I moved from Reno to the countryside of Portugal, bought a house for $300,000, and I'm making travel videos to earn a living.

Dave Alaster moved from Reno, Nevada, to a rural area located 45 minutes north of Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022. For Dave Alaster, an American who lived in Nevada, the move to this rural area was not a planned decision. But in the end, he fell in love with the country - the scenery, the lifestyle, the culture - and decided to live there permanently.

After browsing online platforms, Dave accidentally came across a local real estateagency with several houses in the area he was looking at. He found the perfect cozy three-bedroom house in the countryside.

In April 2022, Alaster purchased this property for 280,000 euros, or 300,000 US dollars. "The skeleton of this house is probably over 150 or 200 years old," Alaster said.

Although Alaster has been living in this house for over a year, he still has plans for renovations in the future. This includes installing solar panels on the roof and switching to a solar water heating system.

Alaster says that although his living costs are lower than in the US, this is only because he lives in an old house on the outskirts of Portugal. "One of the advantages of owning an old house in Portugal is that my property taxes here are significantly lower because the house has been registered with the local administration for a long time," he said. "So my property taxes are just a few hundred euros a year, whereas in a new house they would be several thousand."

One of the best aspects of life in Portugal for him is that he has learned to slow down and enjoy life and the company of the people around him, Alastair said. "I think the biggest difference is that in the United States, people are in survival mode," Alastair said. "They have this mindset of living for work, where everything revolves around your job, your independence, the corporate ladder, and self-improvement."

Learn more about Elister's life in Portugal on Insider.