We swapped stressful UK for sun-drenched Spanish island & save £2.3k a month on rent – if you WFH, it's a perfect move
Dad Ruben Diegz reveals his top tips if YOU want to start a dream new life abroad just like his family-of-three
GRAN PLAN We swapped stressful UK for sun-drenched Spanish island & save £2.3k a month on rent – if you WFH, it's a perfect move
ENJOYING a sunset walk along the beach with his partner and their five-year-old son, Ruben Diegz relishes the warm air, music playing on the beach and quality family time.
But the trio are not on holiday - they left Britain for a break four years ago and decided to stay, swapping their "stressed-out lives" to pursue a dream of beach living and a cheaper way of life.
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Ruben Diegz, his partner Lisa Perri and their son swapped their life in the UK to live on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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The family were lured by the sunny weather, beaches and laid-back way of life
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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They rent a four-bedroom rooftop apartment for a fraction of the cost of a similar property in Surrey
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
Their new home is a spacious four-bedroom villa style apartment with sea views in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, part of the Canary Islands located just 150 miles off the coast of Africa.
In the island archipelago paradise, loved by Brit tourists for their cobalt blue skies, billowing palm trees and black volcanic sand beaches, a pint costs £1.50, cappuccinos around £1.40 and fresh seafood is in abundance.
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The family pay just £700 a month for their four-bedroom apartment, which features an open plan roof garden and balcony for evening meals.
Renting their island home is a third of the cost of a one-bedroom flat in London, which costs around £2,000 a month, and £2,300 a month cheaper than the cost of a similar size property in Woking, where the couple lived previously.
Ruben, 40, tells The Sun he, his partner Lisa Perri, 36, and their son 'couldn't be happier or more content" with their new life.
'It was a snap decision, a life altering one, but I knew it was the right thing for myself and our family," he says.
"We now get to raise our son in a sub-tropical paradise where the sun shines 300 days a year.
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'Making the decision was easy. Packing up home took longer, but it was worth the effort.
'We have access to amazing quality seafood, fruits and vegetables, everyone is more relaxed and less stressed. The best thing is our son is having an island upbringing."
Dubbed a "miniature continent" and home to almost 300,000 expats, Gran Canaria is the third-largest of the Spanish Canaries and considered one of the best islands in Spain to live by Brits lured by warm weather and cheap rents.
Stunning Seaside Miami-style beach hotel in Maspalomas offers sun, sand dunes and 70s chic
Maspalomas, where Ruben and Lisa now call home, offers a cost of living which is half as cheap (48.5 per cent) as London.
In 2023, Gran Canaria welcomed approximately 947,449 British tourists, a record high for the island, with that number expected to top a million this year.
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Airline company staffer Lisa and Ruben, who runs an online e-commerce company, have been together since July 2010 after meeting through friends.
The couple were living in Ruben's two-bedroom flat in Woking, Surrey, when they flew to Gran Canaria in March 2021, eager to escape lockdown and enjoy a sun-drenched holiday.
Ruben recalls: 'Just flying out for a break was a huge relief.
'While we were there a new lockdown began and we couldn't leave the island.
I wanted to be able to take our son to the park without seeing gangs of youths and be able to buy a meal out without having to get a loan
Ruben Diegz
'There were no flights out, but thankfully both Lisa and I were able to work from home. We spent the next six months staying in an Airbnb on the island.'
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The pair admit it was "an absolute joy".
'Everyone was so relaxed. The weather was amazing. The air was clean and the huge sense of worry which hung over Britain was not present,' says Ruben.
'I knew if we were to build a future, Gran Canaria was the place to do it.
'I wanted to be able to take our son to the park without seeing gangs of youths and be able to buy a meal out without having to get a loan.
'We both realised we had to make a radical change to ditch Woking and Britain for the no stress life offered in Gran Canaria.'
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Easy decision
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The family felt the Canaries offered a fresh start for them
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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Ruben says the cost of a family meal out is usually under £40
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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Gran Canaria is adored by Brits
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
When they were able to return to the UK at the end of 2021, they flew home to tell friends and family they were moving abroad.
'They all thought we were crazy. Many people couldn't understand what motivated us or how we even planned to do it," Ruben admits.
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'They thought the idea was bonkers but it's the easiest decision we ever made."
Ruben let out his Woking flat and used savings to fund the move.
They began renting their Maspalomas apartment in January 2023.
Back in Woking, renting a four-bedroom property would have set the family back approximately £3,000 a month.
Lisa says: 'We can't believe how much space we have. Our son can play and have the best time.
