foreigners living in goa - how do they make it financially

[Celaripo]

have read a few posts from psytrance lovers moving to goa and living there

naive question perhaps but it got me wondering - how do they do it financially speaking

 

as a foreigner can you find a part time job there - what do you do and in what kind of accomodation do you stay - do you share a flat with other people

 

life is cheap i guess but still anywhere in the world we need money for everyday life

[Starkraver]

I would be very interesting in reading the answers too.

 

From what I know, few end up being resident Dj's, open up their own shacks, food and coffee joints. I'm not really sure of part time jobs existing which would give you enough money for a decent living. Beer is dirt cheap for sure but rest? Not really.

 

Let's just assume that all are involved in "lawful" activities.

[Trunksan]

I spoke with people in India and Goa about this matter and I have come to the following conclusions:

 

Almost all foreigners leave goa for the monsoon season ~May-September. As one guy told me: Goa in that period is only "fish curry" because people live of what they fish.

 

A lot go back to Europe/US/Japan/Australia to make cash and return a few months later. Others go to the hill stations (Himachal) or some other place in the North where there's less rain.

 

In terms of what their professions are: You must understand that Goa is a cheap beach vacation for many Europeans and Australians, so the foreigners work mostly in the tourism industry: shops, general trading, catering, hotels, touring, clubbing, Russian mafia & other illegal activities.

Byron (the famous British guy that has absolutely no sense of rythm) is a jeweller. A lot of girls are yoga et al instructors. A lot of people have little shops or cafes etc. Very few people are in the "Music" industry

[kathmandu]

Some also own houses in their country and live off the rent from it.

[Starkraver]

Russian mafia & other illegal activities.

 

Russian Mafia, you say.

 

You are absolutely right. If not directly involved in it. Many are indirectly involved. Sad shit scenes! There was this news article running a whole page about this. Apparently they own a good part of Goa in the name of the local fisherman. All the famous shacks are owned by them. You name it, they own it. Its a disgrace to the government none the less.

[Trunksan]

 

Russian Mafia, you say.

 

You are absolutely right. If not directly involved in it. Many are indirectly involved. Sad shit scenes! There was this news article running a whole page about this. Apparently they own a good part of Goa in the name of the local fisherman. All the famous shacks are owned by them. You name it, they own it. Its a disgrace to the government none the less.

 

I got a glimpse of them the 2 times that I've been in India. Goa for me, is the worst place that I visited in India. Now, it's just a bad cheap imitation of a mediteranean beach destination.

[Starkraver]

 

I got a glimpse of them the 2 times that I've been in India. Goa for me, is the worst place that I visited in India. Now, it's just a bad cheap imitation of a mediteranean beach destination.

I have not been to any Mediterranean beaches yet. But I agree to it being the worst place.

[Ake]

How much money do you actually need there per month for food, water, electricity, internet, all together? That would be interesting to know.

[Paul Eye]

3 years ago our (me + my ex) entire 4 month trip to India cost me about 2000€, Helsinki-Delhi-Helsinki flights included. Our house in Chapora was 10.000 rupees for the month we were there. That's about 150 Euros And about 100 rupees gets you a good meal. 200 and you're having a feast.

[Starkraver]

3 years ago our (me + my ex) entire 4 month trip to India cost me about 2000, Helsinki-Delhi-Helsinki flights included. Our house in Chapora was 10.000 rupees for the month we were there. That's about 150 Euros And about 100 rupees gets you a good meal. 200 and you're having a feast.

Hey! 2000 is a good price, isn't it?

 

It's 10,000₹ not 10.000₹ ( which means 10 rupees ) Anyways,

I agree with you on the rent, may be double the food prices.

100/200 per person , per meal. Is that what you mean Paul.?

 

I remember you saying you visited north as well, I'm guessing it was cheaper than Goa. Right?

 

For me Kodaikanal is the best holiday destination rent a house on top a mountain, Some wood to burn, some food to eat and some of those bullets :P and see those mountains come alive I don't like the food over there. You can always cook for yourself as most houses come with equipped with gas and stuff.

[Paul Eye]

Hey! 2000 is a good price, isn't it?

