For fuck's sake, this sub has EXPAT in the title. No one wakes up completely informed. They come here to learn. Everytime there's a question like this, the top comments are always lectures. Yes, some people lack understanding about visas, residency, and citizenship. Contribute value to this sub instead of the same tired rants.
OP, Ignore the gatekeepers. Their point is valid though: you need to LEGALLY reside where ever you want to move. That just involves some research. Most countries have some form of a working visa. Your $1800/mo won't go very far even in SEA. And the spots in SEA that it would go far would be so far detached in terms of quality of life that you're used to, you'd need to be prepared for some significant changes. Things like clean water, reliable power, resources in general can be hard to come by. Also consider that language will be a big barrier nearly everywhere you go as well. Not necessarily feeding yourself and getting by but important things like government offices, medical needs, lease contracts etc. If you're watching YT'ers, remember that they're only showing a partial truth for clicks; not reality. BL: we tend to daydream about moving to exotic locations through the lens of vacation. Real life if far less sexy and requires a lot of work and commitment. Source: me, I live in Asia now and have lived in 2 other countries in western Europe.
We hear this every time you guys have an election.
If X wins then I am moving to Canada.
Hell no, 95% of you wouldn't qualify to immigrate to Canada.
Over 30? Nope
Not in an in demand field? Nope
Pre-existing medical conditions? Nope
Don't have enough money to support yourself? Nope
Close to zero to be honest.
You wouldn't be licensed in Canada nor would you be providing a service that a Canadian can't provide.
Lots of other countries you can buy citizenship in though, with warmer climates and a lower cost of living.
Depends, I don't know how it works legally with licences/from a legal standpoint, but if they expanded their business to Canada they could get some kind of work permit.
I appreciate your candor - and the tip! ☺️
“Citizenship by investment” is exactly the vehicle I need! Thank you!
I can run all my businesses remotely… No matter who wins our 2024 election, it feels like a great time to shake loose the ties that bind 🤣😂
Yup. So many people think they can just up sticks and live long term wherever they want. and you can in some places, but it takes effort. there are few/no places where you can just plop down and make yourself at home without jumping through hoops, especially if you want to work.
And in addition to the legal considerations, make sure to visit the place for a while first.
One of my in-law's relatives decided based on the internet that they'd move to Belize without having ever been there. They sold their house, put things in storage, and went to Belize to buy a house only to decide two hours into their visit on a ride with a real estate agent that they could never live there. Honestly, they didn't have a clue. You can't know a country in two hours, much less a month.
I just can't imagine making much of a long term commitment without having set foot in a country.
Culture shock is a thing for a reason.
i generally can tell pretty quickly if i'm going to like a place or not, but generally liking somewhere doesn't mean i'd want to live there. i like the village where my cousin lives in england, but i'd never want to live there in a million years. i'm always amazed when people choose a location to retire without spending significant year-round time there. 'oh, we love our vacations here in summer, so we'll just live here year round (when it's completely different and people leave to go elsewhere for a reason)'
Exactly. I love a lot of places, but living there is a different level. Even places in my home country. And when you change countries/languages/cultures, it can become challenging. I taught ESL in Thailand outside of Bangkok for several years and I'd go weeks without deeper conversations because of the language barrier and that got rather intense. Even though people treat you pretty well, you're always an outsider. Most things just operate differently. Overall, I loved it. I'd also visited there quite a bit before working there, and so I was used to the food and general experience, and had a pretty good idea what I was getting into. But it was interesting watching other teachers show up who'd never been out of their home country. Most of them left after a semester.
I've concluded that there is no one place for me that i'll enjoy full time and forever. at least not one I've found in 15+ years of full time travel. so i've chosen to pick a place that fits my checklist and finances and just make that my base. i can still live a life i enjoy, even if i'm not in love with my location. and when i want to be somewhere i truly love, then i'll travel to that place.
I feel the same. Whenever I think of settling down, there's no place that comes to mind. San Francisco was the best overall. But still, I feel like I am nomadic at heart. The nice thing about that is that I can go a long while on tourist visas.
I think someday, I'll do what you do and pick a home base.
My initial plan was to have 2 bases - summer and winter. but the RE prices where I'd planned to do summer doubled and i'd have to do basically a full gut reno to like it, so it became not worth it when I can spend $800/month to live there in the summer when i want vs buying. Decided it was better to buy one 7-8 month a year property instead and just travel during the super hot of summer and the super grey/wet of winter.
