Hi Maggie! Thanks for your comment :) I am now on month 5. There are times when having the logistics planned out is really helpful. Other times, I would have probably picked a different apartment or a different neighborhood had I gone into the city with my monthly bill from Remote Year as my own spending power. There is definitely a loss in control that I had enjoyed a lot while traveling solo. What is gained is less decision making since we are all trusting Remote Year to make the best decision they can. It’s definitely not for everyone, and my experience on Remote Year been a struggle at times for sure.

I would assume the cost that Remote Year lists on their website is accurate. Hopefully they will make an update anytime it changes. The extra costs like daily expenses or side trip expenses depend on the person. In my opinion, I wouldn’t join Remote Year if I was on a tight budget. I have seen a few people in our cohort in that boat, and it seems like it would be a challenge for me in my current life stage. The extra costs of daily living depend on the person, just like in location-dependent life. How often do you like to go out to eat? Do you enjoy cooking at home? Do you have a few bar tabs a week, or do you skip the bars? How often do you like to shop? How about things like manis and pedis? Are you someone who likes to do lots of things on the weekends, or stay in your city doing low-key activities? Those would all be good questions to ask yourself. You could also look at how much you have spent over the last 3–6 months in non-housing expenses to get an idea of how much you tend to spend. Then budget for that. For me, it’s no different than location-dependent life. I spend about the same either way. If I’m in a less expensive city (like here in Rabat), I take more side trips. If a city is pricy (like NYC), I cook in more often.

Hope that helps. Best of luck!