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Can you live on Bitcoin? I’m heading to Lugano to find out 🇨🇭
52 sats \ 4 comments \ @kira 28 Jul bitcoin
Today I want to share something that really inspired me:
A Bitcoiner I follow spent 11 full days living only on Bitcoin in Lugano, after her bank account was suddenly blocked.
Her story was so striking that I wrote an article about it: 👉 https://medium.com/@kiracoco/living-on-bitcoin-isnt-the-problem-the-problem-is-the-world-still-runs-on-fiat-6b0ab7063925
And now… it’s my turn.
In one week, I’m traveling to Lugano to spend a full day using only BTC .
I want to see firsthand whether the “Plan ₿” city really lets you live without touching fiat, even if just for 24 hours.
🗣️ I’d love to hear from others: • Have you ever tried living only on Bitcoin, even for a while? • What obstacles did you run into? • What would you recommend for someone who wants to try?
🔧 I’m especially looking for: • Practical tips • Recommended wallets (I’ll be using Lightning) • Places or methods to pay directly in BTC (no conversion)
➕ If you’ve been to Lugano or live nearby, I’d love to hear your experience!
⚡ Thanks for reading. Any zap will be appreciated and reinvested in this small experiment.
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200 sats \ 1 reply \ @Catcher 28 Jul
Spent two days there – you can do it, but it’s bloody expensive. (Not sure where you're coming from, but I definitely wasn’t mentally prepared for how much money I ended up spending. Avoid restaurants if you can =))
General impression: Many merchants don’t really understand the difference between Bitcoin and crypto. The payment terminals seem to offer lots of coins to choose from and merchants do not really care how you pay. You will probably need to help them choose a right coin;)
Payments: I ended up transferring funds from my node to Wallet of Satoshi to avoid the frustration of long waits. Using Zeus via Tailscale was just too unreliable.
Places: BTC Map was a super helpful tool. That said, most of the restaurants I visited were expensive. The only cheap spot I found was an ice cream pop-up by the lake. I think McDonald's also accepts Bitcoin, but I didn’t go inside to confirm.
Lido di Lugano is a really nice place. The bar inside accepts Bitcoin, but I believe you still have to pay the entrance fee by card. Maybe they take Bitcoin now too—worth a try 😉
Good luck! 😉
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @kira OP 28 Jul
Thanks a lot for the tips!
I had already considered using Wallet of Satoshi, and maybe Phoenix as a backup.
BTC Map sounds super helpful, I’d heard about it but never really used it. I’ll make sure to check it out before I go.
And now you’ve got me obsessed with finding that ice cream pop-up by the lake 😅 (I need to try it).
About food… hey, when in doubt, a good old McDonald’s never hurts 🍔⚡
Appreciate the heads up on prices — I probably won’t be too shocked, but I’ll still keep an eye on the budget 😉
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121 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 28 Jul
Come to madeira - it's easy to live on a bitcoin standard here
I've been doing for almost a year
The nice thing is that it's btc only - not a single merchant takes shitcoins
You can lease a flat, buy a house, rent a car, go to the supermarket, visit dentists, pharmacy, mushrooms, you name it
check out: https://njump.me/nprofile1qqsv45qvfz5vdzwn9478wzusyggjf44x3w7xk8f3cgpe4px44wgv77cpr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzvuq32amnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3dwfjkccte9eshquqzhddc4
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kira OP 28 Jul
Sounds incredible to know that Madeira is already that advanced in real BTC usage. Definitely adding it to my list of future places to visit 🧭
I love that you highlighted it’s Bitcoin-only — no confusion, no distractions. That’s how it should be.
Thanks for sharing the link, and congrats on living the standard full time.
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