The old American dream and the new one
The old American dreamWork hard, buy a house, retire comfortably.
The new oneEarn in dollars, and spend them somewhere a paycheck goes further.
For a lot of working people, one paycheck doesn’t cover what it used to. Wanting out isn’t unpatriotic. It’s a logistics problem, and logistics can be planned.
One month, three cities
Rent for a one-bedroom, groceries, utilities, internet and transport for one person, before health insurance.
- Austin, TX$1,798
- Chiang Mai$774
- Cebu City$651
Insurance, visa fees and the exchange rate change the picture, and we show those too.
How we do it
Every number has a source
Rents, visa fees and flights come from listings, government pages and fare searches, named and dated.
The hard parts stay in
Visa limits, healthcare gaps, US taxes and being far from family sit right next to the savings. It won’t be a cakewalk, and we won’t pretend it is.
No promises we can’t keep
No guaranteed visas, no tax tricks. Just the information to make your own call, and a plan to act on it.
Ten countries at a glance
What a one-bedroom and utilities cost in a mid-size city, as of October 2026. Tap a country for moving costs, the visa route and the time difference.
In the shop
Expat Relocation Planner
Pick a country and it prices out your move: visa fees, flights, an apartment deposit and a week-by-week checklist. Ten countries, in Excel or Google Sheets.
Country Guides
Visas, banking, healthcare and everyday life, one country at a time. A companion to the planner for the parts a spreadsheet can’t hold.
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Not sure where to start? Take the 1-minute quiz and see three countries where your paycheck could go further.