Slow Travel Guide: Living Abroad Monthly

Updated for 2026 — Accurate as of February 2026.

Fast travel is seeing a city. Slow travel is knowing a city. The difference is the difference between photographing a bakery and knowing that Maria opens at 6:30 AM, that her almond croissants sell out by 7:15, and that if you bring her flowers on her birthday she will save you two. I know Maria because I lived in her neighborhood in Porto for six weeks. I would not know her if I had spent two days there.

Slow travel — spending one month or more in each destination — is the antithesis of the checklist travel that dominates Instagram. You do not see 15 countries in 30 days. You see one country, or one city, or one neighborhood, deeply. You shop at the local market. You have a regular cafe. You learn enough of the language to have basic conversations. You become, temporarily, a resident rather than a tourist.

I have been slow-traveling for two years, spending 1-3 months in each destination. I have lived in Lisbon, Chiang Mai, Mexico City, Tbilisi, Medellin, and Porto. My monthly costs range from $1,200 to $2,500 depending on the city. I work remotely, but slow travel is equally viable for retirees, sabbatical travelers, and anyone who has the flexibility to spend more than a week in one place.

According to a 2025 report by NomadList, the slow travel movement grew by 280% between 2020 and 2025, driven by remote work normalization and a generational shift toward experiences over possessions. The average slow traveler stays 32 days per destination, compared to 4.2 days for traditional tourists.

The Economics of Slow Travel

Why Slower Is Cheaper

Counter-intuitively, slow travel is significantly cheaper than fast travel on a per-day basis. Here is why:

• Accommodation discounts: Monthly Airbnb and apartment rentals are 30-50% cheaper per night than weekly rates. A $60/night Airbnb in Lisbon becomes $35/night for a monthly booking.
• No inter-city transport costs: You are not buying flights or trains between cities every few days.
• Kitchen access: Cooking at home for most meals reduces food costs by 40-60%.
• Laundry: You can do laundry at home rather than paying hotel or laundromat prices.
• Reduced “tourist premium”: When you know the local prices and local spots, you stop paying tourist markups.

Monthly Cost Comparison by City

These are my actual monthly costs, living comfortably as a solo woman with a private apartment, cooking most meals, and enjoying 2-3 social activities per week:

City	Rent (1BR apartment)	Food & Groceries	Transport	Activities	Coworking	Total
Chiang Mai, Thailand	$350-$500	$250-$350	$50-$80	$100-$150	$80-$120	$830-$1,200
Tbilisi, Georgia	$400-$600	$200-$300	$40-$60	$80-$120	$60-$100	$780-$1,180
Medellin, Colombia	$500-$700	$250-$350	$40-$70	$100-$150	$80-$120	$970-$1,390
Mexico City, Mexico	$600-$900	$300-$400	$30-$60	$120-$180	$100-$150	$1,150-$1,690
Lisbon, Portugal	$800-$1,200	$350-$450	$40-$60	$150-$200	$120-$180	$1,460-$2,090
Porto, Portugal	$650-$950	$300-$400	$30-$50	$120-$160	$100-$140	$1,200-$1,700
Budapest, Hungary	$550-$800	$280-$380	$35-$55	$100-$150	$80-$130	$1,045-$1,515
Bali (Canggu), Indonesia	$400-$700	$250-$400	$60-$100	$120-$180	$100-$150	$930-$1,530

Accommodation Strategy

Month-long accommodation options, ranked by value:

1. Direct apartment rental (Facebook Marketplace, local listing sites): Cheapest option, most authentic experience, requires local knowledge. In Tbilisi, I found my apartment through a Georgian Facebook group and paid $400/month for a beautiful one-bedroom in the Old Town — the same apartment was listed on Airbnb for $800/month.

2. Monthly Airbnb: More expensive than direct rental but with platform protections, reviews, and easier booking. Always negotiate — message the host and ask for a monthly discount. Most will offer 20-40% off the nightly rate.

3. Coliving spaces (Outsite, Selina, Sun and Co): Purpose-built for slow travelers and remote workers. Include workspace, community events, and cleaning. Cost: $800-$2,000/month depending on location and room type. Excellent for making friends.

4. Furnished apartments (Spotahome, HousingAnywhere, Flatio): European platforms for medium-term rentals with contracts and protections. Typically 1-12 month commitments.

5. Housesitting: Free accommodation in exchange for pet care. I covered this in detail in my free accommodation guide, but it deserves mention here because a one-month housesit is the ideal slow travel arrangement.

