Is Living Abroad Worth It?

The million dollar question: “Is living abroad worth it”?…

I moved abroad in 2016 with a few suitcases & a few thousand dollars in my bank account, a one-way ticket to Santiago, Chile and never looked back. From the outside looking in, it looked pretty freakin amazing. I live in an other-wordly beautiful place, surrounded by the Andes Mountains with the beach just an hour away. 

I met my Chilean husband here, and we live a pretty amazing life.

I live in a place with four seasons, it rarely gets to 32F. 

The cost of living is way lower than it is in the U.S. I have made a group of friends from all places of the world. I spend lots of time outside, and have an overall great quality of life. My healthcare is affordable, and looking towards the future, having children here will be more affordable (and safer) than it would be in the U.S.

It’s not lost on me that these are all some of the main reasons that Americans are leaving the U.S. like never before.

And yet, moving abroad is a big leap. It’s a huge change. So if you’re wondering, is living abroad worth it? Like *really* worth it? From someone who’s lived abroad for nearly a decade, I believe living abroad is worth it, and here are the pros and cons that explain why!

PROS:

Healthcare & Education:

Compared to the U.S., there are many other countries that have incredible healthcare coverage. Living your day-to-day life not stressing over health care costs isn’t something to be taken lightly, especially for anyone with children. It’s not just health care that’s a perk, but education is also free in many parts of the world, making this a huge advantage to living abroad for anyone who wants to study, or their future children’s education costs.

I personally went through a cancer scare years ago in Chile, and everything was covered. I paid nothing out of pocket. I even had to get an operation. When I tell my family how much I pay for medication, going to the dentist, etc. they always are shocked – then telling me how much they pay for the same thing. It’s no secret that healthcare costs in the U.S. are exponentially higher than most other developed countries.

It’s ironic because I don’t think about this one point until I consider possibly moving back to the States, and then realize that this would be a HUGE shock after having affordable healthcare for nearly a decade.

Some of the pros are practical because hey, the practical bits are also part of life!

Quality of Life:

I know that Chile doesn’t compete with lots of European countries when it comes to paid leave, but compared to the U.S. it’s still pretty high. There are 15 total National Holidays in Chile while employees have a guaranteed 15 days of paid leave. If we’re being honest, in the U.S. the most common paid holidays are really just 6, and I know people who had just a week of paid leave. 

This really varies by country, but overseas is really where things like parental leave, work life balance, and paid leave really shine. It’s kind of impossible to ignore how this impacts your day-to-day life, as you aren’t expected to just drop your personal life for your career.

Something I began to notice more after living abroad for a while is how the culture is very centered around consuming, shopping, etc. 

Don’t get me wrong, this definitely exists outside of the U.S.

But a lot of our free time is spent with family, friends, and just hanging.

Personal Growth:

To be fair, this one’s a bit of a double-edged sword. In order to actually experience growth, you’ve got to go through the uncomfortable parts first. And I’m not gonna lie to you – there are A LOT of them!

But I can truly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I would have never moved abroad. Arriving in a foreign country, without knowing the language, and building a life and career abroad has changed me down to my core, so much that I can’t even picture my life if I would have never moved.

Living abroad is one of those unique experiences where you meet people from all over the world, travel, learn languages, and cultures and you grow into the best version of you because of it.

I put myself out of my comfort zone all the time now, it’s just my norm. I have noticed that people who have gone through the experience of living abroad are usually more courageous, brave, daring, bold, and likely to go after their dreams.

If you think about it, this is a HUGE pro – because it’s changing the way you approach your life, and this is what changes your ENTIRE one and only life.

Cue the goose bumps!

Language Learning:

Learning another language is high on most people’s bucket list – but not everyone gets around to it. Because, well, it’s pretty freaking hard!

When you live abroad, depending on where you moved to, language learning will be part of your experience.

The ability to communicate in an entirely different language isn’t just cool, fun, and a total confidence booster – it actually changes your brain.

It’s not just that though, this can give you a significant leg up in your career as bilingual people actually get paid more.

