Rebecca Doody packed her bags and relocated to Corfu to escape Irish weather
A remote worker moved to Corfu to escape the “bad” weather – and is now spending just €40 per month on bills.
After setting up her own freelance social media agency last year, Rebecca Doody, 23, found herself with the option to “move anywhere”.
Having spent her childhood visiting Corfu on family holidays, the island was the “obvious choice” for Rebecca, from Cork, Ireland.
So Rebecca and boyfriend Charles Johns, 25, headed out to Greece in May and have been paying just Euro 230 each on rent in a studio apartment in a small village in Corfu – and now her desk overlooks the sea.
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The couple plan to move back in with Rebecca’s parents in Cork, Ireland, for the winter season as the island is “too quiet” to stay.
And then next Spring head back to the Greek island – or another warm European country such as Spain or Portugal for the summer.
Rebecca, a social media manager, said: “I’ve come to Corfu since I was 13 with my family on holidays.
“We’ve always just loved it and have come back every year. Last summer I decided to set up my own remote social media agency and then because all my work was remote I decided, ‘well, I have the option to move anywhere and I love Corfu so let’s move over’.
“Why I chose Corfu is the climate, that’s the biggest thing for me. Ireland’s and the UK’s weather is so bad. Also the people here are so welcoming and nice. The atmosphere is nice and relaxed – not like at home where the motorways are busy at 8am.
“In terms of next summer I would love to come back it just depends if we can find an apartment that’s available for longer-term renting”.
Rebecca decided to utilise her newfound digital nomad status and bring boyfriend Charles, also in remote work as web designer and digital marketer.
They flew over on May 2 and borrowed a car from a friend for free – with friends and family coming over to visit over the last few months. She said: “The culture around here, I’m not sure how to describe it.
“Everyone in the community here seems like they’re friends and there’s a strong community aspect. For example my apartment now is overlooking the main square in the village, and looking out in the morning people are always having coffee together”.
The couple have saved on rent and bills, but Rebecca says certain things like groceries and petrol are “more expensive”. She said: “Petrol per litre is about Euro 1.79. To get a coffee it’s three or four euros so it’s nearly creeping up to the price of home. Fruit and vegetables that are grown locally are a lot cheaper but meat and staples like that are more expensive.
“We spend around €70 for us both on our weekly food shop. One of the biggest comparisons is it’s so much cheaper to live here in general on balance, but for the local people earning a Greek wage, it’s not.
“The minimum wage is around Euro 1,000 per month – obviously that’s so low and taking into account someone could be renting this apartment we’re staying in now, that’s half their wage gone on rent”.
Rebecca’s current set up is still working her normal nine to five, but with slightly more flexibility. She said: “I’ve been trying to break out of the nine to five habit because during the day here it’s so nice.
“For example I might take a two hour break in the day to go to the beach and work during the evening. In the morning I always go to the gym or go for a walk and try to go outside and get some sunlight”.
The pair are set to fly back to Cork in mid-October as the island shuts down for winter – but are keen to move back next summer.
“I’m not sure about living here permanently.
“The biggest thing for me is I would want to learn Greek to live here permanently, and it’s such a difficult language to learn.
“Obviously if I learned Greek I would make more friends and it would feel like more of a home here.
“It’s difficult to find an apartment because everyone wants to rent out seasonally to tourists short-term. For example if this apartment is available next summer I would love to come back. Let’s say if Corfu doesn’t work out next summer I would love to move somewhere else like Spain or Portugal. With work I have the opportunity to do so – so why not utilise it”.
