rent

Casey from Chorley, Lancashire moved to another country that has been named the world’s most affordable place five years in a row, with rent from £150, meals costing £1-4 and taxis just £3

As everyday essentials and household bills continue to climb amid Britain’s ongoing cost of living crisis, it’s tempting to fantasise about building a life somewhere more affordable. One British woman, Casey, turned that fantasy into reality by swapping Chorley, Lancashire, for a significantly cheaper life in Vietnam.

Vietnam has been crowned the world’s most budget-friendly destination for five consecutive years, based on InterNations’ Expat Insider 2025 survey. Meanwhile, Forbes reports that a staggering 86 per cent of expatriates residing in Vietnam commend the nation’s affordability and cost of living – and Casey is one of them.

“Did you know that you can live in Vietnam for as little as £300 per month?” she revealed in a TikTok video filmed while living in Da Nang, a bustling coastal metropolis renowned for its stunning sandy shores, breathtaking views, and famous attractions, including limestone caverns and Buddhist sanctuaries.

Casey relocated to Vietnam in 2025, revealing she’d allowed herself just 24 hours to secure accommodation, yet still managed to snag a luxurious flat with swimming pool facilities for £490 monthly for herself and her partner. She continued: “I’ve been getting loads of comments that you can stay here for literally £150 per month.”

“It’s literal paradise here,” she said while showcasing the stunning views from her new apartment. In a Facebook update, Casey advised: “Do not look on Airbnb, use Facebook Marketplace because you’ll get it for literally half the price.”

Although she chose a marginally pricier flat, which Casey attributed largely to their pressing timeframe, she noted that sharing the rent with her partner Taylor means they each pay £245 monthly, equivalent to £61.25 weekly. Beyond housing costs, she’s also informed her followers that dining out at restaurants proves equally budget-friendly.

“Food is obviously super affordable – if you eat the western food it’s £4 per meal, but if you eat Vietnamese food it’s £1 per meal,” she detailed, before lauding the taxi service which arrives ‘instantaneously’ and typically costs approximately £3 per journey. “

So on average, I spend around £21 per week on taxi,” Casey shared.

Regarding entertainment options, including excursions or playing pickleball and badminton, the British expat revealed she allocates roughly £25-30, whilst also setting aside another £20 for treats like massages.

For more fundamental expenses, Casey mentioned she also maintains travel insurance, costing her £60 monthly, which breaks down to about £15 weekly. As for income generation, Casey operates through her social media channels and makes a living from her content.

Folks were left scratching their heads at the sums Casey claimed to be spending weekly, with many expressing that it made them consider a similar move. “Another great video! So so excited to get myself back to this stunning country,” one individual remarked.

A different viewer shared: “I was planning on moving to Thailand permanently but after researching Vietnam especially Da Nang I’m now heading there.”

“I need to move to Vietnam. It’s so beautiful and the fooood! !” another person exclaimed.

A contentious housing bill that would have capped rent increases to 5% a year died in the Assembly on Tuesday, a decision greeted with boos and cries of disapproval from spectators packed inside the committee chamber.

Assembly Bill 1157 would have lowered California’s limit on rent increases from 10% to 5% annually and removed a clause that allows the cap to expire in 2030. It also would have extended tenant protections to single-family homes — though the bill’s author, Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San José), offered to nix that provision.

“Millions of Californians are still struggling with the high cost of rent,” Kalra said. “We must do something to address the fact that the current law is not enough for many renters.”

Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) said she was concerned the Legislature was enacting too many mandates and restrictions on property owners. She pointed to a recent law requiring landlords to equip rentals with a refrigerator.

“That sounds nice and humanly caring and all that and warm and fuzzy but someone has to pay,” she said. “There is a cost to humanity and how far do we squeeze the property owners?”

The California Apartment Assn., California Building Industry Assn., California Chamber of Commerce and California Assn. of Realtors spoke against the legislation during Tuesday’s hearing before the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Debra Carlton, spokesperson for the apartment association, said the bill sought to overturn the will of the voters who have rejected several ballot measures that would have imposed rent control.

