Tired of the freezing cold weather that has hit the UK this month?
Many are jetting off abroad for a bit of sunshine – and some vow to avoid snow for as long as possible by moving permanently.
This is exactly what British designer Tom Hopcroft did – and he hasn’t looked back since. He’s been living in Spain for six years and believes life is a lot better even if you end up earning less.
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Taking to TikTok to share his experiences, Tom said: “After living in Spain for over 2,374 days, there is one thing that I’ve noticed. And I believe it is the reason why the quality of life in Spain is far superior to the rest of the world.
“This is just my opinion, but I’ve lived in Australia, England and the Netherlands too, so I feel like I have at least some authority on the discussion.”
As you can enjoy a lot of the country without spending a penny, and get more of the day to relax due to increased sunshine hours, it can be a lot more pleasant experience.
Tom explained: “I would go as far as to say that I would rather be making 30,000 Euros a year living in Spain than earning 100,000 Euros living in the UK or the US. And it’s for a couple of reasons. The first is that there is so much to do here in Spain that can be enjoyed for free, cities are planned with people in mind and so people are out living in the streets, benches or in plazas and parks. Obviously, the weather doesn’t hurt…
“And the other reason I always say is that it feels like there are more hours in the day, I feel like I have more time after work. People actually do things, whether it’s meeting a friend for a drink or working out in the park. They don’t go straight home. And that alone is worth the lower pay because time is something that you can’t buy.”
Wrapping up his video, Tom declared: “I would choose to have more free time and enjoy that free time over more money any day of the week!”
Plenty of people could relate to Tom’s TikTok post – as it’s amassed more than 314,000 likes and scores of positive comments. One social media user replied: “Life is good when your city is walkable with good weather.”
Another said: “THE HOURS IN THE DAY!!!! I’m honestly convinced it’s the biggest difference in better quality of life.” And a third added: “Can’t wait to go back to Spain. I’d take a salary half my salary in London in Spain and be HAPPY!”
However, some Spaniards weren’t happy with Tom’s assessment. They revealed they aren’t earning enough to feel comfortable in their own country.
One wrote: “£30k in Spain? As a Spanish person I might ask, where do you get pay that? Lol, I barely know people making more than £14k.” And another said: “I’ve lived in eight different countries and Spain has been the most difficult. Even with £30k, not worth it!”