Here’s one of the most asked questions I get from people getting ready to do a ski season:
Is living at a ski resort really expensive?
No. With the exception of a few resorts worldwide, the cost of living isn’t really any different from most cities.
A breakdown for you:
Groceries
Groceries will cost you about the same as at your local supermarket. There’s usually one big supermarket at major ski resorts and prices are about the same as any big supermarket chain like Safeway (or Woolworths/IGA for you Aussies/Kiwis).
One thing to note is that there’s no discount supermarket, so you won’t have insanely cheap groceries available, but as mentioned above, prices are comparable to regular supermarkets and you can still live pretty cheaply if you cook your own food.
Eating out
No different from living in any city. You’ll find cheap places to eat and really expensive places to eat, just like eating out anywhere else.
Lift passes
This will be your one big purchase of the season, if you aren’t getting a staff pass for free. Do make sure you get your season pass as early as possible if you aren’t getting a staff/local’s pass, this way you can be sure to get the maximum early bird discount.
Rent
Rent is varied, but if you’re smart, you can find rent prices similar to the average cost in a big city. The earlier ahead of the winter season you organize rent, the better your chances of getting cheap rent. In addition, if you’re able to sign a contract (usually 1 year), you’ll have more cheap local options available.
One more thing
You’ll find that the longer you stay at a ski resort, the more reasonable prices become. The reason many people find ski vacations expensive is because it’s usually a short vacation. They stay at motels/hotels and pay insane prices for short term lift tickets. Not to mention they’re probably not cooking their own food.
Long term visitors/seasonaires don’t pay these extreme prices. They pay normal rent prices and the only big purchase will be their season pass (provided they aren’t working for the mountain). In addition, there’s usually lots of local discounts and deals that the average short term visitor isn’t aware of.
Have fun and hope you’re all getting excited for the coming winter season!
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