It’s not very often but every once in a while.

And you can’t flush your toilet, you can’t do dishes, or anything until —

And usually, it’s how long, a few hours? A few hours.

Driving and Parking Anxiety

One of the biggest things that gives me anxiety in Sicily is driving and parking.

I do drive locally in Carini, to the store, back and forth.

But to go to church or Palermo or whatever, I don’t drive in a big city. Croce does.

And parking is nuts. People just park wherever. Stop signs, and green lights, red lights are suggestions, and I’m not exaggerating.

You’ve got pedestrians crossing where they shouldn’t be crossing. You’ve got motor scooters, regular pedal bicycles, not the electric bikes, but regular bicycles in the flow of car traffic in the highways.

It’s nuts. Everybody just merges and goes when they want to.

If it’s a three-lane highway or a two-lane road, they make it five.

Yes. Everybody just does their own thing.

So actually, my anxiety level has gone down since — it got better since living in Sicily. I guess I got accustomed to it. So that is a negative.

Summary

In the end, Sicily is a destination that will capture your heart, but it’s not without its challenges.

From navigating the locals, to dealing with the bureaucracy, which we didn’t even mention, it’s a place that requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt.

But if you’re willing to put in the effort, Sicily will reward you with some of the most incredible experiences of your life.

If you have an experience you’d like to share, we’d love to hear about it.

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Next up is Why We Pick Sicily for Retirement.

So take care and enjoy. Arrivederci.