City living can be fun, exciting, and hectic.
You might not want to spend every day at the heart of the action, but having a little bolthole in a city center gives you the option of jumping in whenever you want.
Whether you use it as a crash pad, a vacation home in a city you love to visit, or a short-term rental play on Airbnb, any of these city center boltholes for under $100,000 could be a great choice.
I haven’t personally visited or done any due diligence on any of the properties presented here. Always do your own due diligence before considering any real estate transaction.
A Bolthole in Budapest
Listing for €85,000 ($94,881)
This compact studio in Budapest, Hungary makes good use of space and could serve as a vacation home or Airbnb rental.
This compact studio in Budapest, Hungary makes good use of space and could serve as a vacation home or Airbnb rental.
The ground floor studio in Budapest’s Hungarian SOHO quarter consists of a living room with kitchen, a gallery with bed, and a bathroom—all in just 247 square feet of space.
It’s not the kind of place you could live in full time, but for a spot to lay your head minutes from the action in this fascinating city, it provides all you need in a compact package.
It’s close to theatres, restaurants, shops and metro lines making it a handy vacation stay—for yourself or to rent as an Airbnb.
The area is also convenient for a number of colleges, meaning it could serve as a student rental too.
Spanish Penthouse with a Terrace
Listing for €80,000 ($89,300)
This fifth-floor penthouse in Valencia, Spain comes with a terrace that’s larger than the rest of the apartment.
A penthouse apartment with a terrace in the heart of a European city is a nice find, especially one priced at just $89,300. That’s why this 3-bed in Valencia, Spain caught my eye when shared by my scout Paul O’Sullivan, who is currently hard at work on his part of our Mission Spain report (watch for that tomorrow).
The apartment itself is just 506 square foot, consisting of an entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom, and three bedrooms (two single, one double). The real selling point is that roof terrace which, at 538 square foot, is actually bigger than the rest of the apartment. Ideal for long Spanish evenings sipping red wine as the sun goes down.
The location is central—just a four-minute walk to shops, pharmacies, markets, veterinarians, health centers, restaurants, gyms, and bars. It’s also well served by bus and metro, handy for coming and going between other parts of the city.
One downside to consider is that it’s on the fifth floor, in a building without an elevator. Good for keeping you fit, but not so nice when you arrive with a full suitcase.
Post-Communist Studio in Historic Krakow
Listing for € 71,238 ($79,520)
One room studios like this are typical of Krakow, and the location of this one makes it a tempting short-term rental choice.
This studio apartment is small, coming in at just 183 square feet, but its location, in the heart of the historic Jewish Quarter of Krakow, Poland makes up for its size.
The studio sits on the third floor of a four-story apartment block built in the 1970s, under communist rule. While the layout is typical of apartments from that time, the studio was renovated in the last 10 years and features modern kitchen appliances, PVC windows, and modern electric and water systems. There is also an allocated basement area that comes with the apartment, typical of these communist-built apartment blocks. A downside is that the only bed doubles as the couch, but you’ll find that’s also very typical in Krakow apartments.
Where this studio shines is in its location. Kazimierz is Krakow’s Jewish Quarter, and the heart of its tourism and nightlife. The studio’s apartment building is on a quiet street in this part of the city, close to all the major tourist attractions, restaurants, and nightlife.
The location and price make this an attractive option for a short-term rental play that could double as a crash pad in one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations.
