In the past years, I never saw people leave their home country to live abroad after the COVID-19 pandemic. Work has now turned into a full lifestyle. People working from different countries are exploring new cultures and living better or for less money.
Take Nino Trentinella, who lives in Tbilisi and earns less than 40,000 dollars a year as a freelance art educator in the United States. That income would make life difficult, but where she is now, she can afford things like a housekeeper and regular meals from a restaurant.
When Your Money Works Differently
In countries like Georgia, everyday expenses such as rent and food services are much cheaper than in the US. So even if your income remains the same, your lifestyle improves. You are not saving money, you are improving your lifestyle without earning more. This is the main reason people are choosing this path.
Earn High Spend Low
Another person, Corey O Flanagan, is doing work remotely and moves between countries like Malaysia and Vietnam. His concept is to earn from higher people but live where things are cheaper. He spends less and saves more while still enjoying life, he eats out regularly and travels.
It sounds like a smart system, and honestly, it is, but this concept solves present problems, not future ones.
Things People Don not Talk About
1: No clear retirement plan
Most digital nomads are freelancers, which means no company benefits, no pension, no savings, and every day depends on personal discipline.
2: Healthcare becomes a question mark
In many countries, basic healthcare is affordable. You can get checkups and tests for less than in the US, but the real fear is long-term care or emergency. If someone is going back home, healthcare in the US is extremely expensive, and without proper planning, it becomes a burden.
3: Taxes
Some people think that living abroad means escaping taxes, but they are wrong; they have to deal with the rules from their homeland and also deal with the fact that they are living abroad.
Hardest Loop Part
Living abroad is not the biggest part, but coming back is the hardest part, as time and reality catch up.
Look at James Stanly; he was living in Mexico City on a very low income, but he made it work. His rent was cheap, and food was affordable and felt simple. He didn’t have health insurance. He wasn’t saving enough. And when he faced a health issue, it became clear that this lifestyle is not good.
Living abroad can truly change your life. You experience new cultures, reduce your expenses, and enjoy a better lifestyle.