Should I Expat to? One where the
1- cost of living is low,
2- weather is not hot and not humid
3- there’s enough American/British expats where the local country is ok to get by speaking English or where things are semi-tailored to westerners (like shops, health stuff etc).
I can’t do hot and humid climates, so Central America and SE Asia are out. Unless there are cities there that aren’t hot and humid. Just the climate excludes the best cheapest and modern places to expat to. But humidity is my nemesis so I just can’t.
I had originally thought Ecuador bc lots of expats there but since 2017, things have been going downhill. A presidential candidate was just assassinated the other day there. Peru is undergoing some political turmoil too, some coup and govt corruption. Chile is expensive from what I’ve read. Columbia is cheap but not many expats there so it’s harder for a single, disabled westerner who can’t speak Spanish to live and navigate.
JFC, just WHERE can I expat to?
Everything is either $$$$$$ to the wazoo, or it’s hot and humid AF, or there’s some political unrest.
That’s step 1 of my problem. Even if I wanted to go, WHERE can I go? Nowhere that doesn’t have SOME kind of problem. If no problems, then it’s $$$$ so it’s not possible.
When I was younger I didn’t think money is everything, but fuck. When you’re sick and poor, MONEY *IS* EVERYTHING.
I can’t live any kind of better life if I’m poor
I can’t get healthier when I’m poor and can’t afford health and healthy stuff
I can’t get healthier if I can’t live in a better apt/environment/city/country.
21 comments
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/american-expats-by-country
I personally love Japan. If I had to choose one country to live in apart from my own I would choose Japan.
while i would love to travel through japan, it’s not a 3rd world country nor is it affordable. hell, it’s the total opposite. it’s expensive as heck, one of the most expensive places to live.
my problem is finding a suitable country that is cheap enough, but not hot/humid, and where there’s enough expats where i don’t need to speak the local language and am able to get around ok. ofc where it’s safe enough and where there’s good medical care (especially alternative). i just don’t know where to go. even Mexico is too expensive now, with all the US expats flooding the area.
Not sure if you read my post yet but I suggested Thailand…I think the Philippines and some other Asian nations might be cheap to…but they are in warmer climates.
I had another idea as well, given your situation maybe you can start a GoFundMe (or similar) page and perhaps get some donations…a few thousand bucks might be enough to help your situation out…you have nothing to lose by trying…other people in similar predicaments have gotten money that way. Youtube and Patreon can work also.
As I explained in the post, I can’t. SE Asia is just too hot and humid and would aggravate my health issues. Plus I’m allergic to seafood and you can’t avoid seafood there. Trust me, if I could expat to SE Asia I would.
My being sick is restricting where I can go. But if I don’t leave now to a better place, I’ll just get sicker in this shit environment.
I can’t do Patreon or GoFundMe. You don’t get money unless you show your face on there and I DO NOT want the whole world to see my face and story. Once it’s out there, you can’t delete it. Everything is cached and stored.
I get attacked enough as it is for being “lazy”- ALL chronically ill ppl I’ve met- and I’ve met hundreds in person and talk to a TON online- we ALL get labeled as lazy. If ppl don’t see you in crutches or in a wheelchair, they simply can’t understand why you can’t do x, y or z.
Never mind that you can’t see arthritis, you can’t see inflammation, you can’t see tachycardia, you can’t see spinal pain or foot pain, or bones muscles ligaments and tendons in the wrong place. or the million things I have.
Bc ppl can’t “see” what is wrong with you, and you’re not old, you’re labeled as lazy. I get enough of that in person, no way in hell I’m going to have random strangers spit in my face. And that IS what ppl do. Trust me, I’ve spoken to TONS of chronically ill ppl. This is how the world treats us.
It’s just like depression- if someone has cancer, ppl are so sympathetic and kind and caring and understanding. But have depression that goes on for years and doesn’t go away? Well, then it’s our fault for “not thinking happy thoughts” and “not trying hard enough.” And not journaling or yogaing enough.
I get what you are trying to say but I don’t see a viable solution. I can NOT tell my story online. Also, ppl don’t donate unless your story goes viral. There’s so MANY ppl asking for money on GoFundMe that only the really big viral ones get money. Oh, and then you’re taxed 35% for it so you only get 65%.
