How To Find Housing While Living Abroad

One of the questions I get all the time is how I find housing in different countries, especially since I’m moving around so often. It honestly comes down to convenience, safety, and how long I plan to stay somewhere.

Right now, I primarily use Airbnb for all of my housing, and there’s a reason for that.

For me, safety and structure matter more than saving every single dollar, especially when I’m in a completely different country. Airbnb is more established, there’s a system in place, there are reviews, there’s English speaking customer support, and most of the places I’ve stayed have had solid security. When you’re traveling solo, especially as a woman, that peace of mind is not something I play with.

Now that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

Airbnb is more expensive, and I’ve definitely noticed a shift lately. Especially in Brazil, a lot of listings are starting to feel more like hotels than actual lived-in spaces. You’ll see a ton of studio apartments that are clearly designed just for short-term visitors. They look nice, they photograph well, but they don’t always feel like somewhere you can actually settle into if you’re staying for a while.

I had a moment in Brazil that made me realize how different people approach this. I met up with an associate out here and she assumed I was staying in hostels. That’s a very common and cost-effective option that a lot of people use while traveling, especially if they’re moving around frequently or trying to save money.

It just isn’t my preference.

I like having my own space. I like being able to come back, reset, create, and not have to navigate shared environments all the time. That’s a personal choice, not a right or wrong way to travel. It just depends on what you value in your experience.

If you’re moving around every month like I am, Airbnb works. It’s easy, it’s predictable, and I don’t have to spend time figuring out a new rental system in every country I go to.

But if you’re planning to stay somewhere longer, like 3 months or more, Airbnb honestly stops making financial sense of you want to save money.

That’s when you need to start thinking more like a local.

Most countries have their own housing websites where you can rent apartments in local currency, which is usually significantly cheaper than paying tourist prices. The tradeoff is that it’s not as simple. There’s less structure, sometimes a language barrier, and you may need local documentation.

For example, in Brazil, a lot of these sites require a CPF, which is basically a tax ID number that allows you to function more like a resident. It makes things a lot easier if you’re planning to stay longer. I wrote a blog post on how to get a CPF here: https://www.mycheckedbaggage.com/travel/how-to-get-cpf-brazil-foreigner

One of the platforms people use is Rentola, where you can browse apartments in Brazil at local rates:

https://rentola.com.br/en/for-rent/apartment

Just know going into it, you may not be able to fully secure a place through sites like this without a CPF, a local bank connection, or sometimes even a guarantor. That’s the part people don’t talk about when they say “just rent like a local.”

There’s a process to that.

So the way I personally approach housing is based on flexibility versus stability.

If I’m exploring, moving often, and trying to experience different areas, Airbnb makes sense. I can book quickly, extend if I want, and leave without being locked into anything.

If I decide I actually like a place and want to stay, that’s when I would transition into looking at local rental options, getting whatever documentation I need, and securing something longer term.

A lot of people try to jump straight into local pricing without understanding the system, and that’s how you end up frustrated, overpaying anyway, or stuck somewhere that doesn’t feel secure.

You have to decide what season you’re in.

Are you exploring, or are you settling?

Because those require two completely different approaches.

If you’re planning to stay long term in a country, start preparing before you even arrive. Look into what documentation you need, whether it’s a CPF in Brazil or something similar in another country, and give yourself time to transition out of short-term housing.

If you’re moving around like I am, keep it simple. Pay for convenience, protect your peace, and focus your energy on the experience instead of trying to optimize every dollar.

Housing abroad isn’t just about finding the cheapest option.

It’s about finding something that actually supports how you want to live.