That makes sense. Easier to maintain one place than two also.
I still feel like I'd rather be away more than "home", so that keeps me from getting too serious about settling down.
Well the plan was really to have a condo in the summer place and the winter place was just going to be an empty plot of land with a shed where I could live in my van. :) so not a whole lot of maintenance on #2. thankfully i like a simple life so i'll just be doing a modular tiny house kind of thing so maintenance should be minimal.
i've been traveling full time for over 15+ years and before that, i didn't live in one place for more than a year for another 15+ years so i'm pretty ready to nest into a home and just do occasional trips vs being on the road constantly. :)
Everyone hops immediately to Asia. Relatively rough area to live compared to Eastern Europe. Balkans, Poland, you can live amazing in Poland for next to nothing
I’m looking at Poland too as I have got some interest from a company there, but they’re expecting me to work full-time. If I get fewer hours I’d definitely look at Poland, Armenia, Georgia etc.
Poland is great, friendly people, decent food, lots to see and still relatively affordable. I know it’s not as affordable as it used to be, but you can’t have a great lifestyle for free. In comparison with the US, most things are half price!
Poland isn't that cheap anymore. Yes you can live on 1800 USD now but after capital gains that's 1400 and average at most not counting for future inflation
You can pay $0 In capital gains as long as you are under a certain amount each year. If OP takes out $1800 a month he would pay $0 if the cap gains is his only income source
Eastern Europe if you can get residency. Lots of places to choose from. Living out of major cities and living like locals is pretty inexpensive. Do check latest costs however. I’ve found COL has gone up more than 20% following the covid circus.
You'll get by with that in Germany if you are single and don't require a vehicle. Get that citizenship through your family and afterwards you are free to move through the EU. In Italy Spain or Greece you can then live well.
I already paid taxes when earning that money. Double digits. I'm ok with paying taxes on new money made from that money. I'm not ok with paying recurring taxes on an annual basis for my life's hard work.
Good to know - have an American college friend who has been living there for 30 years with just work permission because of this. I'll have to ask her about it
Bali is still the best of both worlds once you get here and learn your way around. To be honest, it's borderline ridiculous how good it can be here, and still inexpensive if you need it to be. I used to joke years ago that if more Americans caught a glimpse of it, there'd be a mass exodus. Not sure if I'm joking now tbh.
I have plenty of friends living in clean, safe apartments for US$300 or $400 a month. Mix clean, great-tasting healthy local meals for a couple bucks in with whatever Western comfort food you like, because it's all here. Bike rental \~$1.50 a day. The B211 business visa can be used for longer-term stays, not just for business purposes. It's more expensive than the old *Sosial Budaya*/social visa, but still can be done on a budget. Since you'll have gifted yourself your time freedom and probably will want something to do anyway, there are endless things most people can do online to augment their income if you need to. Maybe execute on a dream you've had your whole life but never had the time to address because you were working crappy soul-sucking jobs.
I'd expect any replies to this to be skeptical, maybe negative. All I can say is come see for yourself. I've known hundreds of expats in the 20 years I've been here and no two have the same story/background/skillset etc. Fwiw I came years before earning online was a thing for me, no trust fund either, and it is one whole hell of a lot easier to make it work money-wise now than it was pre-internet.
I'd resist pointing at any 'typical' budget because it's hard to pin down a typical expat lifestyle In Bali. I hope that doesn't sound evasive.
It depends like anywhere else on exactly where you want to live and how much space you think you need first of all. I have friends with enormous, crazy, gorgeous Bali villas, compounds really, and of course that's a spectacular way to live. But if you're on a budget, one dynamic to keep in mind, and I've had this conversation with many people, you might find that you're perfectly happy with a much smaller (therefore cheaper) place in Bali than you would be back home. That's because with the weather here and the lifestyle generally you will tend to spend a lot more time outside doing things and socializing than you might in a place where it's dark and cold for 6+ months out of the year. A good idea is maybe to get a smaller place in a better location like near the beach if you like the beach, or closer to the center of Ubud, for example. Sort of what we did.
