Kortn’s Crib: Kochi edition

Everybody says rents are rising. I guess it’s true – even in India.

We are wrapping up a 36-night Airbnb stay in Kochi, Kerala, India — a deep-south city on the Arabia Sea. Total rent cost for the five-week stay: $924.

To be fair, that total includes $80 in Airbnb fees AND $90 in taxes (levied by India and collected by Airbnb). So the real ‘rental price’ for our place works out to be a more reasonable $754. 

Of course, we know 700 or 800 bucks is a darn cheap monthly rent payment in the USA or other western countries. Plus, the unit we have here in Kochi is spacious and comfortable and on the waterfront. We love it! We can hardly complain — even including the fee and taxes.

So what does $25.71 per night get you right now in tropical Kochi? (Technically we are in the municipality of Ernakulam.) Take a look at this edition of Kortn’s Crib.

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As you see in the video, our 12-story apartment building is right on the peaceful sea front. Conversely, the inland side abuts a lively commercial area – very typical of Indian big cities. It’s kinda the best of both worlds.

Every day we stroll (or exercise) on the lovely waterfront promenade that goes for about 3 kilometers right outside our back door. For more relaxation we can hop on a number of different ferries (tickets: 7 cents to 24 cents) that ply the waterways connecting the group of islands and sand bars that comprise the Kochi metro area.

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Meanwhile, anytime we need a restaurant or grocery or ATM or beer store – we step out front into the sweltering fray, and walk a few minutes to get what we want. If it’s too hot to walk, a bus or tuktuk or Uber can be had for between a dime and a dollar.

Back inside our apartment; we’re enjoying the nice, well-furnished, 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit. Especially appreciated are the washing machine, 2 air conditioners, numerous ceiling fans, reverse osmosis (‘RO’) drinking water filter, fiber-fast internet, smart TV, microwave, weekly maid service, and building security. Of course, all utilities are included in the monthly rental price.

And after we finish our long month in Kochi, we’ll total up everything we spent – in addition to the rent – and post a budget breakdown here. Stay tuned! I’m pretty confident you’ll be amazed at what an early retired life of leisure costs in this interesting and historic tropical paradise where Christians make up nearly 20% of the population. (The Portuguese settled here in 1500.)

Finally, the reason we rented the two bedroom, two bathroom unit in the first place was to have extra space in case my mom joined us in Kochi for her annual ‘winter getaway’ from Ohio, USA. Now we expect we’ll meet up with mom sometime in January at one of our next Airbnb stays in south India. Either way, while our rent payments might be creeping higher, we’re still at levels far below what most people are paying in the developed world.

As always, be thankful and generous, happy trails & more beer.

Life is NOW!

Thanks for reading, “Kortn’s Crib: Kochi edition.”