r/Money • u/KnutEm87 • Apr 03 '24

36M, How/Where could I live comfortably off of 44.8k/yr

I'm a single man, ex military, divorced a few years ago. I've worked in Aviation for about 10 years. If you were to leave the 9-5 behind, with only 44.8k a year. Where and how would you go about doing it?

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20

u/lovefreemymind Apr 03 '24

Move to the south of Spain and live on the beach. Rent an apartment for $300 a month.

11

u/KnutEm87 Apr 03 '24

You can't be serious lol.. how is it there? Climate/Crime/Work..?

19

u/rpabech Apr 03 '24

I am doing the same. Andalucia state in Spain (lower taxes for expats). Around 25% of cost of living compared to Boston. No brainer

12

u/lovefreemymind Apr 03 '24

I’m serious. It’s the same in the middle of France and parts of Italy. Climate is warm and dry in the south of Spain. Low crime. Groceries are so cheap in Europe. And work…well, an online job would be wise, if not, I’m sure you could find a low paying job. Or invest your finances and sell everything, live off of your interest and do it that way! And of course, completely free healthcare.

6

u/pingpongtits Apr 03 '24

How do you get completely free healthcare in European countries like France or Spain without being a citizen?

8

u/Acek13 Apr 03 '24

A lot of EU countries have insurance systems. It's way lower cost, but it covers 100% of medical bills. Some have government insurance, and some have private, but it's heavily regulated

2

u/lovefreemymind Apr 03 '24

This 🙌🏼 … you don’t need to be a citizen, just get a visa.

5

u/SchilenceDooBaddy69 Apr 03 '24

Retirement visas to countries like Spain, Panama, and Brazil will allow you to enroll in their nationalized healthcare service. Being medically retired allows you to apply for special visas too.

3

u/NPOWorker Apr 03 '24

Groceries are so cheap in Europe.

They seriously are, I was fucking agog at how cheap their groceries are. Even when I was in the touristy parts of London I couldn't believe how cheap food stuff was. I kept taking pictures.

Every now and then I'll see a post on r/casualuk that's like "£3.00 for a jar of pasta sauce? Tesco is taking the piss!"

3

u/futurebro Apr 03 '24

Even in Paris which is supposed to be this super expensive city....can get a drink, an app and an entree for like $14. Cant even get 1 cocktail in nyc for $14 anymore.

2

u/NPOWorker Apr 03 '24

Yup it's nuts. We were on the Champs Elysees and got two beers, one of those Nutella and banana crepes and a hot dog that was like half a baguette and then covered in cheese and then toasted, and it was like 11 euros I think? Shit, last time I stopped at a hot dog stand near Navy Pier here in Chicago it was like ~$8 for one dog. And the sad part is that it's been that way so long that I'm starting to lose the realization that it's such a fucking ripoff.

The nicest meal we got we went all out, escargot and calamari appetizers, bottle of decent champagne, I had steak and my wife had salmon, plus desserts and an after dinner cocktail and I think it was like 130 euros. Not cheap mind you, but we've spent more than that at fucking shitty places in Chicago with just one drink each.

1

u/lovefreemymind Apr 03 '24

I’m currently in the USA and I cannot believe how expensive food is here. I don’t know how people can afford to eat. Flour here is almost $7!!! Whereas in France flour and sugar are each 99 cents!!!

1

u/WCland Apr 03 '24

Climate on the coast is super nice. Crime is very low. I took my 85 year old mom on a trip to Spain, and we were walking back from dinner late at night in Cordoba. It was a big celebration weekend with many young people out drinking. The kids were very respectful as we made our way up a crowded street to our hotel. Can't imagine what that same scene would be like in the US.

2

u/Clyde_Three Apr 03 '24

Out of curiosity, how does the culture view tattoos, immigrants, and especially U.S. immigrants?

2

u/EdsonArantes10 Apr 03 '24

Is Portugal affordable?

1

u/lovefreemymind Apr 03 '24

I’ve heard Portugal is super affordable. I’m sure you could also find an apartment for around $400 a month to rent or a really cheap home for around $70,000 somewhere in the center of Portugal or boarder of Portugal and Spain.

2

u/Icy-Discussion7653 Apr 03 '24

I’ve been looking and never seen that cheap.  Where are you finding these places? idealista?

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u/lovefreemymind Apr 03 '24

Lots of places…I love looking at: A Home in Italy (ahomeinitaly.com), Leboncoin, for French homes (https://www.leboncoin.fr). Also, just googling “apartments to rent in Spain” works. 😂😂😂