🇮🇹
Bologna
Italy
Oldest university in Europe and Italy's food capital.
🇪🇸
Granada
Spain
Free tapas, Alhambra views and a true student town.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇮🇹 Bologna
€1,000–1,300 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇪🇸 Granada
€700–950 / month
Best for
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Students looking for a true university city
- Those who want an authentic Italian experience
- People interested in combining studies and social life
Best for
🇪🇸 Granada
- Students with a tight budget
- Those looking for a very social Erasmus experience
- People who want to meet international students easily
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
🇮🇹 Bologna
🇪🇸 Granada
Moderate
Cost of Living
Very Affordable
Moderate
Nightlife
Very High
Good
Weather
Very Good
Excellent
Travel Opportunities
Moderate
Outstanding
Student Life
Outstanding
Manageable
Housing
Comfortable
Top-Tier
University Reputation
Strong
Student insights
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
Student insights
🇪🇸 Granada
- One of the lowest costs of living in Spain
- Exceptional Erasmus atmosphere
- Very easy to make international friends
Student voice — 🇮🇹 Bologna
“University life in Bologna is unlike anything else.”
Student voice — 🇪🇸 Granada
“I did Erasmus in Granada and it was the best experience of my life.”
🇮🇹 Bologna
Pros
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
- Strong student identity
- Compact and walkable city
Cons
- Increasingly expensive accommodation
- Cost of living higher than Central Europe
- Less favourable climate than southern Europe
- Smaller international community than Barcelona or Lisbon
- Less leisure offer than major European capitals
🇪🇸 Granada
Pros
- One of the lowest costs of living in Spain
- Exceptional Erasmus atmosphere
- Very easy to make international friends
- Excellent value for money in accommodation
- Strong university identity
Cons
- Fewer international connections than other major cities
- More limited job market for students
- No beach within the city
- Winters can be colder than expected
- Less cultural and professional offer than Madrid or Barcelona
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.