Career Opportunities:

In the post-pandemic era, career opportunities abroad are way more diverse than they used to be.

This could either be working for an international company, and leveraging this experience to grow in your career.

This could also look like freelancing, remote work, or owning a location-independent business and designing your very own schedule and lifestyle that crosses borders.

With remote work so widely accepted, and online businesses becoming the new normal – the opportunity to live in another country and have clients from around the world has never been more possible than now.

Travel Opportunities:

When most people think about living abroad, they imagine the opportunity to travel, to experience new cultures and to have this be part of their regular life.

Depending on which country you choose to move to, this could be your reality.

If you’re a millennial such as myself, this is probably right up your alley! Traveling on the weekends, or even having more paid leave and holiday to being able to travel more is an opportunity that many want.

I have an expat friend living in Sweden who not only gets 25 days of paid leave, but he also gets a travel stipend to use while on paid leave, you know, to spend on his travels.

For people who value travel and seeing the world, living abroad is a way to make this dream a reality.

CONS:

Far Away from Friends & Family:

This one is probably the worst for me.

There have been so many days where I would give anything to be having a coffee with my mom, watching The Office reruns with my sister, or sitting on the couch drinking wine with my best friends from back home.

You will make new friends abroad, and they will be amazing, but you will miss your friends and your family back home more than you thought was possible.

And this one never really “goes away”.

Language & Cultural Barriers:

When you’re in the process of learning the language and culture, it can feel hard to make friends.

This phase doesn’t last forever, but can feel pretty lonely when you’re just craving someone who gets your sense of humor, and you don’t have to “try so hard” to communicate with them to get you.

This is just part of the process of living abroad, and even if there is no language difference, the culture will be different and there will be a learning curve.

This can come with emotional ups and downs, and feels different to each person.

May Take a While to Catch Up Financially:

Everyone’s situation is different, but this is one I wish I would’ve been more prepared for before I moved abroad.

You may have to take a step back temporarily in your career to make the transition, or it may take some time to find a job that meets your financial needs.

During this time, your financial goals like saving and investing might need to take the back burner for a while (not forever!).

This can feel frustrating if you were making progress on these goals before the move.

It really depends on each person, and how their career fits into their move abroad – but finances can take a temporary hit.

Legal & Visa Paperwork:

Dealing with visa paperwork and legal requirements to move can be frustrating, stressful and confusing.

There’s no way getting around this part, as you’ll need to close up loose ends in your home country (like taxes, bank accounts) as well as get your ducks in a row in your new country (visa, legal to work, etc.).

This does take time, and will most likely be a bureaucratic process in some way. Some countries are better than others, but it can be a pain!

Expat Friends Will Come and Go:

You will make friends with fellow expats. They will be amazing, because you will share the same interests, values, and lifestyle.

The thing about expats though is many of them eventually move back home or to another country.

This is just part of the lifestyle.

This can feel really heartbreaking to make friends only to have them move away.

With expat friends, it’s always kind of on the radar that eventually someone will move on to another country.

You Will Never Be The Same Once You Leave Home:

This may not be a “con” to everyone, but it isn’t the easiest thing to navigate especially if you’re the only one in your family, or friend group who lives abroad.

You will feel at times that you don’t belong anywhere. That you don’t belong in your home country, or the country you’re living abroad.

The experience changes you so deeply, that you will never just be “your nationality”, you’ll have absorbed different cultures, languages, and perspectives.

Which is a pro as much as a con, when you have the right support in coping with these changes in a way that empowers you to create your new normal.

TLDR:

Living abroad in my book is 100% worth it. The pros of personal growth, increased quality of life, career & travel opportunities, and language learning WAY outweigh the cons.

To be fair, the cons aren’t so much as permanent cons as they are all temporary.

They are all prices that you pay to live an adventurous, extraordinary, fulfilling life outside of your home country. The person that you will become because of it will make all of the tough parts difficult.

So, is living abroad worth it? Hell yes!

If you’re ready to build your best life abroad, schedule a free consultation call to learn more about 1:1 coaching!