A man on TikTok claims that living in an all-inclusive resort might be cheaper than monthly rent and expenses for an apartment.
22words (@22words) reposted a tip from fellow TikToker Ben Keenan, who asks viewers, “Is it cheaper to just live at an all-inclusive resort at this point?”
With the rents rising across the nation, and renters spending “more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities,” Ben’s question is one that many Americans might be wondering about.
“Have we ever considered that it’s actually cheaper to live in an all-inclusive resort than it is to live in the apartments that we currently occupy?” he asks.
Ben then lays out his monthly expenses. These include his rent, utilities, car payments, insurance, food, and gym costs. The total comes out to $4,000. “And I only included stuff on here that you would also be able to get at an all-inclusive resort,” he adds.
Ben then searches for resorts on Expedia, first in Mexico and then in the Dominican Republic, to find a viable match for his needs. He finds an option for $4,500 in Mexico but concludes that this would still be $500 over what he would end up paying per month in the United States.
He then finds a resort in the Dominican Republic for $7,500, which is much higher than his monthly expenses but, he notes, that it “becomes much more affordable when you realize if you go with one other person. … That’s less than I would pay on my rent every month.”
Ben concludes that by opting for a fancier all-inclusive resort with a roommate, you could potentially even save money while taking advantage of all the benefits of a hotel like daily cleanings, cooked meals, and more.
@22words Honestly, kind of a joke but kind of serious – I might just find myself on a beach somewhere sucking down cocktails and WHAT OF IT 😩 #allinclusive #allinclusiveresort #resortlife #livehack #mexico #dominicanrepublic #travel #travellife #travelmeme ♬ original sound – 22words
The TikTok post garnered almost 848,000 views, and commenters had a lot of different opinions about the idea. Many were in favor of the all-inclusive lifestyle.
“If you stay long-term, they may give you a better deal and it might be cheaper,” one person suggested.
“I know a Canadian dude, he picked up and moved to Cuba. Negotiated a deal with all inclusive resort in Varadero, he pays $2000/US per month,” said a second.
“I think the only bad bit is that you would have to store all your stuff somewhere, or just have your whole life in a 2 luggage’s and a carry on,” wrote a third.
However, some people had an issue with an American taking advantage of the local currency exchange and contributing to gentrification in places like Mexico, which has been an increasing issue since the pandemic.
“Even if it is a joke, please don’t do this. If you want to have a cheaper life try elsewhere not in Mexico stop gentrification,” wrote one person.
“STOP messing with local economy, investigate about gentrification and don’t contribute to LATAM’s inflation, we don’t need (more) gentrification,” said another.
“Please don’t … do not move to a country where you don’t earn in the country’s currency, get informed about this problem please,” wrote someone else.
“If your salary is in dollars and you spent in pesos, of course it is… but look for a resort in your currency, cause for us is not,” said a fourth.
The Daily Dot reached out to 22words for further comment via Instagram direct message.
