Live Your Dream Life Abroad for Less Than £1,000 a Month

We all know that life in the UK is tough at the moment because of the economy, and it probably doesn’t help when sites like Shelter Offshore, that should be inspiring you and helping you to find a new life abroad, keep harping on about it!  So, we thought we’d get right back down to business today and plot out how you can live your dream life abroad for less than £1,000 a month.

We appreciate that £1,000 can be a relatively small or large sum, depending on your current status personally – but it’s a sum we have carefully chosen because we feel it is an achievable sum for many people.  (Achievable in the sense that you can work towards earning it in retirement with your pension planning now, if your dream is to eventually retire abroad.  Or, achievable if you plan on working abroad – because you can look at what skills pay that much money in your chosen destination and skill up ahead of a move perhaps.  Or, achievable if you have a house to rent out for profit in the UK for example…)

We are going to be looking at affordable places to rent property, affordable places in terms of the cost of living.  Places where there is plenty to do, see and enjoy on a strict budget, places where you can get your children educated well for free, and ultimately, places where you can live a fantastic life overseas, well away from some of the harsher realities of life in the UK today.

Affordable Places to Rent a Home Abroad

Rent – or even a mortgage – eats a huge slice of everyone’s monthly income.  Ultimately the dream for most people is to live rent or mortgage free – after all, imagine if you didn’t have to shell out on housing each month, how much better off you would be!  But, let’s assume you’re not in that position yet, and when you go and live abroad you’re going to need somewhere to live that won’t eat up all of your £1,000 a month.

Certain countries offer a decent balance between quality and cost of accommodation.  Going on what’s available today, there’s a stunning, brand new and very modern apartment for rent in East London, on the Eastern Cape of South Africa for £435 a month.  The property is in this popular tourist spot in South Africa, meaning that the amenities and facilities are brilliant, and there are even seasonal employment opportunities if you’re looking to work abroad.

If you prefer the thought of life in a European sunny spot instead, how about a modern 2 bedroom apartment in Paphos, Cyprus for £401 a month.  This apartment is in a residential complex that features communal gardens and a pool, an outdoor Jacuzzi and an indoor gym.  Again, this is a great choice for anyone looking to live and perhaps work overseas, because Paphos is one of the most popular tourism and business centres in Cyprus.

If you’re not interested in living amongst holidaymakers, what about a one bedroom apartment in the heart of the best districts in Buenos Aires in Argentina?  For £468 a month you can live in the heart of Palermo Soho and Villa Freud, close to the main universities where you can study, teach, work or just live!

Retirees may prefer the seclusion and relaxed pace of life in San Carlos in Panama where they can rent a 2 bedroom house, 10 minutes walk from the beach for just £500 a month.  The house we’ve found is close to all the amenities such as a supermarket and medical services, it comes furnished and with air conditioning throughout.  It has a mature garden, and whilst the interior décor may not be to your tastes necessarily (there’s a lot of yellow paint!), the home is very spacious and fabulous value for money!

The Key to Finding Well Priced Rental Property

Ironically, you’ll find the best home for your money in the best location when you’re already living ‘in country’ – so what that means is that you have to find a short-term, acceptable place to live and to move in to immediately, and then put the feelers out to find the right place for you, your partner and your family for the longer-term.

Finding somewhere in advance that’s suitable for at least the short-term can be tricky – but our 5 top tips are: -

1) If you’re going to a tourism centre and you can choose when you relocate, go out of season because you’ll easily find owners of rental properties keen to offer you 3 – 6 months accommodation in decent property for much less than they would charge if you move in the main tourism season.
2) Use forums on the Internet to get in touch with expats who are already living in your desired nation, get their tips on location and find out from them if anyone they know has a place you can rent short-term.
3) Forums are good places to learn about people who are relocating again or repatriating and who may be subletting or selling off their car, household goods or whatever for much less than you could buy new…
4) Don’t use the tourism letting websites to find yourself a property – this will mean you have to dig deeper to find local real estate sites for the nation you’re moving too.  And it may mean you need translation help as well if you’re moving to a country where English is not the first language!
5) Haggle!  You don’t have to pay book price for anything in this day and age – so haggle with the agent or the landlord to get a better deal on the rental price being asked.  Explain that you’re committing to 6 months or whatever, get good references about yourself for them so that they know you’re a good bet…and ultimately don’t let yourself down when you move in, keep the home tidy and in good order so you get all your damage deposit back!

Where is the Cost of Living Affordable Abroad?

