Alcudia is a bit touristy, but it's a nice town to live in. Plenty of year-round resources. Port de Alcudia is far more touristy than Alcudia, and likely a lot more expensive per sq. meter. But it's also more or less open all winter. Alcudia is NOT on the train line.

Like the others said, you do have employment opportunities, but fairly limited and none of it will make you rich. Especially bar work. But if I were 20, those things probably wouldn't stop me either. Nonetheless, there is a decadent amount of money here, if you know the right people. If you're talented, who knows where things could lead.

It will take you some time to get adjusted. You'll win some and lose some. After 5 years or so, you'll find your way, figure out who you can trust and realise that you can't trust most of 'em - especially the foreigners (of which you are a member, lest you not forget).

As far as tourism goes, there's bar and restaurant work, and most if not all of it is "temporary" seasonal work. I suspect the vast majority of those work black for at least some part of the year.

But there's also travel businesses - a lot of IT people working on internet booking sites. There are many hotels open year 'round, and there's always administrative work. These are usually permanent employment jobs.

There's also real estate - hard to make money but when you do, it's usually a lot.

Anything outside of tourism is likely either permanent employment or working black. MANY people work on a cash basis here, but are self-employed or "autonomo" which means you have to pay social security each month, but you do have access to healthcare and other social benefits. I know of a few who make quite good money "on the black".

Mallorca is a special place. Extremely diverse in both geography and character, but also in the diversity of people, many truly wonderful and talented types and and a number of dubious characters too. Just watch your back...

Good luck...

When you say working black what do you mean? I'm lost on these terms, ha. I'm not looking to make a fortune living there, I'd be comfortable with a small apartment that I can work a lot for to afford. Would rather be working extra hours there than working the hours I do now to live here! lol. Also, another thing I'll need to find out when I'm there, but I honestly am very unsure what Alcudia DOES in the winter, what is open and what isn't? What do people go there for in Winter? I've never been in Winter so I'll definitely need to find that out. I have a lot of IT experience along with admin but would I not need more than just English and Spanish (when my spanish finally gets past mediocre stage.)

PS thanks again for taking time to reply

Working on the black simply means working illegally, cash in hand, no tax etc.

Rosemary

Just a note that from experience I can tell you that is much harder working long hours when the weather is nice

That used to always depress me when I lived in the South. A lovely day outside and you are stuck inside. It is fine if you have a good work life balance but awful if you are working 60 hour weeks (or more)

Very true and that's why northern countries are still more popular for investment. Mallorca is a great place, but I also have a work colleague who said she couldn't take it anymore. She was working long hours and got depressed seeing people outside, eating good meals and having money to spend. She only had enough money for the basics such as rent, food, utility bills. Don't forget that cooling can sometimes be more expensive than heating and you'll still need heating in winter (It's not Hawaii). Of course it's a great place and when you're retired, on holiday, have a high paid job you'll see it different. Never rent or buy an apartment without a balcony or terrace either, because you'll get sick of the overcrowded beaches and will be happy to have your own outside space.

Ahh, I just meant I'd rather be anywhere than here in all honesty lol. But yes I see both points. I don't plan on moving here with absolutely no money but I also don't plan on living off my savings. I am very determined to work here and to work for the home I plan to make there, I know its not a walk in the park and there is a hell of a lot of hard work goes into living over there, I have a few friends who are waitresses (and mothers!) and they are exhausted some days but always tell me that they never regret moving from their hometown to there. I've taken into account all the negatives and I appreciate people letting me see it from both ends but it is something I am wanting to do at some stage in my life. One of my main issues is what to do in the winter time I know already how easy it is to get bar work if you know the right people, but again that's just seasonal. And yeah I get you on that too, couldn't have an apartment without a balcony
Also very big question with probably multiple answers, how much money do you (or anyone) recommend leaving my current country with to there? Just a recommendation is all I need, as I know you can't leave with just a couple of thousand

How long is a piece of string?

Are you moving to Mallorca forever or just for 5 years or so? What will your expenses be?

If you dont have a job when you go, then the more the better. A year's worth of expensese would be sensible - but to be fair, if your money ran out, you could just go back to the UK anyway, as long as you left enough savings to be for a rental deposit in the UK and any living expenses until you found a job there

Based on this I would recommend going with at least 30k euros, and keep £10k in the bank in case you need to go back to the Uk

"How long is a piece of string" Lol... yes I know this question has a LOT of sub questions and a lot of answers I just needed an opinion from someone else.
Yes I think someone else said 30k and I would ideally like to live there forever but who knows... if things worked out well I would and I'm hopeful to be there forever. Thanks anyway

The Op is 20 years old. How many 20 year olds have between 10 and 30k when they go to live abroad?

