Three months ago, he actually did it.

 

Sam Cookney now lives in the centre of Barcelona and catches a cheap flight to London's Stansted Airport each morning, reaching his desk by 9.30am -- and he's saving money.

 

The social media manager reached the end of his tether in 2013, when he realised he couldn't afford to rent a place in the city on his own.

 

"I think many people thought I was joking when I boldly declared it would be cheaper for me to rent a two-bed flat in Barcelona and commute² to London every day than get a one-bed flat here," he wrote on his blog. "Turns out I was -- I could in fact get a three-bed flat."

 

The average price of a one-bed flat in north London at the time was $3195 a month. On top of that, he had to pay council tax (about $160 a month) and buy a $250 travelcard to get to work in the city centre, bringing his total expenditure³ to $3602.

 

With cheap Ryanair flights costing as little as $50 return, Sam figured he could live far more cheaply in sunny Spain. He was right.

 

Now he pays $1300 a month, including bills, to live in newly renovated⁴ two-bed apartment with a roof terrace in the historic Gothic Quarter. He can catch a $9 train from home to Barcelona -- El Prat Airport, and a train from Stansted to his office in Farringdon for $30.

 

Sam's lucky enough to be able to work from home on occasion, but even travelling to the office four days a week would come to just $1424 a month. Add that to his rent, and he's spending $2724 a month -- an impressive $878 less than he would be paying to live and work in London.

 

"It's a two-bed city-centre flat with roof terrace versus⁵ a small room in a shared flat in London, in the suburbs," he told news.com.au. "And it's cheaper. The beach is on my doorstep, there's amazing, cheap food, everything's just so much easier."

 

His 1500-kilometre commute takes five-and-a-half hours door-to-door, but Sam says he's able to have a quick nap on the flight. The 32-year-old said he was "surprised by just how seamless and easy" the journey was, and has spotted⁶ some familiar faces on his flights, suggesting others have had the same bright idea.

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