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Where outside the US are apartments below $300 per month found that have $Broadband Internet?
Specific names or locations greatly appreciated. <______________________(Thanks)
Next year'll be 14 hour days at a computer hammer and tong, lol, so it'd be great to find a place with: $Broadband internet, $Safe-ish location, $Good rent. Culture, weather and amenities would be icing on the cake, but not a requirement.
I would suggest Cordoba, Argentina. Weather is pretty mild all year round, it's a large metro area of maybe 1.5 million, 2nd largest city in the country. Don't need a car to get around town. Good entertainment, museums, music, food, all at reasonable prices. US dollar still has pretty good buying power in Argentina. I think you could find a decent apartment (not fancy) to rent for around $300, maybe just a tad more but not much. Big cities in Argentina have access to broadband internet, usually a choice between cable and telephone companies. It's a long trip there from the US, but it's a nice place to be.
Alternate recommendation would be Florianopolis or Curitiba, both are medium sized cities in southern Brazil.
Sweden is ahead of most countries in fast broadband access. France and South Korea are also up there. I do not know if you can find cheap rent in those countries. You can get a small apartment. It will probably not be central. It is just very difficult to find a place to rent because of the tightly regulated housing market. For a lot of people the only option is to stand in the queues of public housing companies. Rents do not reflect market price so they are relatively low. There's a black-market trading of rental contracts.
Keep in mind the US dollar is weak right now. $300 will not get you far. $500 is more reasonable.
What do you mean with weather? Sunny and mild? You might as well forget 3-6 months of northern and central Europe if that is the case.
Sweden is ahead of most countries in fast broadband access. France and South Korea are also up there. I do not know if you can find cheap rent in those countries.
Sweden is very expensive.
And France isn't much cheaper than the UK.
So that's a big no-no.
$1000 would be more like it. Even with that - you won't get much in a lot of Europe.
Rents in Sweden are comparatively low. One can rent a small bedroom apartment in Stockholm suburbs for as low as $300. His only option as a foreigner will be the black-market, that is why the country is out of question.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Full-Of-Wanderlust
Sweden is very expensive.
And France isn't much cheaper than the UK.
So that's a big no-no.
$1000 would be more like it. Even with that - you won't get much in a lot of Europe.
The previous comments are mostly why I would think about Argentina or Brazil instead of Europe. Very easy to rent apartments in either place, almost no red tape or government regulations to deal with. Contrast that with many EU countries (Germany for example), where you must report to the local police station and register (name, address, ID, etc) whenever you want to rent an apartment. Also, overall cost of living for everyday stuff (food, entertainment, transportation) in Argentina or Brazil will be vastly less than Europe.
Broadband isn't great, or even available in many more rural areas of France, but if you're keen on living in Western Europe you can find reasonable rentals in smaller French towns and villages for what would translate after currency exchange as less than $550-600 per month. It won't be glamorous but a one-bedroom is doable in that price range. Bear in mind unless you know someone, leases are 3, 6 or 9 years (though can be broken with proper notice) and the move-in fees attached can be fairly high. Leases are written largely to protect the tenant so most landlords are sure to charge for the slightest wear and tear or damage. Don't necessarily expect a freshly-painted home or modern amenities....as a matter of fact, be prepared to accept 1970's op-art wallpaper! Document everything and be prepared to buy at least some kitchen cupboards! If you can adapt to the local lifestyle it will be a wonderful experience. Think hard about moving to any European country because the Visa process is a daunting and frustrating challenge and you must be able to provide proof of self-support. Unless you have a job sponsor lined up don't waste precious time thinking you can work in France because you simply can't if you're non-EU. Best of luck in your adventures.
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