7% Tax Towns in Puglia

Puglia qualifies 231 of its 257 comuni, and its eligible towns run larger than the southern norm; the median is about 6,200 residents. In practice that means you are mostly choosing among working towns with weekly markets, pharmacies, clinics, and train stations, not depopulating villages. The over-cap list is essentially the cities: Bari, Lecce, Brindisi, Taranto, Foggia, and the string of larger centers along the coast northwest of Bari.

The Valle d'Itria, between Bari and Brindisi, is the region's established expat heartland, and its towns qualify across the board: Locorotondo (about 13,900), Cisternino (about 11,000), and Alberobello (about 10,100), the UNESCO trulli town. Ostuni (the "white city," with about 29,900 residents) came in just under the new cap and joined the list in 2026. On the Adriatic, Polignano a Mare (about 17,400) qualifies, as does Vieste (about 13,300) far north on the Gargano promontory. In the Salento, Otranto (about 5,600), Italy's easternmost town, is on the list, along with inland Galatina, another 2026 addition.

The 2026 cap increase brought in 18 Puglia towns. Besides Ostuni and Galatina, they include Manduria (about 29,700), the center of Primitivo wine country; Conversano and Putignano in the hills south of Bari; Mola di Bari on the coast; and San Giovanni Rotondo (about 26,200) in the Gargano. Many of these were exactly the towns retirees kept asking about under the old 20,000 cap; now they qualify.

Practically, Puglia is among the best-connected regions in the regime. Bari and Brindisi airports both carry year-round international routes, and the Adriatic rail line links Bari to Lecce with stops in eligible towns such as Polignano a Mare and Mola di Bari. The main hospitals are in Bari and Lecce. Compare all 231 towns on the 7% tax towns map before you book scouting visits.