Finding Your Rhythm

The First Week Routine

Every new slow travel destination starts the same way for me. The first week is orientation, not vacation.

Days 1-2: Nest

• Unpack completely (you are here for a month — live like it)
• Do a major grocery shop
• Walk the immediate neighborhood
• Identify: nearest pharmacy, grocery store, ATM, hospital, cafe, restaurant

Days 3-4: Explore

• Walk the wider neighborhood (2-3 mile radius from your apartment)
• Try 3-4 different cafes and restaurants
• Find your coworking space (if working remotely)
• Identify your running/walking route

Days 5-7: Connect

• Attend a meetup, language exchange, or coworking event
• Visit the major landmarks and tourist sights (get it out of your system)
• Establish your daily routine: morning cafe, work block, afternoon exploration, evening cooking or socializing

The Sustainable Monthly Schedule

After week one, I settle into a rhythm that balances productivity, exploration, and rest:

Day Type	Frequency	Activities
Work day	3-4 per week	Morning cafe, coworking or home office, evening walk or cooking
Exploration day	1-2 per week	Day trips, new neighborhoods, markets, museums
Social day	1 per week	Dinner with new friends, group activities, language exchange
Rest day	1 per week	Nothing. Sleep in. Read. Do laundry. Call home.

This schedule prevents the two most common slow travel pitfalls: burnout (trying to see everything) and isolation (working from your apartment without human contact for days).

Visa Strategy for Slow Travel

The Visa Calendar

Most countries offer 30-90 day visa-free stays for common passport holders. Slow travel visa planning means structuring your year so you move between countries before your visa expires.

Sample 12-month slow travel visa plan:

Months	Destination	Visa Status	Duration
Jan-Feb	Mexico City	180-day visa-free	2 months
Mar-Apr	Lisbon, Portugal	90-day Schengen visa-free	2 months
May-Jun	Tbilisi, Georgia	1-year visa-free	2 months
Jul	Budapest, Hungary	Schengen (using remaining days)	1 month
Aug-Sep	Chiang Mai, Thailand	60-day visa on arrival (extendable)	2 months
Oct	Bali, Indonesia	60-day visa on arrival	1 month
Nov-Dec	Medellin, Colombia	90-day visa-free	2 months

Digital Nomad Visas

If you work remotely, digital nomad visas simplify your legal situation and often allow stays of 6-12 months:

Country	Visa Duration	Income Requirement	Cost
Portugal	1 year (renewable)	$3,280/month	~$100
Spain	1 year (renewable)	~$2,500/month	~$100
Croatia	1 year	~$2,500/month	~$50
Georgia	1 year	No minimum (just prove remote employment)	Free
Colombia	2 years	~$750/month (3x minimum wage)	~$60
Thailand (LTR Visa)	5 years	$40,000/year	~$50
Indonesia (B211A)	6 months	Varies	~$350

Building Community Abroad

The Loneliness Curve

Slow travel loneliness follows a predictable curve:

Week 1: Excitement masks loneliness. Everything is new and stimulating. Week 2-3: Loneliness peaks. The novelty fades, you have not yet built relationships, and home feels far away. Week 3-4: Connections form. Your coworking friends, language exchange partners, and neighborhood acquaintances start to become familiar. Month 2+: Community solidifies. You have people to call, places you belong, and a social rhythm that feels natural.

Understanding this curve prevents the most common slow travel mistake: leaving a city during the loneliness peak (weeks 2-3) and never experiencing the community that would have formed if you had stayed.

Where to Find Community

Coworking spaces: The social hub of the slow travel community. Even if you do not work remotely, many coworking spaces offer day passes and social events.

Language classes: Group language classes are friendship machines. You share the vulnerability of making mistakes, which accelerates bonding.

Regular activities: Join a gym, a yoga class, a running group, or a swimming pool. Showing up regularly to the same place creates familiarity that turns into friendship.

Expat and traveler groups: Facebook groups for expats in your city, InterNations events, or Meetup groups for English speakers.

Markets and local businesses: When you shop at the same market stall every week, the vendor starts to know you. When you go to the same cafe every morning, the barista becomes a friend. These micro-relationships are the texture of slow travel.

