Renting an Apartment vs. Living in an All-Inclusive Resort: You’d Be Surprised Which Is Cheaper
Written by
G. Brian Davis
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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If you could live at an all-inclusive resort for less than your current lifestyle, would you?
Because for some Americans, that math actually holds true.
Don’t believe it? Let’s dig into the numbers.
Cost of Living in the US
TikToker Ben Keenan actually ran the numbers for himself in a (now viral) video. He came up with the following monthly costs, which would disappear if he lived at an all-inclusive resort:
- Rent: $2,300
- Average Utilities: $300
- WiFi: $40
- Car & Insurance: $320
- Groceries: $400
- Dinners Out: $300
- Drinks/Going Out: $300
- Gym: $40
The grand total for him came to $4,000 per month.
Your expenses vary from his, of course — but probably not by huge margins. According to Zillow, the median rent in the US is $2,100.
Meanwhile, the average cost to own a new car is $12,182 per year ($1,015/month), including all expenses such as insurance, repairs, maintenance, gas and so on. You might spend more or less on groceries or entertainment than Ben, but his numbers aren’t outlandish.
Cost of All-Inclusive Resorts
Like most things, pricing tends to scale based on volume. In this case, you can often pay less per night when you stay longer.
In scrolling through all-inclusive resorts, Keenan found one in the Dominican Republic that charged $3,100 and another in Mexico charging $4,500.
These fall within the range that many Americans pay for their combined housing, food and drink, and transportation-related costs, as outlined above. If you live at an all-inclusive resort, you don’t need a car or groceries, after all.
Depending on your budget, you could potentially save money by living at an all-inclusive resort.
Cost of All-Inclusive Cruises
Likewise, more stories have hit the news in recent years of adventuresome retirees and digital nomads living on cruise ships.
The potential cost varies, of course, just like all-inclusive resorts. CruiseHive estimates between $60,000 and $150,000 per year.
But Keenan ran the numbers combining two cruises for a total of 37 days that cost $4,042.
The cost for both all-inclusive cruises and resorts also changes depending on how many people are going in on them. A married couple could live a cheaper per-person lifestyle than a single one, although the same is true for living in an apartment or house.
Downsides of the All-Inclusive Lifestyle
That all sounds great in theory, but what would it be like to live at an all-inclusive resort or cruise?
To begin with, you wouldn’t have much living space — especially on a cruise ship. While you wouldn’t have to live out of a suitcase, you’d still live a life with minimal personal belongings. Which might suit you just fine.
You also wouldn’t have access to a kitchen, unless you booked an extended stay suite with one. That, in turn, means you lose the option of cooking for yourself. Not everyone would mind, but it leaves you at the mercy of the food available at the resort. You might get sick of the dish rotation or may not find it healthy enough for your taste.
Then there’s the risk of boredom. All-inclusive resorts and cruise ships are, by definition, closed spaces. While often beautiful, they offer only limited access to the wider world. The same few restaurants, bars, beaches, and amenities might lose their luster after a week or two, much less months on end.
Finally, you’d have to hop on a plane to visit friends and family back in the States. Which, of course, costs money that you don’t necessarily spend now.
Living at an all-inclusive resort is a fun thought experiment and a great “What If.” But most Americans would probably find the reality less sexy than the idea.
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