“Rather than addressing the core issue, which is California’s severe housing shortage, AB 1157 places blame on the rental housing industry,” she said. “It sends a chilling message to investors and builders of housing that they are subject to a reversal of legislation and laws by lawmakers. This instability alone threatens to stall or reverse the great work legislators have done in California in the last several years.”

Supporters of the bill included the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action, a statewide nonprofit that works for economic and social justice. The measure is also sponsored by Housing Now, PICO California, California Public Advocates and Unite Here Local 11.

The legislation failed to collect the votes needed to pass out of committee.

On Monday, proponents rallied outside the Capitol to drum up support. “We are the renters; the mighty mighty renters,” they chanted. “Fighting for justice, affordable housing.”

“My rent is half of my income,” said Claudia Reynolds, who is struggling to make ends meet after a recent hip injury. “I give up a lot of things. I use a cellphone for light; I don’t have heat.”

Lydia Hernandez, a teacher and renter from Claremont, said she used to dream of owning a home. As the first person in her family to obtain a college degree, she thought it was an obtainable goal. But now she worries she won’t even be able to keep up with her apartment’s rent.

Hernandez recalled noticing a woman who had recently become homeless last week on her way to school.

“I started to tear up,” said Hernandez, her voice cracking. “I could see myself in her in my future, where I could spend my retirement years living an unsheltered life.”

After Tuesday’s vote, Anya Svanoe, communications director for ACCE Action, said many of their members felt betrayed.

“While housing production is a very important part of getting us out of this housing crisis, it isn’t enough,” she said. “Families are in dire need of protections right now and we can’t wait for trickle-down housing production.”

In California, 40.6% of households are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, according to an analysis released in 2024 by the Pew Research Center. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households that spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing to be “cost burdened.”

Actor Mickey Rourke faces eviction from his Los Angeles home after failing to pay rent.

Rourke, whose birth name is Philip Andre Rourke Jr., received a three-day notice to pay rent or vacate the premises on Dec. 18 and had failed to comply, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.

At the time of the notice, he owed $59,100 in unpaid rent.

A representative for Rourke did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In March, Rourke signed a lease for the three-bedroom, 2.5-bath house for $5,200 a month; it was subsequently raised to $7,000 a month, states the court filings.

A Zillow listing describes the property as a “nicely upgraded Spanish bungalow” built in 1926. Raymond Chandler was said to have resided there for two years in the 1940s.

The property’s owner, Eric Goldie, is requesting compensation for attorney‘s fees and for damages. A lawyer for Goldie was unavailable for comment.

A former boxer, Rourke, 73, turned to acting with small roles in the 1980 film “Heaven’s Gate” and “Body Heat” a year later, before earning acclaim for his role in 1982’s “Diner.”

After a slate of leading roles in a number of movies including “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” “9 1/2 Weeks” and “Rumble Fish,” Rourke‘s film career took a nosedive, with his off-screen antics frequently overshadowing his acting.

“I lost everything. My house, my wife, my credibility, my career,” he told The Times in an interview in 2008. “I just all had all this anger from my childhood, which was really shame, not anger, and used it as armor and machismo to cover up my wounds. Unfortunately, the way I acted really frightened people, although it was really just me who was scared. But I was like this person who was short-circuited and I didn’t know how to fix myself.”

In 2005 he reemerged with the neo-noir action thriller “Sin City.”

Three years later, Rourke’s portrayal of aging, washed up wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, in the Darren Aronofsky film “The Wrestler,” earned him a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for lead actor.

Rourke’s return to the big screen has not been an entirely smooth ride.

In April, he agreed to exit “Celebrity Big Brother UK” after producers warned him over the use of “inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior,” according to a statement a spokesperson for the show released at the time.

His remarks allegedly included comments about JoJo Siwa’s sexuality

Following his departure from the reality show, his manager announced that he was pursuing legal action over a pay dispute, claiming that the show had disrespected her client by “publicly embarrassing him” and declined to pay him, according to People.