Switched from hostels to long-term Airbnb rentals in Medellin and saved $400 in 3 weeks

I used to think hostels were the ultimate budget move for longer stays, but after 6 months of bouncing around, I noticed I was spending way too much on laundry, eating out, and random drinks with new friends. A digital nomad I met at a co-working space in Medellin showed me his spreadsheet - he was paying $550 a month for a studio with a kitchen and I was averaging $950 between hostel beds and eating all meals outside. I tried it for a month in El Poblado and my total costs dropped to around $600 including groceries. The key was negotiating directly with hosts for stays over 2 weeks, most will knock off 20-30 percent if you message them before booking. What's your best strategy for cutting accommodation costs on trips longer than a month?

2 comments

2 Comments

john_johnson7522d agoMost Upvoted

That $950 figure hits close to home - I once spent $1,200 in a month in Lisbon mostly on pastel de nata and impromptu fado nights (my budget was a beautiful disaster). For longer trips I just camp out on Facebook housing groups now, found a room in Bangkok for $300 a month with a hammock included.

shane_nguyen22d ago

My buddy Dave tried this in Medellin last year but totally messed it up. He booked a place in Poblado for a month through Airbnb without messaging the host first, paid full price like $800. Then he realized the apartment had no AC and the noise from the clubs kept him up till 4am. He ended up leaving after 10 days, lost half his money, and crashed at a hostel in Laureles for the rest of his trip. He never negotiated once, just panic-booked everything.