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Our rooftop is larger than the size of a normal British terraced house garden.
Ruben Diegz
'Homes in Gran Canaria are more spacious, open plan and designed for relaxed family living and entertaining. The emphasis is on the quality of time you spend with each other.'
Ruben adds: 'Our rooftop is larger than the size of a normal British terraced house garden - you can BBQ on it and enjoy relaxed evenings in summer."
The couple's apartment was furnished but they say most landlords will allow you to move out items you don't want.
Once they'd settled, Lisa found a job in a health and beauty spa before beginning her current role at an airline company.
'For many people, moving their entire life to a new country is terrifying," says Ruben.
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'As soon as we got back to Maspalomas I felt 10 years younger! The weight of the world lifted and the stress of living in Britain washed away.
'Life here instantly felt easier. We were welcomed by our neighbours and after two weeks I felt like I'd been living here all my life.
'The locals all say hello when you walk down the street. Everyone knows each other and there is a kindness you experience here that you don't get in London.'
'Healthy change'
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Ruben says his health has improved since moving to Gran Canaria
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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The couple admit their family thought they were mad
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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During lockdown in Britain, Ruben suffered from stress alopecia, but since moving to Gran Canaria, it's disappeared.
'It was the healthy change my body needed," he says. "Lisa also feels amazing. Our family is glowing."
Monthly bills are also significantly less costly than in the UK. Electricity, which includes heating and air conditioning as well as water, is £60 a month.
The couple pay £28 a month for their internet, with a phone landline and two mobile phones included in the package.
'Wi-Fi is super-fast here. It's one of the reasons Gran Canaria is so popular with digital nomads,' says Ruben.
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Our son attends the local international school and it costs £500 a month. That's half the price of nursery back in Britain
Lisa Perri
Ruben pays £28 for a premium gym membership each month.
While cars are generally more expensive - the couple paid £4,000 for a second-hand Clio - they're cheaper to run.
'Petrol is £1.10 a litre," says Ruben. "A taxi will cost around £1.70 a kilometre - in London it is up to double the price."
The family eat out at local restaurants at least three times a week, with a three-course meal for two costing less than £40.
A local beer will set you back £1.15, while locally produced wine sells for £4.82 a bottle in the supermarket.
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Island-grown tomatoes, bananas, oranges, avocado, papaya, olives, cucumbers and aubergines are always available in local markets and supermarkets.
The couple spend £90 a week on supermarket shopping. Milk is 87p a litre, fresh bakery bread is £1, a dozen eggs costs £2.38 while locally produced cheese is £8.55 a kilo.
'It's amazing to buy fruit and veg just from the fields', Lisa says.
'You realise just how expensive it is to buy food in Britain when you live here. You start questioning why food back home is so expensive."
New community
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The family have made new friends by joining sports teams like their local Padel side
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
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Their new family home is a dream for entertaining
Credit: Ruben and Lisa Perri
The couple say they've integrated well into the expat community by joining local sport groups.
Ruben plays football for an expat team every Tuesday and Thursday, and the couple also play Padel.
'You get to connect with other expats on WhatsApp groups and everyone knows when the next game or match is and you are never short of a sport to play," Ruben says. 'Making friends is so much easier here.'
Lisa says the high education standard is also a big draw for British expats.
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She explains: 'Our son attends the local international school and it costs £500 a month. That's half the price of nursery back in Britain.
'We chose a nursery which is part of the school he will attend for primary school."
Lisa adds the meals provided at for the children at school are gourmet compared to British schools.
'The school invited parents to come for lunch. I'd eat the school lunches here every day if I could," she admits.
'Our son is already bi-lingual. Being able to go to the beach for a quick early evening swim with him or have his pals over is so much easier here. The locals are very family-focused."
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Our son is already bi-lingual
Lisa Perri
Flying to neighbouring islands like Lanzarote and Tenerife costs around £30.
'All the islands are different. You can visit La Gomera, an island with its own whistling language - not something you could easily do from Britain," says Ruben.
'For our family, the dream of island life has become a reality. We are definitely happier, healthier, and better off financially.
'Living in Britain at home seems like a blur now - we're focused on sub-tropical living, sunshine and hope now."
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THIS MORNING LOCAL HERO For an individual or group that goes to remarkable lengths to help people around them in their local area LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT To recognise far-reaching achievement, possibly on a national or international scale. For police, fire, ambulance, paramedics or air, sea or mountain rescue who have gone beyond the call of duty. For adults who risk their own safety to help others in danger. For battling against the odds to help others, or a courageous act to save someone in danger.
