Grecia, Costa Rica
Being a digital nomad since 2011 introduced us to dozens of expats from all over the world.
We have met expats living in:
- Fiji
- New Zealand
- Vietnam
- China
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Turkey
- Greece
- Prague
- London
- Panama
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
- The United States
Based on their detailed feedback about the highs and lows of the expat life I want to help you make an informed decision for yourself.
I did not choose the expat life; establishing roots feels a bit confining for me. I did the established home bit for 36 years in New Jersey. Being on the road agrees with me.
But others ponder settling down abroad after seemingly finding their dream country.
Three of my favorite places on earth – Thailand, Turkey and Costa Rica – sport massive expat communities.
Do you want to be an expat?
Settling in to a life abroad can be incredibly fun. Some expats find immense peace in establishing a life well away from their home country. Never mind how much money expats can save after moving from a Western country to a place like Thailand. Kelli still marvels at her $5 Thai massages from highly skilled women who’ve been doing this for decades that would cost $100 to $200 for the same hour in New Jersey.
But being an expat is not all glitz, glamour and impossibly inexpensive living. A shockingly high percentage of expats who sold everything to move abroad turn around and move back home within a few years. One expat couple whom we met in Panama estimated that 70% of expats living there moved back home within 2 years due to a laundry list of reasons related to expatriating, most being rooted in disappointments.
Before you sell the farm to traipse abroad keep these ideas in mind.
Pros
High Quality of Life Versus Low Cost of Living (Typically)
Most people move abroad in part to become:
- wealthy
- more wealthy
For example, rather ordinary town houses with little property and moderate space sold for $700,000 USD in my wife’s hometown in New Jersey. During my trip to Koh Samui in Thailand, large, expansive, gorgeous waterfront homes sometimes sold for $700,000 USD. I estimate prices for said homes in the USA to be in the millions of USD.
People scraping by in New Jersey quickly discover that one can live like a king based on the exchange rate of the USD to Baht.
Money seems to play a big part in the world we live in. Becoming an expat can instantly double or triple your net worth (or increase it even more substantially).
Here’s the kicker; your quality of life can remain similar to or even supersede the quality of life in your homeland. Malls in places like Chiang Mai, Phuket or Bangkok are far superior to malls in my home state of New Jersey in the USA. My $1.20, rich, filling vegetarians lunches in Chiang Mai and prepped in hygienic environments. Organic, wholesome fare like this would be $10 to $15 in NJ or NYC.
Boosting your relative net worth in a place boasting a higher quality of life than your home country (or at least a similar quality of life) is not insignificant.
Of course, no utopia exists because the world is a place of imperfection.
But I still believe that Thailand offers an astounding ratio of quality to life to cost of living. Most products and services seem to be cheap but the quality of each and life in general there is on par with Western standards, if not better, in the main expat havens of Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket.
Even rural areas like Pak Nam Pran (a few hours south of Bangkok) offer adequate convenience, serene surroundings and dirt cheap prices.
Experience Rich Culture
Culturally, the United States is a baby.
When we house sat for expats in Ortahisar, Turkey, cave homes aged many 1000’s of years sat next door.
Expats may prefer to live in the same neighborhood as a 7,000 year old cave home structure versus being by a McDonald’s, Starbucks and Home Depot.
Save Europe, the Western World typically lacks culture, rich history and ancient marvels.
Being an expat can mean living in or by a place of substantial historical significance which is kinda neat, when you think about it.
No disrespect to those who prefer to live by a White Castle in the US suburbs, of course.
But living in Prague by the Charles River is one of those peak cultural experiences, from what we experienced in an expat’s 3,500 square foot apartment in that very spot.
Find Alternating Stimulation and Peace
Most expats we’ve met moved from urban or suburban Western settings abroad.
Like it or not, Western cities and suburbs are not typically havens of mind-expanding stimulation alternating with peace. The Western world in these regions values comfort and convenience and rarely factors peace and high energy engagement into the mix. Does sitting in traffic with millions of people living around you feel peaceful? Does this way of life feel enriching?
Congratulations to the ascended master who nods “Yes” to each.
In our current location of Costa Rica, this Central Highlands mountain town is sleepy. We live on a dead end, single lane street backed by deep forests. Bird calls gently greet you at sunrise. Peace and quiet are the order of the day.
Some expats prefer this serene way of life over sprinting through the rat race of their home town.
Cheap and Reliable Medical Care
Medical tourism seems popular enough.
Imagine spending your senior years in a place where one pays $20 USD for 8 acupuncture sessions?
I paid that in Chiang Mai, Thailand a few years ago.
Expats in a place like Thailand receive a Western level of trusted medical care for a fraction of what this would cost in a place like the USA.
How does Thailand do it?
The USD is super strong compared to the Thai Baht. But beyond obvious currency factors it just seems to be a thing where Thai doctors in bigger cities receive training in the West.
