I was talking with a friend that recently retired and asked him, “How are you enjoying your permanent vacation?” He answered, “fantastic!” with a big smile on his face.

Of course, retirement isn’t exactly a “permanent vacation,” is it? It’s not like you are waking up each day in some amazing city, resort, or national park. You aren’t going out to dinner and enjoying first-class entertainment every day. You could do that, but that would be a lot more expensive than just being at home and being retired.

That said, maybe some people could do that. With enough $$$, you could live life like a permanent vacation. What would that look like and how much would that cost?

I started this “fun with numbers” analysis with flights between twelve different cities for a year. I assumed an adventurous couple wouldn’t want to stay put in one place.

Looking at Orbitz, and assuming they have a taste for luxury, our couple could find nice hotel suites for $350/night in these cities. I priced out NY’s Time Square, Miami Beach, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, New Orleans’ French Quarter, or San Diego’s Gaslight District. These hotels puts you right in the heart of these great cities (or others like them).

For transportation around the city, I assumed you would take Ubers for about $50/day. Entertainment adds another $100/day. You wouldn’t need entertainment every day, but you might want to splurge now and then for a concert or Broadway musical. Finally, I added in $100/day for dining out.

I think that covers most of the big expenses our jet-setting couple might have. As you can see below, it adds up to about $220K each year. Assuming a 4% Safe Withdrawal Rate, you’d need to save up $5.5 million to do it the rest of your life …

Of course, by leaving, you’d save on the ordinary, day-to-day expenses you have “back home” today. No house, property taxes, cars, home/car insurance, groceries, or utilities would be needed. You wouldn’t need a travel budget either, since you are already traveling.

Those savings could go right toward the permanent vacation nest egg. Still too much? If you went to national parks or less expensive cities, your costs could drop dramatically, too.

I’m not sure I would want to do it, but it is fun to think a permanent vacation is in my reach. If you didn’t want to do it for the rest of your life, maybe just price it out for some shorter, but still extended stays.

How would you feel about taking a “Permanent Vacation”?

Image: Pixabay