Why Buy A Manhattan Closet When You Could Own A Villa In Europe?

NEW YORK CITY – It’s that time of the year again, when New Yorkers, exhausted and embittered after a lengthy, hot summer, fantasize about living in places where one can purchase a villa for the price of a studio apartment.

Earlier this week, Forbes unearthed a post on how-to expat blog My Dolce Casa, which identified the size of home – or, more accurately, “villa” – that one could theoretically purchase in lusty European destinations like Italy, France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain for the price of a 500-square-foot Manhattan condo.

Even the stuffy old New York Times got in on the fun, and we couldn’t help ourselves, either.

So prepare to reconsider all the decisions you made in life that led you to this moment, New York, because for the price of a studio apartment (or junior one-bedroom!) in Manhattan, you could afford a 3,200-square-foot villa that’s literally under the Tuscan sun.

Island Life

Prefer Sicily? There you could sprawl out across 7,200 square feet, and on hot days, plunge into a swimming pool that your mansion would almost certainly include.

Imagining an island, but one where you could hide away in relative obscurity? The Azores, a volcanic archipelago some 800 miles west of Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, are known for their stunning landscapes, lush green hills, and dramatic vistas.

They’re also a place where you can enjoy nearly ten times the amount of space – approaching 5,000 square feet – for the price of that Manhattan apartment.

Parlez-vous Français?

What about France? In the Loire Valley – which is about as far from Paris as the Upper West Side is from Bushwick – picture yourself lounging on the grounds of a 4,000-square-foot chateau.

Even in pricey Provence on the Côte d'Azur, you’re looking at a sizeable 2,100 square feet, a size of Manhattan apartment largely reserved for corporate lawyers, financiers, and celebrities.

From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic

Don’t forget about Greece and Portugal, where the cost of a Manhattan apartment will buy you almost 2,300 square feet of space amidst the whitewashed cottages of an Aegean Island paradise. In Portugal, even metropolitan Lisbon could offer you almost 2,000 square feet, for those not yet ready to give up city life.

Y España?

Last but certainly not least, in Spain, palatial homes in essentially any desirable destination are within reach, from Andalusia and Catalonia – think Barcelona – along the Mediterranean, to Basque Country, Asturias, and Galicia on the Atlantic.

What About Red Tape?

Ready to pack your bags, but worried about the red tape? As of earlier this year, almost 60 countries were offering some form of digital nomad visa, according to the Financial Times. That includes Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Spain.

But let’s be honest: you love it here. You can’t imagine living anywhere else – especially New Jersey – and you’ll never leave.