A man shared his thoughts after moving to Spain (stock photo) (Image: Getty)
A British expat revealed why it can be better to work in – even if you get paid less than you would earn at home.
Designer Tom Hopcroft, originally from the UK but now living in the sunny country, often declares his love for his new home on his page @tomcharliedesign.
In a recent video, he 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.”
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Tom, who’s lived in Spain for more than six years, believes that taking a pay cut doesn’t make too much difference. Not only are there plenty of free things to do in the country, the weather means you get to enjoy a lot more of the day even if you work a lot.
He 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.”
Concluding the video, Tom declared: “I would choose to have more free time and enjoy that free time over more money any day of the week!”
It seems many agreed with Tom’s message – as his video has garnered more than 314,000 likes and plenty of positive comments. One responder said: “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 Spanairds took to the comments section to share their issues with the clip. They pointed out that many aren’t making enough money to make life feel comfortable.
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.”
Another said: “I’ve lived in 8 different countries and Spain has been the most difficult. Even with £30k, not worth it!” And a third added: “Spaniard who moved to the US. Disagree completely.”