I can’t go to SE Asia bc of the heat and humidity. But SE Asia is where most expats go bc it’s cheap, good affordable healthcare there, safe, etc. But I can’t. I fucking wish I could, you have no idea. But I cannot go to ANY hot humid places. That includes Central America which would be a great place to go since it’s close to the US and I can fly back easier. Can’t do Africa cuz it’s hot af there. Even Latin America has hot humid places and it’s hard to tell which places would be suitable bc what is written online might be suitable for NORMAL ppl but when you’re sensitive to heat/humidity and lack the ability to go running around for every day living stuff, life is fucking hard.
Why do you think I want to die? NO ONE except chronically ill ppl understand what it’s like to be chronically ill, or disabled. Everyone thinks it’s “so easy” to do this this and that.
We literally struggle with the most basic shit, like changing bedsheets or getting groceries. Fuck I WANT to change bedsheets but there is no washer and dryer and buying new sets of sheets every 2 weeks gets fucking expensive.
ED, I think you misunderstand me…I’m simply throwing out ideas/suggestions, nothing more and I’m quite aware of the health problems that you have.
Sometimes they may seem obvious, sometimes not. What you decide to do with your life is up to you…ofc we all wish you the best. I’ll leave it at that.
sorry, i know u were trying to help. i was getting emotional bc i’ve already thought of all that in my head and none seems like a viable option, short of finding a good cheap 3rd world country. and even then, i don’t really have the health to go there and set everything up on my own with no help.
there is nothing cheap enough in the US, without me having to buy a car and me living in the middle of nowhere.
i’m an emotional wreck bc i can’t figure out a good solution. i didn’t mean to poo on your suggestions- it’s just that i’ve ran every single one in my head already and when you’re sick and poor with no help, there isn’t much i can do.
No problem and no hard feelings, I realize you’re in a pressure cooker of a situation. I truly hope that you are able to find a way to improve it.
idk soda, we’re fucked in life if we’re 1- sick 2- poor and 3- have no one to help us.
i was able to do well in life when i was healthy. the second you get sick- chronically sick- it’s just a spiral going down and down and down. if you’re sick and have no help, both physical and financial help, you get sicker bc you don’t have the means to get better. and being sick means you can’t go earn money. but not having enough money means you’ll get sicker bc you can’t afford things that actually help. it’s really fucking expensive to be sick. it’s been a nightmare of a hamster wheel of ever increasing sickness and lack of money.
i honestly don’t know what to do. i don’t even have physical energy to go overseas. it’s just that i don’t have a viable option in the United Shithole of America. Literal 3rd world countries have better healthcare and social services than America.
You see why I have no hope left?
I’m just tired of this shit.
Fully agree and you’re totally right in your thoughtful post. In univ, I was at the peak of my health, 6 pack and all, I used to do 2-3 hr workouts daily, including running and squash at the end.
Like kids, we just assume nothing will change, we’ll always be healthy, fit, etc. forever. And I stayed good for about 10 yrs…without the need to workout.
Then life sneaks up on you…you’re focused on working, paying your bills, neglect your health and like you said you’re on the downward spiral, sometimes without knowing it until it hits you one day.
Now I’m out of shape, had some major health issues along the way, other problems in my life and you wonder how you got there…so I can totally relate.
In your case it’s even a greater challenge you face so I understand your frustrations.
Those are the 3 major legs we stand on in life, health, contacts and money….missing those pieces or not having enough makes everything that much harder.
Ofc there’s mental health as well, which is a huge one…if one is depressed, its hard to study/work, speaking from experience.
In my case I’ve had a lot of highs and lows, mostly lows and I resolved not to keep going on if SHTF and I lose everything. Hence my post about my mom…there’s little keeping me alive anyways…just the big dreams/goals I once had, including starting a business.
But if I can’t even deal with day to day affairs, then I have to leave those big projects aside…and my world starts falling apart, then I think I’m going to dedicate my last bit of energy to leaving this world….that’s just me and I’m not making any suggestions.
The question is, is it worth going on and for what? If I can’t achieve my dreams and I lose family/friends, health, job…for me I’d be ‘checking out.’
For now I’m not there yet which is why I keep going….cause I have some sense that I might be able to achieve my goals…and there are things I still love about life, like hanging with friends, dating girls, movies, music, etc. So that’s what keeps me going.
I just wish I had an “exit kit” ready in case it all falls apart. I’m probably going with in ert gaz…but its very hard to obtain nowadays, you’d have to be very determined to get it.
