I want a simple life—not a boring one.
Somewhere along the way, “simple living” got tangled up with a very specific aesthetic. One that involves fleeing the city, moving to the countryside, keeping chickens, growing vegetables, and learning to make your own clothes. For some, that sounds like a dream. For others, it's a logistical nightmare—especially when you run out of toothpaste and the nearest shop is an hour away.
I grew up in a village. I know the charm of country life wears thin quickly when there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do. I love nature—rolling hills, long walks, birdsong—but I’d rather visit than live right in the middle of it. I like spontaneity too much. I like walking out the door and discovering an art exhibit or a new coffee shop. I like texting a friend and meeting them thirty minutes later without needing a car or a week’s notice.
Cities aren’t known for their simplicity. They’re noisy, expensive, overcrowded, and constantly pushing you to consume—more time, more convenience, more stuff. And that’s exactly why learning to live simply here, in the middle of it all, feels not just radical, but necessary.
Because real slow living isn’t about location. It’s about intention. It’s not about baking sourdough or abandoning modern life—it’s about moving through your life with more awareness, not on autopilot. Whether you’re in a crowded city or a quiet village, you get to decide your pace. You get to decide what simple means to you.
Not a cottagecore fantasy. But real life, wherever you happen to be.
What Does Simple Living Look Like in a City?
City life can be simple—just not in the off-grid, back-to-the-land way some imagine it to be. It’s about intentional living, not necessarily moving to a remote cottage in the countryside. For many, simplicity means using less, enjoying what you already have, slowing down, and making space (literal and emotional) to live more fully.
How a Small Home Can Simplify Your Life
City homes are tiny. That sounds like a curse, but it’s actually a blessing in disguise. Less room means less stuff, less cleaning, less upkeep, less stress.
My flat is small but it’s mine, perfectly curated, and clutter-free. Nothing sneaks in “just in case.” Everything earns its place, and that forces me to think twice before I bring something new home. That kind of intentional editing is quietly liberating.
A tidy, energising space sets the tone for the whole day. Clearing physical clutter as well as digital distractions is the easiest first step. Keep what’s useful or beautiful, and let go of the rest. This isn’t just about your floor space; it’s about mental space. When you declutter your home, you declutter your mind. Suddenly, you’re living intentionally, not just on autopilot.
City life has its perks too like rooftop gardens, communal laundry rooms, and shared social spaces that make life easier and more sociable. And living car-free isn’t just easier, it’s cheaper, healthier, and better for the planet. More walking, less hassle.
Minimalist Living Through City Experiences
Simple living isn’t just about having fewer things—it’s about having more life, right outside your door. While the countryside might promise quiet and space, it often falls short on spontaneity and unexpected moments.
In a city, new experiences are everywhere: free concerts, pop-up food markets, community workshops. Gallery visits, park picnics, takeaway coffee, and last-minute meet-ups with friends can turn ordinary days into something memorable.
The city offers experiences that feed your soul, not your shopping habit. Entertainment isn’t locked behind a paywall or hidden in new purchases. Simple urban living means swapping endless scrolling and impulse buys for real, meaningful moments—moments that don’t come wrapped in plastic or stuffed into bags but enrich your life in ways things never can.
Simple doesn’t mean boring. In fact, city simplicity is richer, fuller, and more vibrant than the quietest countryside because it’s fuelled by people and possibility—not possessions.
How to Slow Down and Find Calm in the City
Peace doesn’t need silence or solitude. Calm is a skill, a choice.
Even in the busiest city, quiet moments exist—if you know where to look for them. A tree-lined side street that feels worlds away from the noise, a near-empty library with the comforting smell of old books, or the hushed calm right before the city has woken up.
For me, calm lives in the small rituals: putting my phone away at meal times, taking the scenic route home, hitting play on a familiar playlist when I need to reset. It’s watering my house plants on a Sunday morning, walking my dog with no rush. These tiny habits might not seem radical, but they’re how I stay grounded in the chaos.
Simple living in the city means actively seeking these moments out. A quiet café, a tucked-away gallery, a park bench in the shade. My sanctuary is the local library’s secret rooftop garden. Finding spots like this makes the city feel less overwhelming and more like a friendly place to relax and feel human again.
