Dreaming of relocating to Europe for a while, but France’s bureaucracy, England’s gloomy skies, and Italy’s soaring prices keep putting you off?
Don’t despair: these 5 alternative destinations are known not only for their amazing weather and beautiful beaches, but their low cost of living.
Whether you’re a long term traveler, a digital nomad escaping America, or a regular expat, you can live in these European spots on less than $2,000 per month: we’re talking rent, food, leisure and cultural activities and all other expenses included.
From Turkiye’s trendiest seaside town to Spain’s cheapest tropical island, you won’t have to tighten your belt to call them home – even if for a short term:
Antalya, Turkiye
The jewel of the Turkish Riviera, a stretch of coast unfolding along the turquoise waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, Antalya is both an ancient queen dating back thousands of years and rapidly-developing coastal resort where Greco-Roman ruins and high-rises stand side by side.
Home to a number of historic monuments, such as the 1st century Hadrian’s Gate, a string of medieval Byzantine churches-turned-mosque, most notably the Kesik Minare Cami, a well-preserved Ottoman Old Town, and a modern, palm-lined beachfront, it is the darling of expats in Turkiye.
They are drawn to Antalya’s invaluable cultural wealth, a wide range of services (you definitely won’t go starving if you’re craving kebabs late at night), relaxed social attitudes (it is one of the most progressive cities in the Muslim-majority country), the amazing weather, and of course, its affordability.
On average, you’ll have to budget only $1,129 per month to reside here, with meals at inexpensive local restaurants coming in at a negligible $7, and well-equipped private rooms available to rent on AirBnB for only $410 monthly in the trendy Muratpaşa district.
Bar, Montenegro
Tucked away in the lesser-known Balkan Peninsula, Bar is a mid-size coastal city in Montenegro, an increasingly popular destination for long-term visitors, as it enjoys a much more temperate climate compared to other European countries, and it’s much cheaper to live in.
Residing in Bar, you are meant to fork out an acceptable $1,716 per month, including your fully-furnished, $560 Airbnb and nighttime outings at mid-range restaurants, which will only set you back by roughly $39, based on estimates provided by Budget Your Trip.
If you’re wondering what is unheard-of that Bar’s got to offer, picture a beautiful, sandy Sutomore beach flanked by Adriatic villas and boutique hotels, a vibrant city center packed with – not ironically – bars and beach clubs, and a hilltop, stone-built Old Town (Stari Bar) only 1.8 miles out.
If you’re a digital nomad, you may find that the nomad infrastructure in Bar is somewhat lacking; again, this is no sprawling metropolis, so don’t expect to find an abundance of coworking centers, but there’s still a fair few work-friendly cafes, and the community seems to love it for how chill it is.
Faro, Portugal
Portugal is probably the trendiest nomad haven in Europe right now: it’s made a name for itself as the most affordable country in the Western half of the continent, and it’s indisputably one of the warmest destinations in the continent, up there with Spain.
Lisbon and Porto are great, but no Portuguese city has monopolized attention as much as Faro, the southern Algarve region, where there’s no pebbly beach in sight – it is golden sands as far as the eyes can see – and whitewashed towns perched on small cliffs and lush vegetation dominate the scenery.
Faro is the perfect home base for exploring the Algarve, as it is connected by train and bus to Albufeira and Portimao, American and British expat favorites, the medieval cities of Loule and Silves, and the beach zone in Lagos, not to mention it is downright gorgeous:
Its Historical Zone is surrounded by well-maintained walls and crisscrossed by cobbled alleys that lead to a medieval cathedral.
If you’re looking for today’s anywhere office (plus, it’s $1,974 in expenses per month), there’s no shortage of cafes or WiFi hotspots around.
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Keeping it in Iberia—well, sort of—our next pick is one of Europe’s most remote holiday islands, where winters, or seasons for that matter, are a non-existent concept, and it may well be spring year-round: welcome to Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria in Spain.
Despite being located off the coast of West Africa, Gran Canaria is a geopolitically Spanish island, and it is incredible value for money considering how developed it is for a mostly arid landmass that is this geographically isolated.
When it comes to nomad infrastructure, though, Las Palmas is without question the place to be, with its myriad of nomad-friendly cafes, coworking spots, and youthful atmosphere: not only is it incredibly cosmopolitan, but it is one of Spain’s nightlife capitals.
On average, it costs between $1,678 and $1,882 to live in Gran Canaria, and around 82% of respondents on Nomad List have had a positive impression of the island, commending its good quality of life, lack of crime, temperate climate, and especially the affordability.
Varna, Bulgaria
Europe’s rising nomad hotspot, Bulgaria, is undergoing its very own Renaissance after decades of being shunned by the traveler community (not that we’d blame them, considering this country’s controversial record of communism up until the nineties).
Fortunately for freedom-loving nomads, Bulgaria has fully swung West ever since, and as a member of the European Union and NATO, it is one of the safest countries to be on the continent.
If there’s one Bulgarian city that draws our attention, however, it is balmy Varna.
Licked by the azure waters of the Black Sea, which is anything but dark in color (check the pictures), it has a History spanning thousands of years, with all the archaeological finds and ancient structures to go with it, yet at the same time, it is a thriving beach resort with a varied entertainment scene.
Picture lively bar districts, a modern seafront promenade, and verdant parks, but don’t be too surprised to find Greco-Roman ruins buried beneath your local McDonalds – and the best thing is, living in Varna will set you back by only $1,218 per month.
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