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I am retired, live in South America. Not particularly attracted to cities except for short visits. I would like to visit Europe for a few months for exposure to cultures different from where I live now. In studying sites like Numbeo.com it looks like in the cities, European life is pretty expensive. Are there places outside of the cities where living expenses are less, where one could live on $1000 a month (as a benchmark or starting place)?
I am retired, live in South America. Not particularly attracted to cities except for short visits. I would like to visit Europe for a few months for exposure to cultures different from where I live now. In studying sites like Numbeo.com it looks like in the cities, European life is pretty expensive. Are there places outside of the cities where living expenses are less, where one could live on $1000 a month (as a benchmark or starting place)?
Regards & Thanks
Expat
You could easily live on 1000 dollars in Poland but it is pretty boring country and it would suck to live in rural area if you don't speak the language which is pretty hard to learn fluently. Basically on that wage you could live in any central europan country but as I said those countries are pretty much nation states especially in rural areas. If you are retired and you would like to make an appointment to doctor then it is terrible. My mother went to doctor and he gave her refferal to specialist doctor and she would have to wait 3 years for this appointment. So even though there is a public health service, it is pretty useless and you would end up doing all things on your own cost and they are expensive. Prices in Poland are pretty much the same as in Germany even though people earn much less. Some things are even more expensive.
I think if you are alone then 1000 dollars would be enough to live in rural England, wchich would be the best option for an english speaking person as this is multicultural country open on foreigners. And much more fun I would say than most "cheap" central european countries which are not that cheap anyway. East Germany is also pretty cheap but I would say it would be much more boring than living in England.
I find it is easy to generalize about costs in a place just using the information that is presented on the internet. Some times the information here can lead to misapprehension about what exists.....I know some things about South America that are posted arent exactly correct and it helps to talk to someone that has been or is in a place that you are interested in. Never having been to Europe and getting older (I am 68) it might be time to go while I still am able to. I am alone and will be traveling to Europe alone if I decide to go. Although I am fairly fluent in Spanish, my heritage is Scottish, Irish and German. I would like to visit all of those countries.
Again many thanks for the read and for the kindness of sharing information.
I find it is easy to generalize about costs in a place just using the information that is presented on the internet. Some times the information here can lead to misapprehension about what exists.....I know some things about South America that are posted arent exactly correct and it helps to talk to someone that has been or is in a place that you are interested in. Never having been to Europe and getting older (I am 68) it might be time to go while I still am able to. I am alone and will be traveling to Europe alone if I decide to go. Although I am fairly fluent in Spanish, my heritage is Scottish, Irish and German. I would like to visit all of those countries.
Again many thanks for the read and for the kindness of sharing information.
Regards
Expat
I personally think that it would be much easier and fun to live in irish,english rural area than in german one. If you are alone I am sure there would not be much of problem to make contacts, friendships there, for once you speak english and second, those people are much more extroverted there, and even in small towns you would have some pub when people would gather to watch a game, other people to chat to. In Germany even if you spoke good german I think it would be much harder to make new contacts. It could get pretty boring and lonely there. If you are native english speaker, then german is not that hard to learn and people would not mock you for not speaking properly so you would not have to worry about that but if I were you I would pick both United Kingdom and Ireland above Germany.
You wrote that you have german heritage, so maybe you could make a contact with your relatives from Germany if you could find them, if yes then I am sure your stay in Germany would be much more interesting and pleasant. Once you are in touch with germans they are cool people, it is just not easy to make friends there like it is in countries like England, Ireland. Regards and good luck.
I am retired, live in South America. Not particularly attracted to cities except for short visits. I would like to visit Europe for a few months for exposure to cultures different from where I live now. In studying sites like Numbeo.com it looks like in the cities, European life is pretty expensive. Are there places outside of the cities where living expenses are less, where one could live on $1000 a month (as a benchmark or starting place)?
Regards & Thanks
Expat
Define "Europe". If you've characterized it all as expensive, you give the impression of defining it as "Western Europe". Eastern Europe can be quite charming. Romania is beautiful, affordable, and the language would be easy to adjust to, if you speak Spanish. Prince Charles fell in love with it, and maintains a home in the countryside, where he set up a small factory turning out local jams for export. If it's good enough for royalty, it's good enough for you, OP! Transylvania has some picturesque villages in mountain areas, some of which are in national parks. Great hiking, scenery and local traditions!
Then there's Sinaia, where King Michael (recently deceased) grew up; it's a ski tourism town high in the central mountains with spectacular views, and the King's palace off to one side. It's not a city, more like a village, but with modern amenities. It's a favorite of Romanians and foreigners alike.https://ourwanders.com/visit-sinaia-romania/
What part of Ecuador are you in?
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 11-10-2019 at 06:29 PM..
1000 dollar for a month is just not going to cut it. You need that just for food. Maybe more.
Than you need transportation, place to sleep.
Maybe you have still contact with your family over there. GB is very expensive. Germany has relativly cheap food. And yes, eastern EU countries are pretty cheap and very boring.
Portugal is not overly expensive and lots to see.
1000 dollar for a month is just not going to cut it. You need that just for food. Maybe more.
Than you need transportation, place to sleep.
Maybe you have still contact with your family over there. GB is very expensive. Germany has relativly cheap food. And yes, eastern EU countries are pretty cheap and very boring.
Portugal is not overly expensive and lots to see.
Not if you speak the language, they're not boring! The populace tends to be well-educated (yes, even in the villages you can find interesting people), the musical traditions in some countries are wonderful, one can study folklore (Romania is very rich in this regard), participate in traditional festivals, enjoy the nature and explore the terrain and the trails around your town/village, study history, geology, literature, archaeology, discuss all of the above and more with your new friends, collect local crafts, learn to cook some of the local cuisine. Perhaps the city life is boring, but I don't find the village life boring at all. It depends in part on the quality of the friendships you make.
Ruth4Truth
I have not considered Romania, it sounds very much like a place I might like particularly given your last post. I have found much of what you post true in some parts of Latin America as well, getting immersed in the culture and away from the cities. Many thanks for this and for the names of several of the places there. I am going to spend some time on Google Earth and elsewhere investigating and I feel sure I will have more questions for you as well. My original inquiry was based off the Numbeo price of living calculator (Numbeo.com). I have found in my travels here in Ecuador and elsewhere in Latin America that some of the prices particularly for things like rent and food can vary widely from what is posted. I do understand not only from Numbeo but also from friends that Western Europe is more expensive in many areas. Ruth4Truth thanks very much for the kindness and time spent in answering. To answer your question I live in Cotacachi, midway between Quito and the Colombia/Ecuador border, about 2 1/2 hours by bus either way. I am in the middle between Imbabura volcano
and where I live is 2480 meters above sea level. I have climbed several of the mountains here- Cotopaxi some years ago, Guagua, Rucu and Pinchincha near Quito but so far neither of my closest neighbors.
Corydon
Thanks for your reply. In looking not only at Numbeo but also other expat forums and websites from Germany, France, England &c what you say is correct, with $1000 a month forget about many of the places. You did mention Portugal in your post and that is one of the places that I am considering, looks like a beautiful country and it has a pretty extensive coastline. Many kind thanks for your information.
Regards and thanks all for the kindness and courtesy here in great answers to my first post.
Expat
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