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Spanish pensioner couple lives in motorhome for 5 years, saves up to €1,400 per month

23.06.2026 02:14 2 min 5 sources
Noticiastrabajo SPA + 4 more
Spanish pensioner couple lives in motorhome for 5 years, saves up to €1,400 per month
© Noticiastrabajo

In Brief

Maribel and Vicente, known as La Pingüina en Ruta, left their apartment in Mallorca five years ago to live in a motorhome. Depending on the source, they save between €1,200 and €1,400 per month. The move was driven by Maribel's health issues and a desire to cut costs.

Maribel and Vicente, pensioners from Mallorca known online as La Pingüina en Ruta, left their apartment five years ago to move into a motorhome. According to various reports, the motorhome has a living area of 10 to 11 m² and is 7.5 meters long. The decision was prompted by Maribel's deteriorating health (a degenerative bone disease) requiring a dry climate, as well as a wish to reduce expenses.

The couple estimates that abandoning traditional housing has cut their monthly costs by €1,200 to €1,400 — covering rent, car, insurance, and utilities. They now spend about €2,000 per month, live on two pensions, and set aside savings for repairs and tire replacements. Their main expense is fuel (up to €700 per month), but they prefer long stays over constant travel.

The motorhome is equipped with solar panels, batteries, a TV, microwave, air fryer, and air conditioning, enabling autonomous living. The couple travels across Spain and France at their own pace. Maribel notes that while they miss family closeness, her health has improved thanks to the dry air. They emphasize that this lifestyle requires strict organization, route planning, and acceptance of less family contact.

Aggregated by OpenVan.camp from the public sources listed below, with AI-assisted translation and summary. We always link to the original source. Machine translation may differ from the original -- check the source for important details. Images and content remain the property of their respective owners. Copyright information

Story sources

Spanish couple has lived in a motorhome for 5 years, saving €1,200 per month

20.05.2026 Noticiastrabajo SPA Original source

Retired couple lives in a 10 m² motorhome, saves €1,200 per month

15.05.2026 El Español SPA Original source

Spanish couple lives in a motorhome for 5 years, says it's cheaper than an apartment

08.05.2026 La Vanguardia SPA Original source

Retired couple from Mallorca lives in a 10 m² motorhome, saves €1,400 per month

08.05.2026 Diario AS SPA Original source

Retired couple moves into 11 m² motorhome, cuts monthly expenses by €1,400

04.05.2026 Mundo Deportivo SPA Original source

🇪🇸 Spain — fuel prices

Updated: 20.06.2026

Diesel

$1.82 /l

€1.59 · £1.38/l

87 of 132

pricier than 65% of countries

Petrol

$1.73 /l

€1.51 · £1.31/l

89 of 134

pricier than 66% of countries

LPG

$1.18 /l

€1.03 · £0.89/l

40 of 48

pricier than 81% of countries

Cheapest on the map

Popular route

Distance

Fuel cost

~

Est. time

~

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