Mildred A. Says:
Where could I live on my Social Security of $1,500 a month?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Mildred,
There are destinations on our beat where you can not just get by on $1,500 a month, but live well. Of course, it depends on the lifestyle you choose.
As a rule of thumb, to live well on a lower budget overseas it’s best to follow what the locals do. Eat in local restaurants, shop in local markets, and avoid expensive imported goods. If you follow these guidelines, it’s possible to thrive on $1,500 a month.
With that in mind, let’s look at two places where expats are living on the budget you have in mind.
- Guanajuato, Mexico
IL Contributor Jason Holland Writes:
Tourism and large numbers of expats can bring higher prices. But in under-the-radar colonial cities like Guanajuato, which is about one-and-a-half hours’ drive from much better-known San Miguel, you enjoy lower costs across the board, from rentals, real estate for sale, meals out, and just about everything else.
Guanajuato counts a small expat presence among its population. Estimates put its numbers at 300 to 500 for permanent, year-round expats. The city also increasingly attracts part-time expats, especially during high season.
Because Guanajuato is overwhelmingly a Spanish-speaking city, it attracts expats who have some knowledge of Spanish… or who come here to study Spanish at one of the city’s several language schools.
Depending on your lifestyle, a single person can live on about $1,200 a month, including rent, while a couple can live from about $1,500—all in, including rents from $400 per month for a two-bedroom apartment and dinners out for about $25 for a couple in some of the best mid-range restaurants in town.
Read more about Guanajuato here.
- Da Nang, Vietnam
IL Contributor Wendy Justice Writes:
I’ve always found Da Nang enormously appealing. For one thing, I’ve never been to another city with a dragon bridge. The nearly half-mile-long dragon-shaped bridge spouts steam and fire every weekend night for the amusement of spectators young and old.
Da Nang’s residential neighborhoods are delightful places to live. Every so often in the neighborhood we lived in three years ago, the entire block would close to traffic for a party, and all the residents and their kids would come outside to drink and play, visit, watch a soccer match, or sing karaoke. It didn’t matter that my husband, David, and I were foreigners; we were encouraged to join in and everyone cheered good-naturedly if one of us got up the nerve to sing a song.
I met New York City native Quentin Dante, 61, in Da Nang. He moved to the city in December of 2019.
Quentin lives in a split-level studio apartment with a balcony, a refrigerator, and a stove. “I bought some additional equipment–a juicer, a blender, a rice cooker, a grill attachment, and some specialty pans. I can always come downstairs to use the owner’s kitchen.
“I have a one-year contract and pay $850 per month, but that includes laundry and housekeeping twice a week, internet, cable TV, tap water, discounted electricity, a gym, a pool, and a sauna. Daily breakfast is also included in my rent, and the owner’s wife insists on serving me her special detox juice every day. On many occasions, we’ll still share family dinners—that’s also included,” he says. “I spend more on food than most people, and I’m living well on around $1,500 per month, which includes everything, even health insurance.”
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