The Practical Realities

Health and Wellness

Living abroad for extended periods requires a different health approach than short-term travel:

• Find a local doctor or clinic in each destination, even if you do not need one immediately. Having a plan before you need one reduces emergency stress.
• Establish a fitness routine that is sustainable and location-independent. I run in every city I live in — it is free, it explores the city, and it maintains my physical and mental health.
• Maintain consistent sleep despite changing time zones. Blue light blocking glasses, melatonin for transitions, and a firm “no screens after 10 PM” rule help.
• Eat real food. When you have a kitchen, cook. The combination of fresh local ingredients and home cooking is one of slow travel’s greatest pleasures.

Mail and Bureaucracy

• Virtual mailbox (Traveling Mailbox, Earth Class Mail): $15-$25/month, scans your mail and forwards packages
• Maintain a “home base” address for legal and tax purposes (a family member’s address works)
• Automate all bills so nothing requires your physical presence
• File taxes carefully — extended travel abroad has tax implications. Consult a tax professional familiar with the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (for US citizens) or your country’s equivalent

The Return Question

The question every slow traveler eventually faces: do I go home?

Some women slow-travel for a year and then return to their previous life, enriched and ready. Some discover a city that feels like home and stay permanently. Some continue traveling indefinitely, adjusting their route with the seasons.

There is no wrong answer, and the beauty of slow travel is that you do not need to decide in advance. Each month, you choose: stay or go. Each destination, you assess: could I live here longer? The flexibility is the point.

What I can tell you from two years of this life is that slow travel changed my relationship with the concept of home. Home used to be a fixed address. Now home is wherever I can cook a good meal, walk to a cafe I love, and call the people I care about. Home is a feeling, not a location, and that realization — which only came through the slow, patient experience of living in many places — is worth every mile.

Safety Considerations for Long-Term Solo Women

The Visibility Paradox

When you stay somewhere for a month, you become visible in the neighborhood. People know you. This is mostly positive — it creates community and safety — but it also means you are no longer anonymous. A few people now know that you are a solo woman living in a specific apartment.

How I manage this:

• I do not share my exact apartment location with casual acquaintances. I say “I live near the market” rather than “I am in apartment 3B at this address.”
• I vary my daily routine slightly so my schedule is not completely predictable.
• I make friends with at least one neighbor — someone who would notice if something seemed wrong.
• I keep my apartment door locked at all times, even when I am inside.
• I do not open the door to unexpected visitors without verifying who they are.

Scam Awareness for Long-Term Stays

Long-term travelers face different scam risks than tourists:

• Rental scams: Apartments that do not exist, deposits demanded before viewing, landlords who disappear after payment. Always view an apartment before paying, use platforms with buyer protection, and never wire money to an unknown person.
• Utility overcharging: Some landlords charge inflated utility fees. Agree on a flat monthly rate including utilities, or request to see the actual utility bills.
• Service scams: When you need a plumber, electrician, or other service, ask your landlord or a local contact for recommendations rather than calling random numbers online.

Building a Safety Network

After two weeks in any new city, I have the following contacts saved in my phone:

• My landlord or Airbnb host (for apartment emergencies)
• At least one local friend or acquaintance (for general help)
• The nearest hospital and pharmacy addresses
• My embassy or consulate
• A reliable taxi company or ride-share app
• My travel insurance emergency line

This network is my safety infrastructure. It takes deliberate effort to build, but it makes the difference between feeling vulnerable and feeling supported.

The Slow Travel Mindset

From Tourist to Temporary Resident

The mental shift from tourist to temporary resident happens somewhere around week two of a slow travel stay, and it changes everything. You stop trying to see things and start trying to experience them. You stop eating at restaurants that look interesting from the outside and start eating at restaurants that locals recommend. You stop photographing everything and start remembering things.

This shift is the entire point of slow travel. Tourism is consumption. Slow travel is participation. And the difference in the quality of your experience — the depth of your memories, the meaningfulness of your connections, the understanding you develop of a place and its people — is the difference between watching a film and being in one.

When to Move On

The hardest decision in slow travel is knowing when to leave. I have stayed too long in cities I loved (the magic faded into routine) and left too soon from cities I was just beginning to know (the regret lingered for months).

My signals that it is time to move on:

• The cafe routine feels more like obligation than pleasure
• I am spending more time online than in the city
• I have stopped exploring new neighborhoods
• I am fantasizing about the next destination more than appreciating the current one
• My social circle has moved on (other travelers have left) and I have not rebuilt it

When these signals appear, I give myself one more week to see if the feeling passes. If it does not, I book a flight and start researching my next slow travel destination. The world is patient, and the next city is already waiting.

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