This is not a country intent on bankrupting you for healthcare unlike the highly intentional US medical system which knows darn well that almost no one can afford a $50,000 USD medical bill for a 3 day hospital stay outside of the genuinely wealthy.
As health concerns potentially rise with age, it may make sense to move to a country with excellent, dirt cheap medical care.
Cons
Potentially Unstable Governments and Erratic Politicians
Old RB seeks to be subtle, now.
I will not name names as far as countries not from fear of reprisal (as if government employees read Blogging From Paradise) but because my intent is not to:
- air grievances
- create a “third world” country shit list
However, I will offer practical, real world examples to allow you to do your own research if you please.
We have been in nations during military coups. 10 years after the military took over and seemingly promised to keep power for a few years, leaders keep adding laws which keep ’em in power 10 years later.
Opponents of various leaders disappear without a trace in developing nations. Save a select few, no one knows what happened to these individuals.
I recall one expat explaining how a fellow expat had their bank account frozen after railing against the government in a tirade on a Facebook Group. Officials looked up the complainer, found their financial information and ceased access to their assets through that channel.
However rare these outlier events may be, some expats think twice about living in a nation lacking political stability.
Every government around the world has been corrupted by fear; nobody gives you a cookie for breaking a law, my Young Blogging Padawans. Laws backed by fear, punishment and control stink of corruption. Before your name appears on a birth certificate you have rights; once you enter the system you have privileges.
But most highly developed nations allow great freedom of speech to keep governments and politicians in check. The USA in particular is excellent at allowing its citizens to express themselves freely, to question authority and to check individuals in government the moment that these power-hungry individuals cross over the line.
Being an expat in nations sans checks and balances may not affect you from a day to day perspective. However, you may wish to not live in a place where strong men rule with a heavy hand.
Day to Day Small Stuff Becomes Bigger Stuff over the Long Haul
Expats have shared with us how day to day small stuff like:
- driving
- service
- government rules and regulations for expats
become a rough grind after months, years or decades.
For example, some countries seem to sport non-existent traffic laws. Joking about genuinely reckless driving seems funny enough during a 1 week vacation but after 5 years of such truly insane driving you may feel like an expat powder keg.
I personally experienced this after driving in one such country for 3 months. Oncoming traffic drove into my lane on blind curves 50% of the time in a remote area with ample blind curves. I felt sick and tired at having to swerve at the last second to save mine and Kelli’s lives because other drivers forget the presence of fellow human beings on the roads. People drive that way culturally. But that culture is not for me.
If you are accustomed to speedy, professional service in restaurants and move to a nation where such service is non-existent, a formerly enjoyable meal out becomes a frustrating study in observing your waiter stare slack-jawed at their phone for 15 minutes before looking your way. Add up 10, 15 or 50 meals over the years and you may just want to move back to a place with attentive, pleasant staff.
Waiting for hours at government agencies, being denied entry into a country during a pandemic for xenophobic reasons or paying triple the price for building your home (plus various bribes) may be a bit too much for some prospective expats to stomach.
Now frame each lesser – or greater – annoyance above cumulatively.
Can you see why the bloom can come off of the rose for an expat?
Perhaps you loved the quaint, slow pace of life in a rural area as a holiday goer.
But a pensioner who simply wants a stress-free drive, professional service and efficient government after 2 years now sees the place as detestable rather than charming.
Potential Substandard Education for Kids
I recall mentioning to a friend how we paid a $600 annual property tax for a homeowner (their money not ours) during a trip to Bali. The villa property was gargantuan, being bigger than a football/soccer field and sat on prime real estate.
I estimate that a similar property could fetch a $15,000 property tax bill in desired areas of the USA.
My friend from the States deadpanned back: “How is the education system over there?”
Touche.
Parents pondering the expatriate route need to find reputable education options.
Home schooling is popular these days but impractical for some moms and dads.
Depending on your potential target country, finding trusted options may be difficult.
A few expat friends of mine moved back to the States the moment their kids reached the middle school stage; the education system simply did not teach children to think independently at all. Teachers told kids flat out nonsense which they had to accept and trust; questioning the authority of elders is unheard of in this country.
Rather than completely deprogram robotic education for years, these few moved home to find better schooling options.
Consider prices for international or parochial school tuition abroad as domestic options could be lacking severely.
Weigh ’em out before making your decision.
Conclusion
At the end of the day the decision to become an expat is up to you.
Do thorough homework.
Speak to expats.
Spend at least 2-3 months in a country before deciding to move there.
Pay exquisitely close attention to the day to day stuff.
Research climates. Note local culture. Spot what you love and what you can do without.
Think long term as you observe.
You may just decide to move to your dream country.
Or perhaps after vetting the place it turns out that being an expat is not for you.
