It's possible to live as inexpensively now in Granada, Spain, as in the bargain cities of South America, according to a new report on the Gringos Abroad website.
"I know Expats who have been living in Granada for 20 years, and they live rich, luxurious lives in fantastic apartments filled with great food for around $1,000 per month," writes U.S. Expat Nick Hilden, author of the piece.
"They go out every night, go on week-long vacations to the coast and own nice things. This is, of course, because they're had time to learn all the tricks."
Nick finds entertainment in Granada super-cheap. So, too, Internet, although connectivity problems mean that paying $15 a month is not buying state-of-the-art web access.
Finding places to live for $300 a month is possible. The one unexpectedly high cost was winter heating -- up to $200 a month in Nick's upscale apartment.
"Once we learned to stop shopping at Cortes Ingles," Nick and his girlfriend Ashlee were able to live for "an average of $1,500 per month" -- even less sometimes due to their modest income as freelance writers.
(gringosabroad.com)
Granada is in southern Spain and has a fairly mild climate, except for July and August, when average high temps are in the low 90's F. December-February lows average in the mid to upper 30's F. It is a one-hour drive from the Mediterranean coast. The population is about a quarter million, not including the suburbs.
(Wikipedia)