I would say get a few bob together, bunk in with one of your waitress mates and share expenses.
find a job in whatever you can through the summer season and give it a try.

It might work out, if I doesn't take it for what it is - an adventure.

I usually don't give this advice to people going to live in Spain, but usually they are older, with a couple of kids in tow, will have a few grand to their name, and willing to do anything to survive.
a crap plan in anyone's book, children need more than parents winging it.

This is a different case all together. Stock up on bikinis, and get it out of your system.

Well aren't you optimistic... I've already been through education and am currently working in IT and admin, yes I'm not on a 30k a year salary and if you had read my original query on this forum it states that I have no intention of moving away whilst I am 20 but instead when I have a good bit of money behind me. I do not work in a corner shop or a clothes store on a 0 hour contract, I have a full time job and am more than determined to save as much money as possible over the duration of a few years before starting a new life elsewhere. I'm not an idiot. I won't be "bunking" with anyone, as I've said already they have their own children and I would like to make my own life. I don't need to get anything "out of my system" I go to Alcudia, Mallorca every year its not like I need another holiday. If I wanted to plan a long holiday I would be on Thomas Cook booking it and making NO effort to learn another language. But no I am on here seeking advice on starting a new life outside of my hometown. Thanks for your crap comment and for sharing your views on all the 20 year olds out there with "no money" behind them.

Luck.

Some interesting observations from different sources. Is it all right to break someone's dream to save them from themselves? (I'm on topic, I know Alcudia, it dies in the winter.)

Whenever newcomers ask for advice, members are faced with the same problem. Do you tell them that 95% of bars opened in Spain by expats fail within two years and lose them around £25,000 each with mountains of heartache along the way. You can substitute 'bars' with any number of other businesses.

More poignant in this case, as me me found out, should you tell a 20-year-old that they can't possibly project 40 years ahead in life and are likely to be living on another planet in 40 years time?

Or maybe breaking someone's dream should be a punishable sin and five percent of bars in Spain do succeed?

Good day to ya, H.

Yes I tried to look at things from the angle of the OP who wrote:

´I'm desperate to get the helll out of here and do not want to still be living where I currently live when I'm 25´´
.

OK I got a verbal slapping for my trouble, but I still would say the same thing, living for 5 years of misery when you are 20 is no laughing matter.

So I gave the advice appropriate to a person who is unhappy in the place they are presently living in.


The young free and single, should be having the time of their life. Of course having a plan for the future.

And who is to say that after saving the suggested 30k and investing it in the bar, shop or whatever the OP enquired about, who is to say that it won´t also fail the way many before have failed.

I know plenty of 20 year olds and younger, who wanted to travel and work abroad, but not one of them was on such a downer as to want to do so because they could not stand living in the UK.

Some went to work away, some came back, some stayed away, but the ones who planned to do it ´in a couple of years´ actually fell in love in the meantime and stayed in the UK.

There was no nastiness in my post, unlike the reply I received.

I don't think me me meant it the way. He was saying how many 20 year olds actually have 10K or 30K savings in their bank account. He was actually supporting you. HBG is right, most people fail and lose all their money, especially people starting a small business (bars, shops etc.). People also forget that Mallorca isn't as cheap as they think, when you look at average wages. It's still an island and islands are more expensive + locals always have the island mentality. Unless it's some English bar, locals will rather give a local a job before giving it to a foreigner.

Both are right. Pointing out reality. But LA.Carson doesn't seem to be a victim of dreamy illusions about "making it big in Mallorca". If you want to be a millionaire here, bring 2 million with you.

And people do lose their money. Not only by investing in foolish ideas, but also just getting ripped off by unscrupulous operators. But if you come here with the realisation that everybody wants your money, you are a lot less likely to part with it indiscriminately.

And true, average wages are low, but (depending on where you choose to live) cost of living can be ridiculously cheap. A lot of people with little income live quite well. But that won't happen if you choose the expensive expat areas.

And it's true, outside of bars & restaurants, employers are more likely to hire locals than foreigners, except in those cases where foreigners are likely to possess a specific talent, such as in the yachting industry.

And by the way, we go to Alcudia all winter long. True, the streets aren't clogged with billions of tourists, but many bars and restaurants, not to mention the port, are open and active, which is why we go there. Alcudia has a significant resident population that doesn't go into hibernation. Actually I prefer Alcudia in winter. In summer, it's intolerably busy.

Magaluf is dead in winter, though. Almost entirely boarded up ghost town. Very small local resident population.