NYC budget:
- $30/mo unlimited metro pass
- $13/mo NYC gym membership
- 50% of food free from trash
- $100/mo food bought from stores
- $125/mo rent (lived in car)
That still left plenty of money for the occasional coffee after the library closed.
It’s easier to budget with cash. I would put $100 in my wallet every Monday, and that would have to last me until the end of the week.
And that was a luxurious time in my life. Many people live in NYC for nothing, but it was nice to have a hardshell that I could leave parked instead of a tent. Many months (when I do work-trades) my expenses are maybe $10/mo just to pay for soap and toothpaste
Maybe this isn’t a thing in South America? I’ve never met an expat here who pays taxes here for interest made in accounts abroad. Usually the government here is just happy with what you’re moving into the country and spending on the local economy every month.