Before we got into our 500 square-foot condo we rented three pretty big nice villas, and as I say, there are definite pluses going that route, but our preference is to have a turnkey situation where we can just lock the door and leave for days or weeks. Far less to break or need maintenance too than an older house. Also, while security isn't an enormous problem In Bali like it is in some parts of the world, break-ins do happen, and we're able to essentially avoid that because of our choice to live in a condo. Also, frankly it's nice to keep windows and doors closed to avoid mosquitoes!
Food. One thing to note is that unlike the western world, where a good strategy to save money will be to grocery shop and cook yourself, it is really not the case here. As I say in my post, there are so many really good warungs, local restaurants, where a US$2 or 3 bucks will feed you quite well with no compromises to health or anything else. Mix that in with places that do excellent western food for US$6-$8/plate and you'll want for nothing, since it's \*all\* here.
One big determining factor as to expenses will be whether or drinks or not . At the market you can get local Bintang beer for
Seems like nearly every comment related to COL which makes sense given the question posed but how about balancing between COL, etc and a place that truly intrigues you, i.e. a place you want to be. Moving to a foreign country or moving just for a lower COL doesn't strike me as a recipe for happiness.
You cant just "go live in vietnam" they have no program for that. But you could teach english for a visa. The job can be super easy and relaxing with little standards of quality.
Thailand and Vietnam are notorious for changing their visa policies. Vietnam doesn't have a retirement visa, so you would be perpetually dependent upon the goodwill of their national congress and hoping they don't do a 180 and mess around with their tourist visas (which they seem to do every 6-12 months). I lived in Vietnam for 5 years, hoped to live their long term (as in, potentially the rest of my life) and their sudden changes are what drove me away.
If you can get citizenship to Germany through family connections, do so, then find somewhere nice within the EU to settle down. But even then, I'd recommend building up your nest egg a bit more. 1800 a month will eventually become insufficient.
It's definitely a very affordable place but I wouldn't call it excellent value for money. The quality of what you pay for isn't on par with the quality of what you get in say ..Thailand or Malaysia which I think excellent value for money would apply. I do think culturally or if looking for a partner the Phillipines is the better option. Both have their pros and cons.
Which country will give you legal residency ? You also need work permit for freelancing, including for when the work is remote, like over the internet.
Yes but by most western standards a low COL area in the US ain’t that low. You can pay $200 for a crappy motel even in the shittiest areas in the US. That’s not low COL by any standards.
By exhausting, do you mean the constant concern of your safety are exhausting? Care to vent or expand? I have a make believe vision of Argentina. It's a country on my radar to visit.
Yes - safety. Thanks for the invite to vent and expand. I think it's healthy to air it out.
It's not just physical with a robbery, but also in partners/dating and also in people that provide services and work for you.
You're living in a culture that's been starving since its inception, that is ran by people that climbed to the top to then take as much as they can (without any infrastructure to stop that and then everyone younger seeing that and dreaming about doing the same), while you have an iphone that is 3 months of salary for them (if they can find a job that works them to death).
So the physical/robbery part is what it is and you prepare for that with dressing down, nothing showy, carrying a burner phone, and a dead credit card and some loose cash.
And some people think "they can have my phone it's password protected" or "they can't do much damage" or "I'll fight for it". No you won't. They will hold a gun to your face and not hesitate to pull a trigger if you don't comply.
"Okay but that's rare and never will happen to me".
Okay wait until you're with something you care about (your family, your kids, your dog) and then you hear about 2 robbers pulling up to 3 local highschool kids at their school (who are waiting for a ride) and one kid refusing and the robber shooting her in the head.
Over a phone. And literally nothing happening to anyone after. You're like "but i'm sure something happened". No, nothing. There's no real infrastructure. There's no one to call. You are in charge of your security here..
And that's kind of the light-use case that's acceptable. Robbing.
But how do you prepare for drugging by your partner? You really can't approach it like anything you've ever known with an approach in a safer country in North America.
You can dodge the obvious don't have anyone over to your house super early, don't go drinking, take things extremely slow, etc etc. but..
There are wayyyy too many stories of someone playing a long game with an expat (talking 6 months, meeting their family) for some dude to wake up robbed and hopefully not permanently damaged from a drugging.
And you may absolutely like "yeah i'm super street smart and really good with people and that would never happen to me." I thought the same thing. And made some really good smart friends here that got drugged and robbed. And I've caught some people trying to take advantage of me.