Maybe try connecting with someone from country you want to go to. I heard there are groups that help travellers coming in their country. You can contact someone there, tell your situation, maybe they will help in settling.
i have joined expat groups, well mainly in this one country i was thinking of going. and they’re not very good. they are the group of ppl that DOESN”T help others. they’re all “pull yourself up by the bootstrap” kind of republican boomers.
so i’m not gonna get the help that i need. that’s the problem. i don’t like americans in that americans don’t help anyone. it’s that attitude of “help yourself.” i’ve joined ALL of the fb groups (that’s where all the expats are on) and most of them are old grouchy and contentious. it’s mostly the ex-americans bc i guess that’s how americans are here. that’s part of the reason why i america. no one helps anyone here.
oh, and there’s so much in-fighting amongst themselves. Dems vs Republican’s, ppl post a comment with a different view and they get all jumped on. It’s insane. You think ppl would get better with age but it’s the exact opposite.
anyhow, not ALL the expats are bad but i don’t know how i can get anyone to help me beyond the asking questions in a post and them replying back. THAT is the problem. ppl are willing to answer questions you post (and even THAT is iffy bc they expect you to search through THOUSANDS of posts where the same question was asked) but they won’t help you beyond that.
yes, it would be great if i found SOMEONE that would help me but so far, no luck. i’ve been on and off posting in the group for a few years now and nothing.
IDK, based on your parameters, maybe you’ve chased this lead as far as it’ll go…. not sure on that, but I’d give it a solid maybe
The United States is a huge place, and just because the culture is toxic somewhere doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be that way somewhere else. The specific contrast I know about is rural vs urban Oklahoma, but I assume those kind of cultural differences are relatively common. It has looked that way when I visited 30 of the 50 states.
I do not recommend Oklahoma, unless you have a serious craving for heat, and love semi rural economies….. it’d be too humid for you, almost certainly. But through my work I’ve gotten to travel quite a bit around the state. There are some absolute hellholes, sure, but they’re the minority.
But I ended up seeing a lot, seriously A LOT of communities of people rejecting the common experience in the city out there in rural communities. Some of them are practically model perfect towns… now there’s probably still prejudice under the surface….. I don’t think there is a place with humans that is prejudice free….
So it would follow that there would be other towns like that in better climates. The American West appeals a lot to me, but the water issues are a deal breaker for me. I’ve looked into a lot of them in Montana and Michigan, both reasonably priced for a small bit of land. I believe such things also exist in Canada and Alaska.
but I want to spend the least money and effort getting free of the unpleasantness of where I live as is possible. I also don’t mind trading some city conveniences for not being in the middle of stuff. Canada or Alaska would b e somewhat expensive both in time and finances to get there. Alaska though…. they’ll pay you to live there. If you are a live off the land type of person (I am), this could be pretty appealing.
I hear Iceland is pretty nice too, a bit cold, but it doesn’t have tons of westerners moving there making it expensive…. and it’s still a relatively similar economy to most of the United States. The nordic countries are inexpensive as well, great social safety net, really amazing culture. But moving to another country is a lot of paperwork, most of the time….. I’m still thinking I can give a few other places stateside another shot before I go through all of that.
which nordic countries are cheap? i assume denmark, sweden and finland are expensive. also, what one thinks is “not expensive” is still unaffordable to me. i don’t mind living in a cooler place, I actually prefer 50s-60s degree daily weather- hell, 40s are ok too- BUT if it’s really cold, where there’s ice and snow, i can’t really hack that. bc of my health, i can’t be in a place where i’m prone to falling down and slippery ice is a no-no.
But I Also assume there’s way less expats there BC they do not want expats- most European countries make it very difficult to expat and get a visa there. At least the better European countries with a better economy.
you see, being sick limits SO much of my options. when you’re sick, what you need most is cheaper options, but we’re not able to do cheaper options. if i could do cheaper options, i’d be in SE Asia in a heartbeat were it not for the heat/humidity. It’s got everything EXCEPT for the friggin nasty weather.
And I assume it’s really cold and snows a lot in the nordic countries? If any of them aren’t THAT cold, I can look into it. Hell, I can try to do cold if it’s cheap enough, just no snow/ice that leads to falling.
I assume Iceland, Greenland, Alaska = snow/ice? Unless there’s cities there that don’t get that cold??
I feel like it’s a choice, either a few months (2-4) of inhuman heat, aka over 90 with relative humidity in the triple digits OR 2-5 months of snow, ice and cold. so unless you are rich enough to have a summer home….. it seems to me you have to make peace with one of the two.
