Low-cost carrier Easyjet has launched a 28-day holiday to Egypt designed to cost less than just staying at home for a month. They’ve got a point! Escaping to a sunny bolthole is certainly preferable to riding out the UK’s cold, wet winters especially as many destinations also happen to be cheap places to live…

Did you ever think that soaking up winter sunshine on a foreign beach could be a way to save money…? Today’s cost-of-living crisis means that could well be the case and anyone who spends time in a country where day-to-day living is cheaper than in the UK, could be quids in.

Recognising this, Easyjet is offering a 28-day ‘Escape the UK’ holiday that it says is cheaper than the cost of the average UK household’s monthly winter bills. Priced at £650 per person (per month), the all-inclusive holiday at a resort in Hurghada, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast covers travel, accommodation, food and costly outgoings like broadband and gym membership.

The airline claims that “with no fuel bills, petrol costs or grocery bills to pay, the holiday comes out £227 cheaper per person than staying in the UK, according to the ONS inflation calculator which was scrutinized by a personal finance expert”.

Research quoted by Easyjet shows that more than 50 per cent of the nation is considering escaping the UK this winter to avoid heating bill hikes, while 40 per cent have already searched online for cheap foreign winter getaways. So, how about going a step further and purchasing a bargain bolthole in one these winter sun destinations, somewhere you can return to every winter without the need to count the pennies?

Hurghada, Egypt

Considered the capital of Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera, Hurghada is a major coastal city with international airport that acts as a gateway to 40 kilometres of golden beaches and resorts. The city metropolis includes a bustling old town with bazaar (El-Dahar), a central area (Sigala) with marina and more modern tourist residential areas, namely El Kawther and pedestrianized Village Road (El Memsha). Popular self-contained resorts to the south of the city limits include Soma Bay, Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh and to the north El Gouna. Besides its very affordable living costs and low-cost property, highlights in Hurghada are its golden beaches and warm clear waters offering all types of water sports, notably its world-class diving.

Could you spend winters at this two-bedroom Hurghada apartment, walking distance from the beach and priced just €57,255.

Dominican Republic’s Amber Coast

Looking for somewhere exotic but affordable and with good amenities. Then try the Amber Coast on the northern shores of the Dominican Republic, a tropical paradise regarded as amongst the cheapest places to live in the Caribbean. Three areas there are especially popular with expats who crave a laid-back beach lifestyle during the winter months. These are the historic towns of Carabate, Sosúa and larger Puerto Plata, each offering beach-front living and modern community-style properties located within metres of white sand and warm Caribbean waters. All of this comes with a lush mountainous backdrop and balmy year-round temperatures.

Wake up to ‘winter’ mornings in this new one-bedroom apartment beside the beach in Puerto Plata. Priced at $180,000.

Famagusta, Cyprus

 

At the eastern end of Cyprus, Famagusta’s coastline is famous for its stunning beaches – 14 of them with Blue Flags, but it’s also deemed marginally cheaper than Paphos in the west of the island and upmarket Limassol. Winter temperatures there rarely dip below 17 degrees. For lively year-round resort, there is Ayia Napa, these days equally attractive to families and mature homeowners as party-loving youngsters. Protaras is the next main beach destination with plentiful properties within walking distance of its famous beach at Fig Tree Bay. Other charming coastal spots include Pernera, Agia Triada and Kapparis beach. Rubbing shoulders with the locals in the working town of Paralimni, a couple of minutes inland, would certainly help to keep your living costs down.

Picture yourself on the solarium at this two-bed penthouse in Ayia Napa, a short walk from the beaches, centre of town and bright lights of Nissi Avenue.

Gran Canaria, Spain

Truth is, any of the four main Canary Islands won’t disappoint, but Gran Canaria was recently ranked as the world’s top winter sun destination for people relocating on a digital nomad visa. Besides its warm winters and friendly beach resorts, its diverse natural scenery, including a mountainous interior, arguably make it a more interesting place to spend longer periods than other destinations. With excellent amenities, it is also home to the largest city in the Canaries, the vibrant capital Las Palmas, famous for its carnival. The southern part of the island is where most of the expat action takes place. Popular resorts there include the traditional fishing port Arguineguin, the modern resort of Puerto Rico, charming Puerto de Mogán, with its fishing harbour and waterways, and the established tourist areas of Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés, which offer the all-round expat lifestyle package.

Just contemplate morning coffee on the roof terrace at this bungalow in Maspalomas, with all amenities within walking distance and all the fun of the island’s south coast on your doorstep.

Written for PropertyGuides for Rightmove