Travel expert claims it's CHEAPER to live full-time at an all-inclusive resort abroad than it is to pay rent and expenses in major US cities – as he compares hotel maintenance costs to his $4,000 expenses in Seattle
A travel influencer has revealed why it can actually be cheaper to live full-time at an all-inclusive resort in most major cities than to rent an apartment on top of daily living costs.
TikTok creator Ben Keenanof Seattle, compared his own monthly budget to the estimated cost of a month's stay at a number of lower-priced resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic with all-inclusive booking options.
'Have we ever stopped to consider that it is actually cheaper to live in an all-inclusive resort than to live in the apartments we currently occupy? “I was curious about this myself… and decided to test it out,” he began in his clip.
Ben explained how he pays $2,300 for his rent in addition to other expenses – including $300 for utilities, $320 for his car and insurance, $400 for food and $600 for drinks and eating out, among other recurring payments – bringing his total monthly expenses to approximately $4,000.
Ben Keenan explored his hypothesis that it could be more cost-effective to stay at an all-inclusive resort than spend money on an apartment in big cities.
He shared his own basic monthly expenses, which amounted to about $4,000
'It is certainly feasible!' Ben exclaimed after some cursory research
Ben then pulled up search results for “all-inclusive resorts in Mexico” and started exploring the options.
When researching resorts with availability for the month of April, many stays were priced between $6,500 and $7,500 per month.
But one all-inclusive option, at the four-star Occidental Costa Cancun, priced at $132 per night through Expedia, came to a relatively modest $4,445 for an entire month.
“Yes, that's $500 more than what I normally spend on rent [and other monthly expenses]. But keep in mind that I'm not paying the most expensive rent out there. compared to what other people in Seattle, for example, would pay,” he said.
“And is that five hundred dollars worth me never having to do a single ounce of laundry, or cleaning, or anything.”
He then investigated the possibilities in the Dominican Republic.
One option, the all-inclusive package at the three-star Coral Costa Caribe Beach Resort, cost $91 per night, which worked out to just under $3,200 for a month.
'It is certainly feasible!' Ben exclaimed.
He discovered a resort in Cancun that would cost just under $4,500 for an all-inclusive package during the month of April
Ben reasoned that all the amenities and conveniences of more expensive all-inclusive stays could arguably make the cost worth it, too, especially if a roommate splits the bill
For the “cool stuff” – that is, between $7,500 and almost $9,000 – Ben figured that, with a room with two beds, getting a roommate to split the cost of a month's stay wouldn't make the final cut. to fetch. rely so heavily on your bank account balance.
“If you're willing to share this, let's say you want a roommate, a real roommate — but with all these benefits, totaling $7,500, that's less than I would pay on my rent every month. I should just share a room,” he theorized, gesturing to a list of amenities, including ocean views, free WiFi and free parking.
'Do whatever you want with this information. I just thought it was really interesting that there's a chance that I could actually live an all-inclusive lifestyle somewhere for about the same cost as all my monthly expenses.
“And like I think that's crazy.”
Viewers flocked to the comments to share anecdotes that seemingly confirmed Ben's hypothesis — and to imagine the possibilities in their own lives
Viewers fantasized about the possibilities of the endless vacation as a lifestyle.
“New retirement plan: rent our house and live in an all-inclusive resort with a butler until I die,” someone dreamed.
“All I can think about is how much time we would save if we didn't clean, cook and shop,” a second admitted.
“All alcohol, I no longer need my cleaning or lawn care people, there's a pool… you're on to something… and if you get tired of one place just go to another,” said one third to support the idea.
Others shared anecdotes that seemingly confirmed the validity of Ben's theory.
'Last year on my cruise I met a man who lived on the ship. Paid for WiFi and works remotely. It blew my mind,” one person claimed.
“I work with a girl who did this. she worked remotely and lived at an all-inclusive resort in Thailand and then Mexico,” read a second.
As someone else put it succinctly: “You're on to something.”