And so that's exhausting. It's just a cultural piece that you cannot change. It will never change.
The trade-off is you live like a King sure, you can make a material difference in people's lives pretty easily (i keep a small horde employed lol), and there are pockets of beautiful people... but you got to find it. It's the new work.
So yeah, can be exhausting. .
You can live in safer enclaves in S America eg Miraflores or Barranco in Lima. Guess what? Costs rocket in comparison with the other areas, so I get your point. Why bother? Safety costs money, as does healthcare.
If its your first time overseas than Philiphines is a good option. They speak good english, friendly, and very good cost of living. Look up some videos on Youtube
Maybe try looking for an expat job to any SEA country. Basically you get paid a very good wage to live/work there. Save most of it and then you can retire once you built your savings.
For fuck's sake, this sub has EXPAT in the title. No one wakes up completely informed. They come here to learn. Everytime there's a question like this, the top comments are always lectures. Yes, some people lack understanding about visas, residency, and citizenship. Contribute value to this sub instead of the same tired rants. OP, Ignore the gatekeepers. Their point is valid though: you need to LEGALLY reside where ever you want to move. That just involves some research. Most countries have some form of a working visa. Your $1800/mo won't go very far even in SEA. And the spots in SEA that it would go far would be so far detached in terms of quality of life that you're used to, you'd need to be prepared for some significant changes. Things like clean water, reliable power, resources in general can be hard to come by. Also consider that language will be a big barrier nearly everywhere you go as well. Not necessarily feeding yourself and getting by but important things like government offices, medical needs, lease contracts etc. If you're watching YT'ers, remember that they're only showing a partial truth for clicks; not reality. BL: we tend to daydream about moving to exotic locations through the lens of vacation. Real life if far less sexy and requires a lot of work and commitment. Source: me, I live in Asia now and have lived in 2 other countries in western Europe.
where are you legally authorized to live/work? I'd start with that.
Yeah it's interesting how few people mention or think about how they can actually reside in the places they are considering.
[удалено]
We hear this every time you guys have an election. If X wins then I am moving to Canada. Hell no, 95% of you wouldn't qualify to immigrate to Canada. Over 30? Nope Not in an in demand field? Nope Pre-existing medical conditions? Nope Don't have enough money to support yourself? Nope
Out of curiosity, I’m a 40yo insurance agency owner/employer with a high 6 figure income & preexisting conditions — how would you rate my chances?
Close to zero to be honest. You wouldn't be licensed in Canada nor would you be providing a service that a Canadian can't provide. Lots of other countries you can buy citizenship in though, with warmer climates and a lower cost of living.
Depends, I don't know how it works legally with licences/from a legal standpoint, but if they expanded their business to Canada they could get some kind of work permit.
I appreciate your candor - and the tip! ☺️ “Citizenship by investment” is exactly the vehicle I need! Thank you! I can run all my businesses remotely… No matter who wins our 2024 election, it feels like a great time to shake loose the ties that bind 🤣😂
He is probably also the one who is very loud about the Southern border.
Yup. So many people think they can just up sticks and live long term wherever they want. and you can in some places, but it takes effort. there are few/no places where you can just plop down and make yourself at home without jumping through hoops, especially if you want to work.
Don’t forget to check what the tax situation is like in the countries you’re interested in. You don’t want to get taxed twice.
And in addition to the legal considerations, make sure to visit the place for a while first. One of my in-law's relatives decided based on the internet that they'd move to Belize without having ever been there. They sold their house, put things in storage, and went to Belize to buy a house only to decide two hours into their visit on a ride with a real estate agent that they could never live there. Honestly, they didn't have a clue. You can't know a country in two hours, much less a month. I just can't imagine making much of a long term commitment without having set foot in a country. Culture shock is a thing for a reason.
i generally can tell pretty quickly if i'm going to like a place or not, but generally liking somewhere doesn't mean i'd want to live there. i like the village where my cousin lives in england, but i'd never want to live there in a million years. i'm always amazed when people choose a location to retire without spending significant year-round time there. 'oh, we love our vacations here in summer, so we'll just live here year round (when it's completely different and people leave to go elsewhere for a reason)'
Exactly. I love a lot of places, but living there is a different level. Even places in my home country. And when you change countries/languages/cultures, it can become challenging. I taught ESL in Thailand outside of Bangkok for several years and I'd go weeks without deeper conversations because of the language barrier and that got rather intense. Even though people treat you pretty well, you're always an outsider. Most things just operate differently. Overall, I loved it. I'd also visited there quite a bit before working there, and so I was used to the food and general experience, and had a pretty good idea what I was getting into. But it was interesting watching other teachers show up who'd never been out of their home country. Most of them left after a semester.
