Even if you're not an avid TikToker, you may have heard of the Manchester man who racked up a million views after discovering it would cost him less to live in a resort for a month than in his city center apartment. He pays £950 a month for his house (actually a little less than the average rental price for the city) and discovered it would cost just £938 to book a 28-night stay at an all-inclusive resort in Turkey - including to flee.
After all the attention, he has now said he will leave Manchester - famous for its climate, and not in a good way - and spend a month in Turkey.
Maybe you want to do the same? If we add a typical UK rent of £1,220 to an average monthly energy bill of £167 for a three-bedroom house, an average Band D council tax of £172 and a water bill of £37, we're quickly looking at around £ 1,600 - or £53 per day. You can also expect to save money on food abroad, especially if you cook yourself, and perhaps enjoy a car-free holiday and a month away from petrol stations.
Finding deals can take some time. The so-called dynamic booking of search engines ensures that prices change within a few hours. But it's not hard to book a holiday for less than £53 a day - and our list below includes some month-long escapes that underline the fact that ordinary life in the - currently wet, wintry, doom-laden - United Kingdom a luxury-free rip-off.
Agadir, Morocco - from £18/day
Morocco has blue skies for much of the winter and spring is wonderful. With a whole month you have time to explore; the train network is excellent. Marrakech is perhaps at its most beautiful at this time of year and has all the allure of an old city. Cosmopolitan Tangier is very pleasant, and cooler afternoons make walks around the main sights and the old medina more enjoyable than ever.
As a base, however, Agadir is a sensible choice; it has a long, wide beach and many chic hotels. The city is not the most interesting, but there are beautiful places and historic towns just a stone's throw away.
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EasyJet has flights from Manchester to Agadir for £48.99 on March 6 and returns for £111.85 on April 6. A month in an Airbnb starts from £374 for an entire flat for one in the Quartier Hay Salam. In accordance with Moroccan law, the host says they cannot accommodate unmarried couples.Costa del Sol, Spain - from £32/day
Does this famous resort strip need an introduction? Britain has had a love affair with southern Spain's liveliest coast for more than half a century. The secret is in the name; there is often sunshine, even when the north of the country is gray and drizzly. Marbella has miles of silky sand, five-star hotels and beach clubs. The main road is a bit bling, but it's a lot of fun.
Love holidays has a two-week room package at Bluesea Al Andalus, Torremolinos, leaving Luton on March 1 and returning on March 15 - including Ryanair flights to Malaga, from £449 per person.The popular beaches of Torremolinos are surrounded by tapas bars, shops and ice cream parlors. Nearby Benalmadena is a whitewashed old town, and it is a short drive or bus ride to the romantic Andalusian "pueblos Blancos" inland. Malaga, in addition to its main airport, is a city of visual arts and excellent gastronomy.
Mani Peninsula, Greece - from £43/day
A hundred rooms has a Holihouse holiday offer from March 1 to 30, including a stylish studio near the sea in Mani, for £1,029, with room for two people. Skyscanner shows return flights from Heathrow to Kalamata in March with Olympic Air for £277 per person, for the same period.The Peloponnese is huge; with an area of 13,000 square kilometers, it covers roughly 16 percent of the entire Greek landmass, including the Ionian and Aegean islands. It's no wonder some parts of it are still relatively off the radar.
The Mani Peninsula - the middle of the three 'fingers' dangling down from the landmass - is a wonderland of mountains, rugged coastlines, small bays and pretty seaside villages. For years access was difficult, but the road south from Kalamata to Areopoli provides easy access to villages that until now could only be reached by boat.
Love holidays has a 28-day deal at Punta Cana Seven Beaches for 29 days in March for £895 per person - including flights (departing March 3)Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - from £32/day
On the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana has classic Caribbean photogenic white sand beaches with palm trees and parasols, blue-green seas and shady little coves, ideal for piracy or a spot for naturism. There are also nearby national parks, fantastic seafood restaurants and small offshore islands for romantic, wild nightclubs with open bars for the hedonistic, and adventure and theme parks for those with families.
On the beach has a 28-night stay at the Bellagio Resort & Spa in Hurghada for £1,128 per person, including return flights with Easyjet in March from Belfast International.Much of the offering is 'touristy' and manufactured, but if you stay a while you can ride local buses around the island to visit many cultural sites and the capital Santo Domingo - the oldest city in the Americas.
Hurghada, Egypt - from £40/day
Opodo has return flights between London Gatwick and Carrasco International in March from £1,042 per person (outbound 1/3, return 29/3). Vrbo has multi-occupancy rooms and apartments in Montevideo that cost $160 per person.The former fishing village of Hurghada is an important seaside resort on Egypt's Red Sea Riviera. It is known for its beautiful coral reefs and is a good place for beginners to learn to dive. To the north is historic El Dahar, a warren of narrow streets, with traditional souks, coffee shops and a Coptic church, traditional souks and the local nightlife of traditional Egyptian coffee shops.
Sigala, which has a good marina, has a good range of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. If you don't mind long bus rides or drives, Hurghada is also a good base for visiting the sights in the Nile Valley.
Expedia.com has a 27-night stay at the Tirana City Rooms Guest House (Vatra e Lagjes) for £284 per person in March, including flights.Montevideo, Uruguay - from £43/day
Jet2holidays has a 28-night stay at Gtand Park Lara in Anatalya from March 1 for £1,267 per person, including flights from Manchester (and 22kg of luggage).Montevideo may be less glamorous than Buenos Aires, but it has advantages over its rival. The city center is small, walkable and lapped by the River Plate. The sea breeze keeps the city airy and you can walk to La Rambla promenade in just a few minutes.
There are some beautiful squares, an attractive harbour, tango bars and terrace cafés. Uruguay is small, so you can easily hop on a bus to visit Colonia del Sacramento, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Casapueblo, the Gaudí-esque former summer home and studio of the late artist Carlos Páez Vilaró; and the seaside resorts of Punta del Este, La Barra and José Ignacio. To keep costs down, you can go further up the coast and camp on the beach.
Tirana, Albania - from £10.50 per day
The Albanian capital is home to 528,000 people, almost a fifth of the country's total population. There is a rapidly developing café culture, a collection of hotels and international-level cuisine that rarely impresses. There are also 476 miles of waterfront, including parts of both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas; the two seas meet in the city of Vlore. Every summer, Italians flock to the beaches in the north of the country, in the second city of Durres - and they know their beaches.
Head inland and explore ancient historical sites such as Butrint and Apollonia, beautiful Ottoman towns such as Berat and Gjirokaster, and the Llogara National Park, where you can marvel at the rising Ceraunian Mountains. If it's good enough for Lord Byron...
Antalya, Turkey - from £45/day
Package tourism has turned a once small port into the capital of the Turkish Riviera. Now it is a large resort, with all-inclusive resorts, theme parks and shopping centers. The weather is generally beautiful, with around 300 days of sunshine a year, the sand is soft and golden and the sea is warm. In the heart of the modern city lies the historic Kaleiçi district (literally "in the castle") and it's easy to get away from the hustle and bustle. The Anatalya museum is one of the best in Turkey.
