The Guide We
Wish We Had For
Forget the blog posts from 2019. Since then, COVID happened and tourism exploded. Here’s how much it really costs to live in the Canary Islands in 2026 – from people who actually live here. We didn’t know this when we arrived – now we’re sharing it with you.
Save weeks of research. Don’t make the mistakes we did.
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What’s Inside Your Free Guide
Four parts that cover everything the Instagram travel bloggers won’t tell you. Written by a family who actually lives here – and remembers how confusing those first months were. Your first 90 days look different depending on why you’re here. We cover all scenarios – from 3-week adventures to permanent family moves.
Extended Travelers (3+ Weeks)
- Week 1 essentials checklist
- Where to stay beyond Airbnb
- Budget reality: what things actually cost
- Common tourist traps to avoid
Digital Nomads (2-6 Months)
- Internet reality by island (honest review)
- Coworking vs cafés: what to expect
- Bureaucracy timeline: what’s coming
- Monthly budget breakdown
Families who want to move
- 90-day timeline: key milestones
- Schools & healthcare: what to expect
- The bureaucracy reality (no sugar-coating)
- Real family budgets: €3K-5K breakdown
Already Here (But Struggling)
- Top 5 mistakes and how to fix them
- What you missed in week 1
- Quick wins to get back on track
- When to cut your losses (honest talk)
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The €3,000 Mistake Story
“We arrived right after COVID lockdowns ended. For months, we’d been researching from home – calculating budgets, checking rental prices, planning everything down to the last euro. Then we landed. The prices we’d carefully noted? Almost double. In just one year, the post-COVID tourism explosion had changed everything. The first apartment we could actually afford came with €3,000 in unexpected costs – higher deposits, increased rent, fees we hadn’t budgeted for. We thought we’d done our homework. Turns out, we were working from outdated data…”
Read the full story (and how to avoid it) in Part 1 of the guide.
Your First 90 Days in Canary
50+ pages of actual, useful information. Not fluff, not dreams – real data from real life.
What’s Inside Your Free Guide
- Part 1: The Truth Nobody Tells You
Our €3,000 mistake story • Instagram vs Reality photos • 2025 real numbers • Why we almost left in month 3 - Part 2: Which Island For You? (All 8!)
Tenerife North vs South • Gran Canaria reality • Lanzarote for families • La Graciosa (the forgotten 8th) • For tourists, nomads & families - Part 3: Your First Month Survival
Week 1 crisis mode • SIM cards & banks that work • NIE in 2 weeks (if lucky) • When it finally clicks - Part 4: Money Reality Check
Tourist: €50-150/night • Nomad: €1,500-2,500/month • Family: €3,000-5,000/month • Our actual 2025 expenses
Real rental prices
Actual living costs
Expat statistics
Islands in numbers
FREE
The budget breakdown per island is gold. We’re a family of 4 – now we ACTUALLY know what to expect. Thank you!
The Johnson Family, USA
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No spam. Just the guide.