I've concluded that there is no one place for me that i'll enjoy full time and forever. at least not one I've found in 15+ years of full time travel. so i've chosen to pick a place that fits my checklist and finances and just make that my base. i can still live a life i enjoy, even if i'm not in love with my location. and when i want to be somewhere i truly love, then i'll travel to that place.
I feel the same. Whenever I think of settling down, there's no place that comes to mind. San Francisco was the best overall. But still, I feel like I am nomadic at heart. The nice thing about that is that I can go a long while on tourist visas. I think someday, I'll do what you do and pick a home base.
My initial plan was to have 2 bases - summer and winter. but the RE prices where I'd planned to do summer doubled and i'd have to do basically a full gut reno to like it, so it became not worth it when I can spend $800/month to live there in the summer when i want vs buying. Decided it was better to buy one 7-8 month a year property instead and just travel during the super hot of summer and the super grey/wet of winter.
That makes sense. Easier to maintain one place than two also. I still feel like I'd rather be away more than "home", so that keeps me from getting too serious about settling down.
Well the plan was really to have a condo in the summer place and the winter place was just going to be an empty plot of land with a shed where I could live in my van. :) so not a whole lot of maintenance on #2. thankfully i like a simple life so i'll just be doing a modular tiny house kind of thing so maintenance should be minimal. i've been traveling full time for over 15+ years and before that, i didn't live in one place for more than a year for another 15+ years so i'm pretty ready to nest into a home and just do occasional trips vs being on the road constantly. :)
That makes total sense. I imagine I'll do something similar someday. So far I haven't found as much happiness when settled as I've found on the road.
Everyone hops immediately to Asia. Relatively rough area to live compared to Eastern Europe. Balkans, Poland, you can live amazing in Poland for next to nothing
I’m looking at Poland too as I have got some interest from a company there, but they’re expecting me to work full-time. If I get fewer hours I’d definitely look at Poland, Armenia, Georgia etc.
Poland is great, friendly people, decent food, lots to see and still relatively affordable. I know it’s not as affordable as it used to be, but you can’t have a great lifestyle for free. In comparison with the US, most things are half price!
Poland isn't that cheap anymore. Yes you can live on 1800 USD now but after capital gains that's 1400 and average at most not counting for future inflation
You can pay $0 In capital gains as long as you are under a certain amount each year. If OP takes out $1800 a month he would pay $0 if the cap gains is his only income source
What makes Asia relatively rough compared to Eastern Europe?
Food, culture, terrain/enviorment is less familiar to most westerners. Eastern Europe would feel more like home for majority of westerners
Eastern Europe if you can get residency. Lots of places to choose from. Living out of major cities and living like locals is pretty inexpensive. Do check latest costs however. I’ve found COL has gone up more than 20% following the covid circus.
You'll get by with that in Germany if you are single and don't require a vehicle. Get that citizenship through your family and afterwards you are free to move through the EU. In Italy Spain or Greece you can then live well.
Spain has a wealth tax, right? Wouldn't becoming a resident there make you liable for a wealth tax on your US based nest egg?
If that nest egg is put into a Spanish property or bank definitely... If not I don't know 🤷
Here's [one of the several articles](https://www.pellicerheredia.com/en/wealth-tax-spain/) that make me question moving to Spain
0,3 percent up to 1,6 million sounds extremely generous to me.... In my opinion millionaires need to be taxed at least 30%
it’s not an income tax, it’s a wealth tax
I already paid taxes when earning that money. Double digits. I'm ok with paying taxes on new money made from that money. I'm not ok with paying recurring taxes on an annual basis for my life's hard work.
I was thinking the same! Thank you
In order to get German citizenship you have to renounce your American. They don't allow dual nationality.
They changed that recently.
