Hi all

I’m moving to Spain in May and will be spending my first month in the country taking a TEFL Cert (with every man and his dog). I’m taking the course in Madrid, then planning to work around Spain over summer before returning to Madrid for the beginning of the academic year sep/oct. My issue is that I need to arrange a room to rent for the month I am taking the course. There is a package offered through my course provider for 450 euros…but I really am on a budget and spending over 900 Australian dollars to rent a ROOM for a month seems excessive. But perhaps I am wrong and this is a reasonable price? I would appreciate it if anyone could make some suggestions on how I could find a room in the city for less money.

I’m not an expert on Madrid, but I don’t think that’s a bad price.  Obviously if you were signing up for a longer lease you could do better, but for a single month, you may be looking a gift horse in the mouth.  Like us Brits, you’re suffering from a terrible ex rate.

I recommend putting up a room wanted ad on Lingo Bongo Madrid (http://www.lingobongo.com/madrid/).

But whether ?450 is outrageous or not depends on what the room is like, what the whole flat is like, and where the place is located, as rooms in Madrid usually go for ?250 to ?450 per month. That said, you might find it difficult to only rent a room for a month outside of the summer season (when some students sublet their rooms for the summer), though you do have time on your side.

Too bad you?re not here in Madrid now, as renting my room out for February would not be such a bad idea.