I prefer extreme cold, ice and snow to heat such that you can’t go out. Yes, there’s a slip hazard… which I’ll take over heat stroke and cars catching fire. Literally, I was driving home the other day and a car had burst into flames…. because no one engineered vehicles for Oklahoma summers. Road vehicles, aircraft tend to be over engineered in terms of fire proections.
because you can always put on more layers, and if you live in a really cold area decent insulation and a wood stove will probably keep you warm through most of the winter. One can stock up on dry food stuffs and get through the worst storms… and there’s something that appeals to me about storms that DON’T destroy homes or roads, they just keep you inside for a few days or weeks. Due to the heat, I’m already forced to stay inside most of two to three months out of the year.
It would be stellar to live somewhere with reasonable enough temperatures that I don’t need a fricken cooler to keep my frozen foods from melting on my way home, IE in 20-30 minutes in my trunk.
I hate the heat so much, if we had another ice age…. I’d personally be thrilled, even if I had to learn to operate a snowmobile and dogsled to get supplies through. Dogs are awesome… and snowmobiles are pretty cool too.
Also, back IN an ice age, humans had larger brains, and thus were far more sensible and kind, despite that it was pre bronze age, any kindness humans had evolved back then…. and the heat is currently cooking it out of us. One need look no further than the outback to see what long term heat does to life, it makes it extraordinarily viscious.
I used to live in x state that had nice temperature all year round. maybe a few weeks of cold or few weeks of super hot. But there are places that are spring/fall all year round. I was lied to about this house in y state by my b.itch sister and had given up my low income housing so now I can’t go back.
It wasn’t “cheap” and it’s the most expensive “low income housing” I’ve ever seen, but I wasn’t paying market rate and now I can’t get it back thanks to my lying/purposely not giving me full information b.itch sister 3 years ago so it ALL happened bc she mislead me to give up my MY own place. Since then I’ve not “my own place.”
Anyhow, just saying there does exist places with nice weather all year round. And that’s why I want to find a 3rd world country with one. There are cities sprinkled throughout that does have even temperate weather. It’s just a matter of 1- finding the right city and 2- affording it. There’s 1-2 cities in Mexico with temperate weather too, but it’s more expensive than going to Latin America. It isn’t considered “expensive” to most ppl but it would still cost ME a good penny so while it’s not completely “unaffordable” it’s not a place where I can save some up money.
no, that’s the thing. when you’re sick and sensitive to the temperature/air/humidity/dryness, you can’t just “suck it up.” I did my whole life when I was healthy, and did the last few years being sick and it’s not something you can just say “suck it up” bc all that does is make you even sicker and then you’re even more fucked. If the environment is causing health issues, you can’t move there or stay there. Like I said, I’m willing to brave cold, but not months of snow/ice bc that puts me at risk of falling and I can’t have that. Cold is one thing, but no ice, or snow that turns into ice.
You as a healthy person aren’t going to really understand it. Healthy ppl cannot grasp the depth of how things affects your body and your ability to function when you’re chronically ill. Healthy ppl never do. Until they get old/sick. Not calling you out on that. That’s just based on decades of talking and explaining in futile to healthy ppl.
Me being in this shit ass humid place is making me so sick and causing problems. I can’t live here. There is no “sucking it up” unless I want to live in utter agony or die here, which I don’t.
lol i hate the heat too, even before i got sick. i hear you. i’ve always preferred super cold to super hot even as a kid. but my body the way it is now, i cannot afford to slip and fall, so no ice.
so- are ALL the scandinavian countries icy during the winters? any cities there that somehow aren’t?
yeah i looked into Alaska. the places where they pay you to live is in the middle of nowhere and super cold. i’m not a person who can “live off the land,” too small, weak and disabled. I need to be in an urban area so I can get to shops for things i need. where i don’t need to drive and stores and banks and stuff are within walking distance. if i have to buy a car, then it’s no longer cheap/affordable.
Is car really a necessity? In my country it’s a luxury. Most men travel on motorbike, women on scooty. Scooty is actually a useful vehicle, easy to drive with no gears, can store things under seat and in feet area.
yes in the USA a car is a necessity in most places, save for a few big cities with mass transit. you won’t be able to get anywhere without a car here
the main problem is that i’m too sick and injured to fend for myself. if you’re poor, you can make do with a lot of things if you can take care of everything yourself. which is what i did my whole early part of my life. But now I’m older and i can barely get to the grocery store that’s a few blocks away without feeling like i just ran a marathon -_-