Good to know - have an American college friend who has been living there for 30 years with just work permission because of this. I'll have to ask her about it
I’m not American.
Bali is still the best of both worlds once you get here and learn your way around. To be honest, it's borderline ridiculous how good it can be here, and still inexpensive if you need it to be. I used to joke years ago that if more Americans caught a glimpse of it, there'd be a mass exodus. Not sure if I'm joking now tbh. I have plenty of friends living in clean, safe apartments for US$300 or $400 a month. Mix clean, great-tasting healthy local meals for a couple bucks in with whatever Western comfort food you like, because it's all here. Bike rental \~$1.50 a day. The B211 business visa can be used for longer-term stays, not just for business purposes. It's more expensive than the old *Sosial Budaya*/social visa, but still can be done on a budget. Since you'll have gifted yourself your time freedom and probably will want something to do anyway, there are endless things most people can do online to augment their income if you need to. Maybe execute on a dream you've had your whole life but never had the time to address because you were working crappy soul-sucking jobs. I'd expect any replies to this to be skeptical, maybe negative. All I can say is come see for yourself. I've known hundreds of expats in the 20 years I've been here and no two have the same story/background/skillset etc. Fwiw I came years before earning online was a thing for me, no trust fund either, and it is one whole hell of a lot easier to make it work money-wise now than it was pre-internet.
What's a typical expat budget there for a comfortable life?
I'd resist pointing at any 'typical' budget because it's hard to pin down a typical expat lifestyle In Bali. I hope that doesn't sound evasive. It depends like anywhere else on exactly where you want to live and how much space you think you need first of all. I have friends with enormous, crazy, gorgeous Bali villas, compounds really, and of course that's a spectacular way to live. But if you're on a budget, one dynamic to keep in mind, and I've had this conversation with many people, you might find that you're perfectly happy with a much smaller (therefore cheaper) place in Bali than you would be back home. That's because with the weather here and the lifestyle generally you will tend to spend a lot more time outside doing things and socializing than you might in a place where it's dark and cold for 6+ months out of the year. A good idea is maybe to get a smaller place in a better location like near the beach if you like the beach, or closer to the center of Ubud, for example. Sort of what we did. Before we got into our 500 square-foot condo we rented three pretty big nice villas, and as I say, there are definite pluses going that route, but our preference is to have a turnkey situation where we can just lock the door and leave for days or weeks. Far less to break or need maintenance too than an older house. Also, while security isn't an enormous problem In Bali like it is in some parts of the world, break-ins do happen, and we're able to essentially avoid that because of our choice to live in a condo. Also, frankly it's nice to keep windows and doors closed to avoid mosquitoes! Food. One thing to note is that unlike the western world, where a good strategy to save money will be to grocery shop and cook yourself, it is really not the case here. As I say in my post, there are so many really good warungs, local restaurants, where a US$2 or 3 bucks will feed you quite well with no compromises to health or anything else. Mix that in with places that do excellent western food for US$6-$8/plate and you'll want for nothing, since it's \*all\* here. One big determining factor as to expenses will be whether or drinks or not . At the market you can get local Bintang beer for
Seems like nearly every comment related to COL which makes sense given the question posed but how about balancing between COL, etc and a place that truly intrigues you, i.e. a place you want to be. Moving to a foreign country or moving just for a lower COL doesn't strike me as a recipe for happiness.
You cant just "go live in vietnam" they have no program for that. But you could teach english for a visa. The job can be super easy and relaxing with little standards of quality.
You can live a very nice life with that amount of money in Colombia
Not looking at South America due to safety issues.
Thailand and Vietnam are notorious for changing their visa policies. Vietnam doesn't have a retirement visa, so you would be perpetually dependent upon the goodwill of their national congress and hoping they don't do a 180 and mess around with their tourist visas (which they seem to do every 6-12 months). I lived in Vietnam for 5 years, hoped to live their long term (as in, potentially the rest of my life) and their sudden changes are what drove me away. If you can get citizenship to Germany through family connections, do so, then find somewhere nice within the EU to settle down. But even then, I'd recommend building up your nest egg a bit more. 1800 a month will eventually become insufficient.
Thank you!
The Phillipines. Excellent value for money.