Yes. Less than what I'd have paid (and still do) for rent alone for 4 months in Helsinki. And that 2000 included everything.

 

100/200 per person , per meal. Is that what you mean Paul.?

 

I remember you saying you visited north as well, I'm guessing it was cheaper than Goa. Right?

Can't remember the specifics. Prices of course vary depending on where and what you eat

[Starkraver]

Yes. Less than what I'd have paid (and still do) for rent alone for 4 months in Helsinki. And that 2000 included everything.

 

Oh! good trip!

 

Can't remember the specifics. Prices of course vary depending on where and what you eat

Absolutely. If you like seafood, you are definitely having a feast over there for a decent price. Although same cannot be said about vegans.

[Celaripo]

thanks for these interesting replies - actually it is not really a plan that i have but was wondering since i travelled a bit last 3 years and most of the time was living with my savings + some money i made online - translations for instance

life in goa does sound quite cheap =)

[Trunksan]

My trips to India have always been on the expensive side. Both times it was roughly 2000 eur for 2 months (flights included). However, I take internal flights and I do a LOT of shopping. Both times after returning back home, I orgainsed a party and I had a big heap of things (t-shirts, clothes, decorative stuff, jewllery...) and I everyone could take 1 piece. Obviously, the best stuff I kept for me.

 

I'm going again in July for 1.5 month, this time more organised and I'm only focusing on the North West: Delhi, Rajastan, Armitsar, Kashmir, Ladakh/Leh, Himahcal and back to delhi for Agra and Varanasi. I would have liked to go to Nepal, but after the earthquake I decided to skip it, I can imagine how bad the infrastructure must have become.

 

Goa is expensive compared to the rest of India but still very cheap for "Western" standards. A lot of travelers spend a few months working overtime at their home countries and then have enough money to last them for years in India. For me being Greek, is not so easy, since our salaries here are very low compared to Northern Europe and we have very high taxation, so not much can be left aside.

 

So far, Hampi, has been my favorite place in India.

[Starkraver]

 

So far, Hampi, has been my favorite place in India.

Hampi is beautiful so you have been to my home state. Very nice. Some beautiful architectural marvels nearby.

 

Western India is a good choice. Travelled Eastwards? Easy is sublime!! But there are armed uprisings, abductions and stuff. So not ideal.

 

Yes, Nepal is not the ideal place right now. I'm sure you are aware of the blockade and the energy crises due to differences between the government and Madhesi communities regarding their new constitution.

[Shpongled247]

Some great answers here already, Trunksan is on the money. Friends that i made there usually are not living there fulltime, rather travelling, following the festival circuit. A lot selling clothing or jewellery at stalls and markets. Sometimes if the business is a bit larger after few years they are selling online as well. Then, well they try and live very cheaply from place to place, forgoing some luxuries I suppose and taking it day to day. I still haven't quite put my thoughts together about Goa properly after my season there so I won't go into that but yeah, it was mixed, sometimes great if you find the right time and place and sometimes not. And then in the end sometimes it is what you make it as well..

[Trunksan]

Hampi is beautiful so you have been to my home state. Very nice. Some beautiful architectural marvels nearby.

 

Western India is a good choice. Travelled Eastwards? Easy is sublime!! But there are armed uprisings, abductions and stuff. So not ideal.

 

Yes, Nepal is not the ideal place right now. I'm sure you are aware of the blockade and the energy crises due to differences between the government and Madhesi communities regarding their new constitution.

I've been to Mysore and Hampi. Cosmo (psynews member) is from Mysore and was lucky to meet him there, since he studied at Bangalore Uni but his family home is at Mysore. We made a post about it in 2006/7.

 

Only travelled at the west side. Most of it in fact (don't remember all the region names). Rajhastan, Bombay (marahastra?), Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal, Goa... Spent very little time at Delhi region (Only a few days in Delhi and Noida where I have some friends).

[Starkraver]

I've been to Mysore and Hampi. Cosmo (psynews member) is from Mysore and was lucky to meet him there, since he studied at Bangalore Uni but his family home is at Mysore. We made a post about it in 2006/7.

Very Nice. I look for the post.

