A British couple have swapped their semi-detached house in Lewisham for a penthouse duplex in Barcelona, and say the move has cut their monthly living costs by around half.
Ethan Spibey OBE, 33, who is originally from Manchester, relocated to the Catalan capital with his husband Soren Scharf, 35, in May last year.
The couple made the move after Mr Spibey left his full-time PR role in December 2024 and decided to set up his own communications training business.
They sold their London property and now rent their duplex apartment in Barcelona for £1,700 a month.
That compares with the £2,500 a month they were previously paying on their mortgage in south-east London.
“I know for a fact we’ve halved our monthly costs that we used to put on our credit card,” he said.
Since moving to Spain, he’s launched a communications training business working with clients including the Post Office, Siemens and a number of charitable organisations.
Although the company is registered in London, he runs it remotely from Barcelona and travels back to the UK several times a month for in-person meetings.
Briton says Barcelona move cut living expenses and improved quality of life
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“I did a logistics check: can I fly back to London regularly, are there flights, and is it economically possible?”
He said Barcelona stood out due to the volume of flights and its relative affordability.
He added: “There are about 25 flights a day to London and, frankly, it’s cheaper than some of my colleagues who used to commute from Reading.”
The cost of flights has also proved lower than his former daily travel expenses.
He typically pays around £60 for a return flight to London and said he has never paid more than £100.
That compares with the £120 monthly rail ticket he used to pay while living in the capital.
Travelling to the airport takes around half an hour, followed by a flight time of approximately two hours.
He went on to say savings extend beyond housing and transport.
“The quality of great food, great fruit and veg, and going out for dinners and lunches is something I’d never have done in London.
“There is no way you can go out for dinner in London and get away with £80 or £100, whereas some of the restaurants near us are £30 for lunch for the two of you.”
Mr Spibey was able to move to Spain because of his husband’s German citizenship, which allowed him to qualify for a spouse visa.
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He was awarded an OBE in the 2026 honours list for his campaign promoting LGBT+ equality in blood donation rules.
One unexpected consequence of his frequent travel has been the rapid use of his passport pages.
“I realised at Christmas I’d filled up my passport because they keep stamping in and out.”
He said he now has to attend an emergency passport appointment in Liverpool to secure a replacement.
“That’s a slight drawback, but it’s the price you have to pay.”
Despite flying, his travel costs are down compared to the London commute
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Since setting up his own business, Mr Spibey has reduced his working week to four days.
He said the change has allowed him greater flexibility and control over his schedule.
“The ability to be in charge of your own time is kind of scary because you have to make money, but it’s also incredibly liberating.”
After spending 12 years living in London, he was ready for a different way of life, and the move has given him more time to focus on fitness and socialising outside of work.
“I think I’ve found that really empowering.”