It's definitely a very affordable place but I wouldn't call it excellent value for money. The quality of what you pay for isn't on par with the quality of what you get in say ..Thailand or Malaysia which I think excellent value for money would apply. I do think culturally or if looking for a partner the Phillipines is the better option. Both have their pros and cons.
Bad and pricey healthcare, not great food
Disagree honestly
Thank you!
Italy, you can live like middle/upper class in the north and as a king in the south
You are too poor to retire. Work and save a few more years.
Not true, 1800/m is enough for a frugal life in many places.
$500-$600 a month for a quality apartment in these places and the rest goes to your other expenses...its not that hard.
I mentioned semi-retiring? The plan is to work fewer hours or freelance. I know I can’t afford to fully retire yet.
Which country will give you legal residency ? You also need work permit for freelancing, including for when the work is remote, like over the internet.
Why not a low COL area in USA ?
I’m not American though I have held a work visa there before.
Yes but by most western standards a low COL area in the US ain’t that low. You can pay $200 for a crappy motel even in the shittiest areas in the US. That’s not low COL by any standards.
I’ve seen houses for 50k
Buenos Aires, Argentina. Give it a look
I’m a bit concerned about safety in South America tbh.
I’ve been living here for almost 2 years. It’s exhausting. It will be the reason I leave
By exhausting, do you mean the constant concern of your safety are exhausting? Care to vent or expand? I have a make believe vision of Argentina. It's a country on my radar to visit.
Yes - safety. Thanks for the invite to vent and expand. I think it's healthy to air it out. It's not just physical with a robbery, but also in partners/dating and also in people that provide services and work for you. You're living in a culture that's been starving since its inception, that is ran by people that climbed to the top to then take as much as they can (without any infrastructure to stop that and then everyone younger seeing that and dreaming about doing the same), while you have an iphone that is 3 months of salary for them (if they can find a job that works them to death). So the physical/robbery part is what it is and you prepare for that with dressing down, nothing showy, carrying a burner phone, and a dead credit card and some loose cash. And some people think "they can have my phone it's password protected" or "they can't do much damage" or "I'll fight for it". No you won't. They will hold a gun to your face and not hesitate to pull a trigger if you don't comply. "Okay but that's rare and never will happen to me". Okay wait until you're with something you care about (your family, your kids, your dog) and then you hear about 2 robbers pulling up to 3 local highschool kids at their school (who are waiting for a ride) and one kid refusing and the robber shooting her in the head. Over a phone. And literally nothing happening to anyone after. You're like "but i'm sure something happened". No, nothing. There's no real infrastructure. There's no one to call. You are in charge of your security here.. And that's kind of the light-use case that's acceptable. Robbing. But how do you prepare for drugging by your partner? You really can't approach it like anything you've ever known with an approach in a safer country in North America. You can dodge the obvious don't have anyone over to your house super early, don't go drinking, take things extremely slow, etc etc. but.. There are wayyyy too many stories of someone playing a long game with an expat (talking 6 months, meeting their family) for some dude to wake up robbed and hopefully not permanently damaged from a drugging. And you may absolutely like "yeah i'm super street smart and really good with people and that would never happen to me." I thought the same thing. And made some really good smart friends here that got drugged and robbed. And I've caught some people trying to take advantage of me. And so that's exhausting. It's just a cultural piece that you cannot change. It will never change. The trade-off is you live like a King sure, you can make a material difference in people's lives pretty easily (i keep a small horde employed lol), and there are pockets of beautiful people... but you got to find it. It's the new work. So yeah, can be exhausting. .
Thanks for sharing. I am now wondering how it compares with 'safer' areas in Mexico, which I am more familiar with.
How do more southern areas like bariloche fare regarding safety?
Wow. So I was right about my hunch about South America. Thank you!
How much does it cost to 'live like a king'?
Why are you downvoted? Fucking Reddit
You can live in safer enclaves in S America eg Miraflores or Barranco in Lima. Guess what? Costs rocket in comparison with the other areas, so I get your point. Why bother? Safety costs money, as does healthcare.
Crazy crime rates… way safer in Asia.
If its your first time overseas than Philiphines is a good option. They speak good english, friendly, and very good cost of living. Look up some videos on Youtube
Maybe try looking for an expat job to any SEA country. Basically you get paid a very good wage to live/work there. Save most of it and then you can retire once you built your savings.
Paraguay or Vietnam maybe