Gerrard Kaonga
A British man has spoken of the many benefits of moving to Spain and commuting to work in the UK despite the almost 1000 mile distance.
Speaking about his thought process before making the big move, Ethan revealed how he weighed up his options.
When it comes to a work commute, most people are over the moon if they can keep their travel time as short as possible.
Obviously, that isn’t always possible, but this one British man’s approach would likely raise some eyebrows until you hear his explanation.
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33-year-old Ethan Spibey moved to Spanish city, Barcelona, with his husband Soren Scharf, 35, in May last year.
The former PR director decided to quit his 9-to-5 job in London in December 2024.
Six months later, he and his husband Soren sold their semi-detached home in Lewisham and rented a penthouse duplex in the Catalan capital for £1,700 ($2,273.94) a month – far cheaper than their former £2,500 ($3,344.03) monthly mortgage.
After setting up his own company, to provide communications training for clients across the UK, Ethan now works remotely in Barcelona despite his company’s base being in London.
He now only flies back to the UK for meetings two or three times a month, a major shift that he is now thankful for.
Ethan, who is fluent in Spanish, said: “I studied in Barcelona, and we’d come back here every single year.
“I did a logistics check. The criteria were: can I fly back to London regularly, are there flights? There are about 25 flights a day to London.
“Is it economically possible? Is it mentally and physically exhausting to do so?
“Barcelona seemed like a great option. Frankly, it’s cheaper than some of my colleagues who used to commute from Reading.”
So, while Ethan was clear on the work benefits, he also spoke of the positive changes he has seen in his life.
He said: “It’s not even just the big costs – it’s far cheaper to live, the housing is cheaper than London, but it’s everything else.
“The quality of great food, great fruit and veg – going out for dinners and lunches, which I’d never have done in London.
“It is just a completely different quality of life.
“I was just ready for a change after 12 years in London.
“Our food bill has plummeted – you can’t go to Tesco without spending £50 ($66.87) on dinner somehow it seems; the quality and standard of food here is far better.”