 

Only travelled at the west side. Most of it in fact (don't remember all the region names). Rajhastan, Bombay (marahastra?), Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal, Goa... Spent very little time at Delhi region (Only a few days in Delhi and Noida where I have some friends).

Its Maharashtra.

Eastern side has its own set of amazing places too. Sun Temple, Buddhist Pilgrim circuit. The real beauty is North-East. Amazing places for Nature/Wildlife Tourism if you are into it.

[Oopie]

I seriously got a little fed up by the hippie 'do fuck all nothing, smoke, eat and go to party' attitude when I spent a good while there. Guess that's what you're supposed to do on a holiday!... but maybe not for several months in a row? Sorry, I just think in times like these we're living, 'chilling out all the time' is selfish attitude, but each to their own. I loved the Indian and Nepalese hard working people and made lots of great friends with them, but especially the introverted 'lets hang out at our own hebrew cafe' Israeli people in the North was sometimes a bit too much take. I imagine, and have heard, that the situation is somewhat similar in Goa with Russian people. I'm not really looking to generalize here or do any hate speech. Just an observation.

 

How do people make it financially? Yes I guess you'd always find a way if you need to. India is a big country full of possibilies. Sab kuch milega! Maybe have a trade of some sort? I can tell to have survived about 3 months with 0 euro like a proper Suomi baba.

[Trunksan]

I seriously got a little fed up by the hippie 'do fuck all nothing, smoke, eat and go to party' attitude when I spent a good while there. Guess that's what you're supposed to do on a holiday!... but maybe not for several months in a row? Sorry, I just think in times like these we're living, 'chilling out all the time' is selfish attitude, but each to their own. I loved the Indian and Nepalese hard working people and made lots of great friends with them, but especially the introverted 'lets hang out at our own hebrew cafe' Israeli people in the North was sometimes a bit too much take. I imagine, and have heard, that the situation is somewhat similar in Goa with Russian people. I'm not really looking to generalize here or do any hate speech. Just an observation.

 

How do people make it financially? Yes I guess you'd always find a way if you need to. India is a big country full of possibilies. Sab kuch milega! Maybe have a trade of some sort? I can tell to have survived about 3 months with 0 euro like a proper Suomi baba.

 

Well, India is full of young Israelis travelling and older Israelis control the drug and party scene. It must be lucrative since I know of a German girl that tried to sell big quantities of charas in Pushkar and the Israelis snitched her. They arrested her in front of me and she snitched some other guys on the spot, the Indians got a beating with bamboo sticks while the French were taken even without handcuffs.

The whole story even made it to national news, I was in Bombay a few days after and I told the story to an Indian girl and she brought a newspaper the following afternoon with the report about a German girl (Aisha was her "Indian" name) and a British-Indian baba being arrested in Pushkar for 10kilos of charas. The baba got away with it since they couldn't form a case against him, she went to prison though.

 

It was the second time, that something that I was involved in, made it to national news. The first one was Moondust festival in Rajhastan being raided. I don't have problems with cops but I'll always hate them for this. I was making out with a SUPER SWEET Swedish girl called Maitz (or something like that) from Malme that was heavily involved in the Swedish Goa/Psy scene, she was very surprised that I knew of tens of artists from Sweden (Tegma, Hux Flux, Logic Bomb, Atmos, Miraculix...) so she was very fond of me because (unlike most people) I had such knowledge.

We were more than 20 ppl smoking joints around the fire and an Indian guy (stoned out of his head) was claiming that he's a cop. I was the first to make fun of him, calling him "Cartman, respect my authoritaaaaa". Little did I know that he was an undercover cop and a few hours later the place would be raided and I lost track of my Sweedish darling.

She was there with Neuromotor (Fred) and initially I though she was his GF but ,to my great pleasure, I quikcly found out that Fred was married and they were just good friends since Fred's first steps in music.

 

Anyway... I always wish I had spent more time with her!

[Starkraver]

a proper Suomi baba.

