Live in Europe for less
Wish you could live in Europe for three months, but don’t think you can afford it? What if I told you it’s possible to live in Spain for 12 weeks and spend less than you would in most American cities?
Hear 5 tactics we use to live in Europe for less
Geoliberate for less by living in Europe
On this episode of Queer Money®, we walk you through the five strategies we’re using to live in Spain for LESS than we might spend in a comparable US city. We explain how we chose the seaside town (and gay mecca) of Sitges and why we’re traveling there in the offseason. We also share the advantages of staying in an Airbnb over a hotel and describe the deep discount we negotiated with the host for our extended stay.
We go on to talk about the benefit of avoiding high-cost, touristy areas and leveraging public transportation to keep our expenses low. Listen in for advice on securing affordable global travel insurance and learn how YOU can replicate our geoliberated lifestyle and live overseas for LESS!
Topics covered on living in Europe
1. Choose a location with a lower cost of living
- A small town in Spain vs. Madrid or Barcelona
- Travel in the offseason (rentals for ¼ of cost)
2. Stay in an Airbnb rather than a hotel
- The kitchen gives the option to cook over eating out
- Negotiate a deeper discount for a longer stay
- Pay with a rewards card to earn miles for the next trip
3. Avoid high-cost, touristy areas
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- Explore the southern tip of the country
- Limited time in Barcelona (celebrate New Year)
4. Don’t rent a car for the duration
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- Public transportation phenomenal
- Rent a car for day trips if necessary
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5. Purchase global health + travel insurance
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- ACA policy does not cover care overseas
- Protected if get sick, need to return to the US quickly
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I admit, I struggle with cooking at our Airbnb or room if we’re traveling since I always want to immerse myself in the local food culture! But since you’re living in Europe, it would make sense that you’re probably tapped out on local restaurants 🙂 I’ve always considered living somewhere for an extended period of time but always worried about the price. Great post!
Aileen, agreed, it’s not always easy to whip up a great meal. When traveling for a short time period we focus on areas where we can achieve some pretty big savings for food. We take along our French presses and do our own coffee, we usually grab fruit + oatmeal for breakfast and sometimes do simple batches like pasta + sauce or salads, which can easily knock out a dinner and a couple of lunches.
For us it’s about balance and choices that allow us to do more. For us a budget is a YES to what we really want rather than a NO to stuff that is temporary. 😉