Reconnecting With Nature in the City
Nature isn't miles away. It’s quietly woven through the city, waiting patiently for you to acknowledge it. The wildflowers climbing brick walls, a fox darting through an alley at 2 a.m., or the slow colour shift of a lone tree outside your window.
You can create your own urban oasis. Fill your home with houseplants or experiment with growing things from seed. Even the tiniest balcony or windowsill can bloom with herbs, wildflowers, or a small water feature. Container gardening and community offer city dwellers a vital to reconnect with the earth, right in the heart of the concrete jungle.
The city might not be able to give you sweeping forests, but it does offer a thousand tiny green moments if you slow down enough to see them. From leaves rustling on a quiet street to wildflowers bursting through pavement cracks—nature hasn't vanished. It’s just hiding in plain sight, waiting for you to notice.
Sustainable Shopping Habits for City Living
Cities are a sensory overload. Every street corner, every bus stop ad, every scroll shouts at you to Buy more! Upgrade faster! Keep up! The relentless pressure to consume can feel overwhelming and exhausting.
Simple living here isn’t about saying no to everything. It’s about saying yes to watch matters and making choices that reflect your values. Shopping secondhand, supporting local shops, ignoring seasonal trends, fixing instead of trashing things. These become acts of rebellion.
Luxury isn’t excess. It’s knowing when you’ve got enough.
In a city screaming consumerism at full volume, choosing to consume consciously is one of the quietest, strongest rebellions you can make—and one of the most powerful ways to live simply, sustainably, and meaningfully.
How to Build Community in a Busy City
Cities can feel like a world of strangers and unknown places. Where anonymity is easy and tapping through apps to avoid real interaction is tempting. But simple city living is about something deeper: choosing to engage, not escape. To connect, not isolate.
Community is what makes a place home. It’s the market stall vendor who knows your name. The neighbour who lends you a drill. The morning hello from a stranger walking their dog. The invite to a last-minute local gathering. These small acts turn buildings into a welcoming neighbourhood.
Investing in community means embracing the messy, chaotic joy of shared life—chatting in line, volunteering locally, waving at familiar faces. It roots you in the city’s rhythm and makes even the busiest days bearable.
Simplicity isn’t just about decluttering stuff. It’s about enriching your life with what really matters: kindness, connection, belonging. Choosing community in a vast city is radical and joyful—physically, emotionally, and socially.
The Challenges of Slow Living in the City
Simple living in the city isn’t always simple or easy. The pace is relentless, the noise never quite fades. Slowing down takes effort.
Not every neighbourhood is safe or walkable. Going car-free sounds idyllic until you’re stranded by unreliable public transport. Green space isn’t always easy to come by either. Parks can be crowded, noisy, or paved over, and sometimes the only real escape is a long drive away. And tiny flats can start to feel more like shoeboxes than sanctuaries when what you really want is a garden, or just a quiet outdoor space.
And socially, it can be isolating when your values don’t align with the city’s career-driven, always-on culture. Choosing a slower pace can feel like swimming against the tide—while everyone else is sprinting toward the next promotion, the next party, the next thing. You might drift from friends whose lives revolve around staying constantly plugged in. And sometimes, choosing differently means choosing to be alone.
But that’s part of the point. Slowing down in a fast city is an act of resistance. And like all acts of resistance, it comes with friction.
Why Simple Living in the City Is a Radical Choice
Choosing simple living in the city is an act of defiance. Saying no to the relentless hustle, the endless grind, the constant “more.” It’s not about cutting out joy or fun. It’s about being deliberate—making room for the things that light you up and letting the rest go.
For me, that means a small, curated home. Slow weekends packed with free events and long walks. Knowing I don’t have to escape to find peace—I’ve built it here, in the middle of it all.
What Simple Living in the City Really Looks Like
A simple life doesn’t have to be rural, quiet, or beige. It doesn’t have to mean boredom or deprivation.
In a city, simple living might look like a secondhand wardrobe, a tiny kitchen, a daily routine, and the refusal to let urgency dictate your day. It’s about choosing a walk over a rush, saying yes to less so you can feel more.
Because simple doesn’t mean small. It means enough.