Suomi baba ki jai ho

 

I want to know the story, pinging you right away

[Starkraver]

Well, India is full of young Israelis travelling and older Israelis control the drug and party scene. It must be lucrative since I know of a German girl that tried to sell big quantities of charas in Pushkar and the Israelis snitched her. They arrested her in front of me and she snitched some other guys on the spot, the Indians got a beating with bamboo sticks while the French were taken even without handcuffs.

The whole story even made it to national news, I was in Bombay a few days after and I told the story to an Indian girl and she brought a newspaper the following afternoon with the report about a German girl (Aisha was her "Indian" name) and a British-Indian baba being arrested in Pushkar for 10kilos of charas. The baba got away with it since they couldn't form a case against him, she went to prison though.

 

It was the second time, that something that I was involved in, made it to national news. The first one was Moondust festival in Rajhastan being raided. I don't have problems with cops but I'll always hate them for this. I was making out with a SUPER SWEET Swedish girl called Maitz (or something like that) from Malme that was heavily involved in the Swedish Goa/Psy scene, she was very surprised that I knew of tens of artists from Sweden (Tegma, Hux Flux, Logic Bomb, Atmos, Miraculix...) so she was very fond of me because (unlike most people) I had such knowledge.

We were more than 20 ppl smoking joints around the fire and an Indian guy (stoned out of his head) was claiming that he's a cop. I was the first to make fun of him, calling him "Cartman, respect my authoritaaaaa". Little did I know that he was an undercover cop and a few hours later the place would be raided and I lost track of my Sweedish darling.

She was there with Neuromotor (Fred) and initially I though she was his GF but ,to my great pleasure, I quikcly found out that Fred was married and they were just good friends since Fred's first steps in music.

 

Anyway... I always wish I had spent more time with her!

sad to hear about you and the girl.

 

You might not be lucky , the 3rd time. It would be sad if you went back with a bad memory. Just try to respect the laws of the country you are visiting as much as you can.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[Trunksan]

You might not be lucky , the 3rd time. It would be sad if you went back with a bad memory. Just try to respect the laws of the country you are visiting as much as you can.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Well, I wasn't even remotely involved in both cases. The organisers were in trouble at Moondust and the German girl just happened to be staying at the same hotel as me.

 

I have a very good relationship with cops and the local authorities, they know I'm a decent and socially active professional and I'm involved with the local community so they respect me. One of my best friend's (my friend is an amateur drug dealer) brother in law is a cop and we go to basketball games together, people smoke pot all the time in Greek stadiums (I guess this doesn't happen at most EU stadiums, maybe except Italy and Portugal) but he's cool with it. Also the vice-chief of the local Police station is a young guy and whenever they need speakers,mics or projectors, the company that I work for rents them for free, so whenever I see him at restaurants or bars he always buys me drinks,

The same with the mayor, because the municipality owes as money (I guess you know about the dismal state of the Greek State) I have his mobile and direct line, so if I need something I get it on the spot bypassing all the buraucracy.

 

Hell, even cops in Goa were very surpised at how much respect I was showing them and how politely I was talking. I guess they deal with a lot of shit from drunken tourists and rotten hippies.

 

I know how the system works and I work with it.

[Starkraver]

Well, I wasn't even remotely involved in both cases. The organisers were in trouble at Moondust and the German girl just happened to be staying at the same hotel as me.

 

I have a very good relationship with cops and the local authorities, they know I'm a decent and socially active professional and I'm involved with the local community so they respect me. One of my best friend's (my friend is an amateur drug dealer) brother in law is a cop and we go to basketball games together, people smoke pot all the time in Greek stadiums (I guess this doesn't happen at most EU stadiums, maybe except Italy and Portugal) but he's cool with it. Also the vice-chief of the local Police station is a young guy and whenever they need speakers,mics or projectors, the company that I work for rents them for free, so whenever I see him at restaurants or bars he always buys me drinks,

The same with the mayor, because the municipality owes as money (I guess you know about the dismal state of the Greek State) I have his mobile and direct line, so if I need something I get it on the spot bypassing all the buraucracy.

 

Hell, even cops in Goa were very surpised at how much respect I was showing them and how politely I was talking. I guess they deal with a lot of shit from drunken tourists and rotten hippies.

 

I know how the system works and I work with it.

Awesome