Never Retire: When Going Out Costs Less—Even If You Spend More
In LA, a day out meant at least $150. In Valencia, we spend about the same—but we can do it way more often.
People often assume that moving abroad is all about cutting expenses. It isn’t.
It’s about the value you get for your money.
Truth—we spend about as much going out in Valencia, Spain as we did in Los Angeles, California. The difference is frequency and structure.
In LA, nearly every outing felt like a splurge you would often look back on with regret. In Valencia, it’s daily life.
What I hate about the way people often frame moving—to the suburbs, abroad, wherever—is when it gets reduced to a shopping equation.
“More house for the money.” Or, in Spain, “cheap beer and sunshine.”
That mindset isn’t just shallow—it’s extractive. It treats a place like a bargain bin instead of a culture. And yes, I know the critique can swing back at me. That’s why I’m intentional about how we live here. I don’t want to be a colonizer in spirit, even if the word could be thrown my way.
For us, it’s never been about bargains. It’s about alignment. We pay €1,500 in rent here, which some people might consider expensive. I get that. But what we’re really paying for is density, walkability, fresh food, public space—the structure that makes daily life vibrant.
We didn’t move abroad solely to cut costs. We did it to live more fully, to contribute, and to build a second act that feels alive.
Bottom line—this was not possible in urban America. Without a clear, comprehensive rationale for the move, you just end up with consumption dressed up as adventure.
In Los Angeles, a normal day out for two—coffee, lunch, drinks—ran us at least $150. That was the floor. By the time you factored in parking, tips, and the inevitable extras, it always felt like a splurge we second-guessed on the drive home.
In Valencia, the same day out costs much less. Here’s the side-by-side breakdown—from Sundays in LA to any day in Valencia.
Yes, that’s money saved. But the point isn’t “cheap.” It’s accessibility.
We can stop for a coffee without thinking twice. We can build social time and daily rituals around the things we actually love, instead of rationing them like luxury goods. The value isn’t just in euros saved—it’s in having full access to a life that feels aligned, without the low-quality, high-cost tradeoffs baked into urban America.
Want the full breakdown? Line-item costs for a typical day out in LA vs. Valencia and a nuanced comparison of our spending here versus there—it’s behind the paywall.
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