At 30, I swapped my parents’ house for a remote Italian island – and pay £170 rent

Elizabeth Johnson, a 30-year-old graphic designer, couldn’t afford a place of her own in London and was stuck living with her parents. After a holiday on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria, in 2024, she moved there for its cheaper lifestyle and the freedom of leaving her family home. I never thought I’d find financial freedom on a jet-black volcanic island off Sicily’s southern coast. Pantelleria is located practically in the middle of the Mediterranean, an offbeat destination far from the crowds of the more famous Aeolian islands, in Italy. Here, thanks to the lower cost of living and housing, I am finally able to afford a place of my own for the first time in my life. I rent a sea-view duplex for just €200 (£171) per month, and I pinch myself everyday as I still can’t believe it. Even though it is small, it’s everything to me – it symbolises my independence. I am no longer living with my parents, sleeping in my childhood bedroom because I can’t afford to move out with my freelance salary. When I first holidayed in Pantelleria, four years ago, I fell in love with its translucent water, pebble inlets and magnificent dark cliffs carved from past lava flows. The scenery was spellbinding and everything was incredibly cheap, from the taverns to the supermarkets. But it never struck my mind that one day I would call it home, trading the buzz of London for the silence and peacefulness of a sleepy island where it feels like always being on holiday. Shorts There are just 5,000 people here, and the winters can be isolating, particularly when the sea is so rough there are hardly any ferries connecting the island to mainland Sicily. But it’s totally worth it. Not only has Pantelleria allowed me to live alone, I’m managing to actually save money. Before relocating here, I was still living with my parents as I couldn’t afford to rent a place of my own in London. It was just too expensive. At 25, I started feeling depressed, frustrated and trapped, and, honestly, a bit of a loser. Then it hit me: why not make the most of my freelance job as a graphic designer? I could live somewhere else much cheaper than London. I thought of Pantelleria – its mild climate year-round, the sea, the pristine environment and delicious seafood. When a Sicilian friend of mine told me Italy had introduced a digital nomad visa, in April 2024, I immediately applied and couldn’t believe my luck when, after just a few weeks, I was granted it. I packed my bags and flew to Pantelleria, without having found any accommodation. Four days later, I was working on my laptop on the tiny panoramic terrace of my new two-bedroom apartment with views of the main fishing harbour, while sipping an espresso and indulging in a lemon granita dessert, scooping it up the Sicilian way – with brioche pieces. It felt good to pay my rent. The place was all mine. I felt like a queen. That burden of living with my parents, no matter their love and care, had been lifted from my chest. And the best part is that the monthly €200 rent of the white-washed apartment includes furniture, bed sheets, towels and a weekly cleaning lady. I was lucky that my Sicilian friend knew a Pantelleria villager with four homes who was looking for year-round tenants. I don’t know for how long I’ll be staying, probably a few more years. I don’t plan on living here for ever, but I certainly won’t go back to the UK. Perhaps I’ll move to Tuscany or Sardinia. This rocky island is lovely and allows me to save up to a third of my annual income. Life is cheap. I spend €30 (£25) on groceries and €20 (£17) on fish from the local fishermen. Twice a week, I stroll down to the harbour to buy a €10 (£8.5) paper bag of the fresh catch from Pietro, a 75-year-old fisherman who goes out each morning, even when the weather is bad. I eat out five times per week with local friends I have made who are teaching me Sicilian (I spoke zero before, but I’m also learning through online teaching courses as only young people speak some English). I spend roughly €15 (£12) per meal, whereas back in London it was always so expensive, no matter where or what I ordered, that I’d go out just once on weekends. I can’t help giving into my foodie side in Pantelleria. Local recipes are so tantalising: from fish cous cous to pantesca salad with potatoes and capers, and ravioli with mint and ricotta cheese. Oh, and the sweet passito wine! I didn’t mind London’s hectic lifestyle, but here I am more in control of my working day. The laid-back island atmosphere and fresh sea breeze are intoxicating. It’s sunny enough to sunbathe from March to November, and each day I stroll across the village, practise yoga in the morning on the beach, and take a nap after lunchtime. I love to hike down to the Arco dell’Elefante, a sea cliff shaped like an elephant. I’ve become somewhat lazy in Pantelleria, yet my productivity has increased, which must be linked to the healthy lifestyle and diet. I tend to work more during the winter months – this season is the main reason I couldn’t live here for ever. Winter in Pantelleria is tough, it gets boring and, at times, depressing. Many young locals leave for Sicily or mainland Italy and bars and restaurants that live off summer tourism shut down. There are evenings when the sea is so rough that tall waves wash into the harbour. It often gets extremely quiet – too quiet for me – with just elders left sitting on benches or chatting in alleyways But the bright side to winter on Pantelleria is I get to concentrate on my work without any distraction. I’m still much happier being able to fully provide for myself, and I no longer feel guilty of burdening on my parents.