While some people might spend a skint January perusing flights and holidays (the summer is just so very far away), others might be taking stock of their spending habits and resolving to save a bit of money. Or a lot, in the case of those so fed up with the UK rentals market they’re resigned to just upping and leaving the country. Seriously, with Shelter saying that 3 million people fear missing their housing payments this month, it’s no wonder that 1.28 million ‘highly skilled’ Britons have decided live abroad.
So we thought we’d have a look at what £500 a month could get you in different countries. Just FYI, we got to that figure because the average UK salary is £26,500, and the monthly take-home from that is £1,933. We figure you shouldn’t really have to spend more than a third of your salary on rent, so divided that by three and got £644, then rounded down to £500 for good measure, so you can - hypothetically - spend on heating and water and, say, bubble bath. Here are the bargains you can get around the world, right now…
Flats around the world
1 of 7Berlin
Want to live in trendy Berlin? It might get pretty cold but with an incredible nightlife (every club's the size of an Oceana but drips with aloof coolness, but in an inclusive way, not in a 'you can't sit here' way). Basically, apart from the bland food, Berlin's a great place to hang out, so why not try , at only €650 per month?
2 of 7Bangkok
Bangkok isn't just a metropolis of dusty streets, white backpackers with dreadlocks and ping-pong shows, it's a pretty vibrant city with great food, nightlife that might possibly extend beyond Irish bars playing Jack Johnson, and, um, a fully furnished condominium with access to a swimming pool for just 25,000 Thai bhat (£501) a month.
3 of 7Cape Town
Scrap any misconceptions about Africa, it's made up of 54 countries and in some of them you can have a pretty zhuzhy lifestyle. Take, for instance, this home in Cape Town which is right near a beach, down the hill from a mountain and um, an entire two-bed cottage for just 8,500 Rand (£478) a month. Yeah, the bath-tub is weird, but in the South African sun we doubt you'll be looking for hours of tub-time.
4 of 7Melbourne
Ok, it's not Sydney, but the low rents in Melbourne are making it an area where young creatives can thrive. That's how you can bag a room in this house for just AUS$1082 (£578.63). Look at the shiny walls! The lovely wooden surfaces! The space to GALLOP in your own room!
5 of 7Toronto
Toronto no longer has a crack-smoking mayor, but it does have a vibrant arts scene - Grimes made her first record here, don't you know? - thanks to its low rents. Take, for instance, this brightly-lit room, a little out in the suburbs, for just $866 (£484.48) per month. We'll give you the rest of the £500 to spend on heating.
6 of 7San Francisco
So New York might be totally off-limits due to the high rents, but what about the hilly joys of San Francisco – where you can get all of those easy going west coast vibes but still be in the right catchment area to get a job in Sillicon Valley (well, just about)? You could live in a place like this for just...oh wait. Oh dear, we couldn't find much in San Francisco for under $1500 (£988). You'd etter get that tech job after all...
7 of 7Rio De Janeiro
Get your skates (and your feathered headdress) on, because if you up and leave to go to Rio De Janiero right now, you'll be there in time for Carnival. Not only that, but you've got yourself access to this beautiful home, which, unfortunately, because of the Carnival, has seen its price bumped up to $1200 (£791 per person) per month. Uh oh.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.