California man buys apartment on cruise ship because 'it's cheaper than living on land'

As house prices continue rise, one California man has taken drastic action and leased a residence on a cruise ship that isn’t ready to set sail yet.

Austin Wells, a 28-year-old from San Diego, revealed to CNBC that he spent $300,000 on 237 square feet for a 12-year lease onboard the mega cruise ship, the MV Narrative.

However, his getaway home - that will allow him to see the world - won’t be ready until 2025 because it is still in construction on the docks of Croatia.

Wells says he is excited at the thought of his new lifestyle, revealing: “This is probably the first time ever that there is even the ability to have a standard job and even consider working and living from a floating apartment complex.”

Take a closer look at the MV Narrative:

The San Diego native plans on spending three years of his 12-year lease working remotely and living onboard the vessel as it travels the globe.

Wells - who works for Meta's virtual reality department - won’t be alone though, with the ship boasting 500 residencies. He's have plenty of desirable amenities. The MV Narrative will give him access to a private gym, a farmer’s market, a cinema, and a swimming pool.

With the hopes of amassing 1,000 residents, the cruise ship will also feature a school and a library.

"Most people [...] will be out in the local cities and doing day trips and overnight trips, hiring a car and going out for three or four days and meeting the ship at its next destination," Wells told CNBC. In fact, the ship is hoping to visit locations such as Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Greece, and even the Arctic Circle.

Those behind the MV Narrative, Alister Punton and Shannon Lee, say that the concept of cruise living came from them "wanting to offer more affordable apartments for life at sea."

Living in San Diego can be expensive. Credit: Alan Crosthwaite / Alamy

According to RentCafe, the average monthly rent in San Diego is $2,916.

By living on the MV Narrative, Wells is saving nearly $1,000 with his floating apartment, which will cost him $2,000 per month for the lease.

Some of us can only dream of quitting our jobs and saying to the boss in Bilbo Baggins fashion, ‘I’m going on an adventure.’

But Wells insists he’s found the perfect set-up where he doesn’t have to hand in his notice.

“The thing that most excites me is I don’t have to upend my daily routine, in order to go see the world,” he said. “My working hours will be shifted towards evenings, nights, and very early mornings, but that does open up the ability for me to see a city midday to afternoon.”

I hope that leaves Austin enough time for a game of shuffleboard.

Featured image credit: StorylinesAtSea