The main thing to have affected the cost of living for Britons moving abroad is the fact that the pound buys less in most places nowadays – but hey, let’s not dwell on that!  Let’s just find somewhere where you can live the good life for a bit less money!

The cost of living is affected by the amount of money that people in the local environment earn.  It makes sense doesn’t it?  After all, a pint of beer in Chelsea in London is going to cost a lot more than in Worksop - because basically people in Chelsea have access to better paying employment opportunities on their doorstep than people do in many other parts of the UK.  So, look off the tourism trail and away from areas of high and well paying employment to find a more affordable cost of living when you move abroad.

This can be easier said than done of course, because if you’re moving abroad to work you will need to be in an area of employment – and most people who move to a country popular with tourists tend to be drawn to the tourism hotspots upon arrival as they are easier to settle in to because of the familiarity of a common language usually.  I.e., most tourism hotspots have a certain amount of English spoken or understood as English is the international business language…

However, going back to the points made above about finding affordable accommodation – once you have lived ‘in country’ for about 6 months, you will soon discover where you want to live, where it’s more affordable to shop and eat, and how you can live like a localised expat, rather than a tourist expat.

In terms of specific nations where the cost of living is less than in the UK, or where it is at least ‘affordable’ – Southern and Central American countries such as Belize, Panama, Mexico and Argentina can offer excellent value for money.  Some Eastern European nations that are not yet using the euro as their currency are also a good bet, as is Turkey, Northern Cyprus (where they use the Turkish Lira rather than the euro that’s used in Southern Cyprus), and some, but not all countries in Africa.

With that massive international generalisation it will be up to you to hone in on a nation you can feel comfortable calling home – and then you will need to commit to it for 6 months as a bit of a tourist until you can call it home, and be at one with the locals in terms of knowing where the cheap places are to shop, eat, go out and have fun!

Where Can You Live a GOOD Life Abroad for £1,000

Certain elements need to be in place in our lives for us to be in a place where we can enjoy ourselves.  We don’t need money worries hanging over us, we need a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and for us and our family to be secure, safe and comfortable.  So, with that in mind, we have sought to show you that you can find somewhere nice to live for half the £1,000 budget, leaving you a full £500 a month to live on.

If you can take educating children out of the question, and you can live in a place where you don’t need a car, you can live very, very well on £500.  International schools and running a car cost a lot of money!  So, let’s look first at where education is funded by taxation rather than tuition fees…

Free, state education is available for your children in probably the majority of countries in the world – from Australia and New Zealand to Ireland, from Sweden and Germany to Brazil.  However, your child will be educated in the local language and according to the local curriculum – so bear that in mind.

Next, think about the realities and practicalities of giving up your car.  In order to do so you need to be living in the mix – i.e., within walking distance of shops, a school, your place of employment, a bank and medical facilities – not to mention a restaurant or a bar if you want to socialise and meet people!  Additionally, perhaps you need to be in a country where there is public transportation, or where it is still safe and acceptable to hitch a lift!

With these bases covered you have your £500 a month left to live on – of course the majority will go on food and utilities, but if you have a small amount left to enjoy life, how can you get the most out of it?

1) Find out what there is to do for free in your area – museums, art galleries, beach volleyball…
2) Find out if there are any clubs or societies you are interested in that you could become a member of – this is also a great way to meet people
3) Start your own book, DVD, game or CD exchange with fellow expats – that way you get new reading and entertainment material regularly for free
4) If there isn’t a book club, expat club, bridge club or whatever, start one!  Again, you’ll meet new people and have fun doing so
5) Advertise to give English lessons in exchange for local language lessons
6) Offer your skills and services in exchange for baby sitting so you can have a night out, or local cookery lessons perhaps?
7) Have rotating dinner parties with friends where you all get together at someone else’s house each month or fortnight and all bring a little food – that way no one has to shell out for hosting the whole party, yet you all get to sample different dishes and drinks on a much smaller budget – whilst socialising and having fun
8) Take up hiking or biking – see more of your new country for less, whilst keeping fit and having fun

Can You Live Abroad on £1,000?

We know that people can live abroad on £1,000 and live well – what’s more, we know many expats living on far less!  Don’t be deterred from making a new life abroad a reality just because monetary worries are currently uppermost in your mind.  Instead of seeing everything as a problem, see these issues as challenges to be overcome.  It’s amazing what developing a positive attitude can help you achieve in life.  Work on yourself first, and the rest will come with ease – and before you know it you will be making ends easily meet abroad in a fantastic new setting that you have positively chosen as your new home.