Well people ' say ' things all the time . There ' s no point getting too hung up on literal words people use . Anyway , different people probably use the phrase to mean different things . It can be analysed to death but what could be achieved from doing that ? Every ' local ' in a place has their own lifestyle and interests . I don ' t drive a car but take transport everywhere . I shop at a fresh food market and cook a lot . But my neighbour might drive everywhere , shop at an expensive supermarket , eat out most nights , and go clubbing every weekend . Our ' local ' experiences are different but we are both locals . I live in Melbourne Australia and like many ' locals ' I actually have zero interest in Australian Rules Football . But according to any tourist guide , being mad about Australian Rules Football is the true local experience and everyone must attend a match . But that said , I can ' t recall actually hearing any individual say they want to experience a place like a local . I think I ' ve seen the phrase in advertising for Airbnb , but that ' s advertising not something someone has said .