'I left my three jobs in the UK for tropical paradise where luxury pad costs £500 a month'

A young woman has left her life in the UK – where she worked three jobs – for an idyllic island lifestyle where a luxury apartment sets her back just £550 a month. Sophia Moulson was juggling a huge workload as a salon barber, as a care assistant, freelancing as a self-employed barber, and growing her own online fitness coaching business – often working between 11-15 hours a day.

But after trading her life in West Sussex, where living costs were on the rise, for Thailand , the 23-year-old has been able to reduce her working hours to just a few a day – and is reaping the benefits of a far cheaper lifestyle. “My quality of life has changed dramatically,” she told creatorzine.com.

“Before moving, I was working three jobs and had very little free time. My schedule was extremely busy and I’d often work anywhere between 11–15 hours a day. A typical day could involve waking up and spending an hour working on my coaching business and social media, going to work at the barber shop, then coming home and doing private haircuts in the evening.

“On my days off from the barber shop, I would often pick up care shifts instead. I had very little downtime and usually only had one day off, on a Sunday. There were even weeks where I would work all seven days if I had private haircuts booked.

“Looking back, I definitely didn’t have the best work/life balance, but at the time I was so focused on building a different life for myself that I was willing to put in the hours.”

It was not until moving abroad in April 2025 that she began to prioritise her time differently, focusing on her online business and being able to work “just a few” hours per day – with the rest of her time dedicated to working out, her social life, and exploring her new home.

It does not hurt that living costs in Chiang Mai, where she lives, are significantly lower. While Sophia enjoyed her life in the UK, and had relatively low living costs while living with family, running her BMW car with £45 of fuel per week, paying her phone bill and general living costs stacked up.

Meanwhile in Thailand, she pays £500 a month in rent for a stunning apartment with a pool and 24/7 security, plus “amazing” views. Her electricity and water bills total £50 a month, meaning she is able to live comfortably and enjoy the luxury spot without breaking the bank.

Other amenities are similarly budget-friendly for the traveller. She added: “I currently pay around £57 a month to rent a motorbike, and a full tank of fuel costs me roughly £4.77 and lasts me more than a week.

“Eating out is another huge difference. In Chiang Mai, I can generally get lunch or dinner for around £5-£10 depending on where I go, and I actually find eating locally can be cheaper than cooking for myself, which really surprised me initially because it's the complete opposite in the UK.

“A coffee is around £1 on average where I live, and things such as massages, beauty treatments, hair washes, nails, and facials can be a fraction of the price I was used to paying in the UK.