Overview
The province of Matera is the 93rd largest Italian province by population with 197.909 people, located in the Basilicata region.
The city of Matera, with a population of approximately 60,156 residents, is located in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.
Matera is known for its remarkable Sassi di Matera, a complex of cave dwellings that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city's ancient cave dwellings, known as sassi, are a testament to its unique history and architectural significance.
Matera's Sassi district offers a mesmerizing labyrinth of narrow streets, stone houses, and ancient churches carved into the rock.
The city has gained international recognition for its cultural heritage and has been a popular filming location for movies. Matera invites visitors to step back in time and experience its fascinating cave-dwelling culture.
The larger Matera metropolitan area comprises 31 towns (comuni) and covers an area of 347.889 km2.
The population density is 57 inhabitants per km2, making it sparcely populated. The male to female ratio is 1.00:1.04.
Climate
The province of Matera receives on average 243 hours of sunshine per month, or 8.1 hours of sunshine per day.
This is 2.97% more than the average for Italy and 5.19% more than the average for the region of Basilicata.
Throughout the year, it rains on average 6.29 days per month, which is below average for an Italian province.
During the autumn and winter season, there are usually 2.65 days per month with fog and 1.34 cold days per month with perceived temperatures below 3°C. In the summer, there are on average 21 hot days per month with perceived temperatures above 30°C.
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Matera, BasilicataCost of Living
The average monthly income in Matera is around 1261.89€, which is lower than the average for Italy.
The estimated cost of living is around 1320.5€ per month for an individual or 1975.52€ per month for a family of 4.
The cost for renting a small apartment (2-3 bedrooms) in a main city area is around 688.36€ per month.
Overall, Matera is affordable compared to other Italian provinces.
Living in Matera is around 19.98% cheaper than the average of all Italian provinces.
Quality of Life
Healthcare
Healthcare in Matera is below average. For every 10k inhabitants, there are around 3.41 pharmacies, 9.98 general practitioners and 21.9 specialized doctors per 10k inhabitants.
Average life expectancy in Matera is very high at 82.6 years of age.
Education
Matera has a higher-than-average percentage of high school graduates, around 67.3%; and a higher-than-average percentage of university graduates, around 27.9%.
The average number of completed years of schooling for people over 25 is 10.6, which is not far from the national average of 10.44.
There is one university in the province.
Leisure
Matera offers a charming and intimate nightlife scene. While not as bustling as larger cities, it has its own unique appeal.
Travelers can enjoy cozy cave bars and quaint taverns, where they can unwind with a glass of local wine or a refreshing cocktail. The ambiance is relaxed, allowing visitors to soak in the historic surroundings and enjoy a leisurely evening in this captivating city.
Overall, Matera has somewhat decent nightlife with 2.71 bars and 3.41 restaurants per 10k inhabitants.
Crime and Safety
The province of Matera is overall very safe for expats. As of 2021, there are an average of 2616.9 reported crimes per 100k inhabitants. This is 7.72% lower than the national average.
There have been around 0.7 deadly road accidents and 12.6 serious work-related injuries per 10k people in Matera. This is respectively 29.63% more driving accidents than average and 2.33% less work accidents than average.
Car theft is reportedly 41.40% lower than average with only 41.33 cases per 100k inhabitants.
Reports of house thefts are 39.66% lower than average with 105.61 cases per 100k inhabitants.
Cases of robbery are uncommon with 105.61 reported cases per 100k inhabitants, about 47.02% less the national average.
Overall, Matera is a very safe place to visit and live in.
Transport
Public transport in Matera is lacking, and traffic is below average.
There are on average 0.65 active vehicles per person, against a national average of 0.66.
Around 0.17km per 10k inhabitants of the main city in Matera consist of bicycle lanes. This makes Matera not very bike-friendly.
After exiting Matera Centrale, there is a piazza to the left with various buses. From here, "Linea Sassi" buses to I Sassi di Matera every 30 min; the inexpensive tickets are sold upon boarding. The Sassi can also be reached on foot in about 20 minutes by walking straight ahead downhill from the piazza. The Sassi can only be explored on foot, and tourist information is available locally.
