Living abroad – not just moving abroad, but living there – is an experience. And it’s a process. It’s like learning to walk again while also trying to hold down a job and make friends – you get there eventually, but it’s just awkward for a while. According to people
The stories, the photos, even the scouting trips to Ireland can give an image of green hills and cozy pubs and smiling faces. And that isn’t unrealistic – Ireland really is great. But the image doesn’t show the six-week apartment search and the shock of her first heating bill after
Why do relocation conversations keep circling back to Portugal? Finances play a major part. Costs run lower than most of Western Europe, the weather is genuinely good, and Portugal welcomes foreign residents more openly than a lot of other countries. But the numbers you find online don’t always reflect the
In conversation about relocation, Mexico gets a lot of credit as a retirement dream and a remote work paradise. And both can be true – it’s a great destination for expats. But some people still struggle with the move – and when they do, it’s often because they picked their
Been researching Mexico relocation options? A certain small lakeside town might keep coming up – and the reasons are legitimate. With its established foreign community, mild climate, and costs that work well for retirement or remote work budgets, Ajijic is a popular destination. That said, the description of Ajijic you
Moving abroad is a big decision, and South America keeps coming up for good reason. Lower rent, a warmer climate, and a price tag well below most U.S. cities make it worth serious consideration. But “affordable” means different things depending on how you actually live day to day. The real
Americans love the idea of work-life balance. They write books about it, listen to podcasts about it, and then quietly open their laptops at 9 p.m. anyway. So when they start reading about life in the Netherlands – where the average workweek is 29 hours, part-time work is the norm, and people
You’ve done your research on the Netherlands. You know about the tulips and the windmills and the Rijksmuseum and the very reasonable cost of a beer. You know the country ranks near the top of basically every quality-of-life list ever published. You may have noticed that the Dutch are, on
Portugal keeps appearing on every “best places to relocate” list, and that’s not by accident: The climate is mild, the food is excellent, and the country is genuinely welcoming. But moving there involves real decisions: where to settle, how taxes work, what healthcare looks like, and whether your budget holds
You might not have heard yet about the “Donald Dash,” but you’ve definitely experienced the reason for it, and you’re probably experiencing the impact of it. You’re possibly considering it yourself right now. People are leaving the U.S. by the hundreds of thousands — 180,000 just in 2025, with numbers
Spend any amount of time researching the expense involved in a move to Uruguay, and you’ll learn two things: 1. Uruguay is a great, budget-friendly option for a move to Latin America. 2. Uruguay isn’t just some budget-friendly option for a move to Latin America. And which one is right?
One does not simply move to Uruguay. Which is to say, people don’t just up and move to Uruguay (or most places, really) — it’s not an impulsive decision. It involves lots of research and consideration and planning. And then you get there and you’re surprised at what you find,
It’s laid-back, but not boring. It’s modern and active, but not chaotic. It’s welcoming, but not performative. (It’s also not a tiny little Argentina stuck to the side of the regular Argentina, in case you were wondering.) Uruguay is an under-appreciated gem that checks a lot of boxes for prospective expats. But,
It’s easy to look at your household expenses, sitting at home in the U.S., and think, “That’s okay, if I only turn the lights on on Thursdays, this budget might actually balance.” (That’s possibly why you’re considering moving abroad in the first place — for a lot of people, it
Panama has a well-earned reputation as one of the most expat-friendly countries in the world — it’s known for its stable economy, gorgeous scenery, and relatively affordable cost of living, among many other attractions. It also has some of the most approachable, accessible residency options that appeal to immigrants. Whether you’re
Are you looking forward to retirement? Do you imagine peaceful days spent socializing with family and friends, pursuing hobbies, and catching up on things you put off during a long career with limited time off? While we all long for those days, you may look at your bank account and
You hear it all the time from vacationers in Costa Rica: “God, this is the best.” And from vacationers who just got home from Costa Rica and can’t stop telling everyone who didn’t get to go to Costa Rica: “Costa Rica was the best.” But of course anyone who’s just spent
Did you miss our country comparo last year? We’ve revived it, reviewed it, and refreshed it for Costa Rica/Panama Country of the Month 2026. Enjoy! Expats relocating from the U.S. to warmer climates often put Costa Rica and Panama at the top of their list. And for good reason —
Despite Americans who claim it’s the greatest country on earth, the United States is not exceptional when it comes to healthcare. It is, however, the most expensive. According to a 2023 report from the Commonwealth Fund, U.S. healthcare ranks highest worldwide in terms of costs, spending nearly 18 percent of
When people talk about moving abroad, there’s lots of focus on the where. Where will you live? Where will you work? Where will you travel once you’re there? And of course how is going to be a huge part of it — how to apply for a visa, how to move with pets
