Considering bills/utilities are included in the rent at a motel?
In general, no, it is not cheaper to live in a motel.
One of the key reasons is your ability to store and appropriately cook foods. With only a small refrigerator, you wouldn’t have the ability to buy your items in large quantities, which is often a cost savings for those of us with decent size freezers. On top of that, if your only cooking device is a single-burner hot plate, it’s hard to cook more than one thing at a time…Not to mention that washing any dishes you use can be tricky if the bathtub is the only thing big enough for your pan to fit in. These inconveniences often encourage people to eat out more often than the otherwise would, adding to the overall cost of feeding yourself.
On top of that, you’ll still have the cost of doing your laundry offsite, which you might not be burdened with in an apartment. Additionally, most (obviously not all) motels that offer long term rates are in neighborhoods that put your personal body as well as your car at risk for theft or damage.
From my personal experience.. NO.! But I havn’t lived everywhere either.
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