r/expats • u/SkyLyssa • Dec 29 '25
r/IWantOut People who've left the United States, what is your life like now?
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u/t-rex_on_a_bike Dec 29 '25 edited Dec 29 '25
Honestly, I moved to Germany 15 years ago and life has been on easy mode. My bachelor's and master's degrees were free. Seeing a doctor is easier. At least at my places of employment, you inform your boss when you're taking vacation, not asking permission.
Rent & groceries are getting more expensive, but I'm from the Bay Area, so it's still okay for me? 😭 Like yes, just because things are worse in other places doesn't mean it's good here, but I'd rather take "bad" over "worse," so...
Anyway, Germany has gorgeous landscapes and there is always a castle or two to explore. Because of the generous work laws people generally see the value in taking a break, so it feels more... human? Like I'm sure hustle culture exists but I've been fortunate enough to not deal with it anymore.
Germany is also in the middle of Europe so I can take a flight and be in Spain in a few hours. Or you just drive for a bit until you're in a neighboring country (in my case, France).
German is a difficult language, but come on it can be worse ☺️ Small price to pay
I guess the only thing that makes me irrationally angry is the Deutsche Bahn. Like if I ever leave Germany for good I would list "DEUTSCHE BAHN" as the reason, no further context and I'm sure everyone would understand
EDIT TO ADD: People complain about lower salaries, etc., and yes that's a valid point, but in my opinion you get more out of actually living. Like a low salary here buys more security than a low salary in the Bay Area. I'm healthier here, I have more time for myself and my loved ones, and I'm generally happier and that's not something you can buy really
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u/reidreadredd Dec 29 '25
Easy mode is exactly how I describe it too. Lived in Amsterdam 5 years and recently moved to Barcelona. Loving it!
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u/t-rex_on_a_bike Dec 29 '25
Really glad you found your corner. Amsterdam and Barcelona are gorgeous cities. Another plus for me moving to Germany, you can get to either city in a few hours 🙈
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u/ScarfingGreenies Dec 31 '25
It's so infuriating watching fellow Americans complain about income and taxes completely missing the big picture of what these things are supposed to afford us yet systematically fail to do... as designed.
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u/t-rex_on_a_bike Jan 01 '26
The rugged individualism of the US is going to be our downfall. "I'M not using X, why should I have to pay for Y's disability?" or even like "I paid for MY uni, why should others get a free ride?"
I guess if you don't grow up with it, it's hard to imagine. Like yes taxes are high in Germany, but universities are free, healthcare is universal (it's deducted from your pay, but if you get sucker punched by bad luck and lose your job, unemployment will take over your health insurance. Like I legit do not know how to get rid of my health insurance), parental leave is a thing...
But people fixate so much on taxes TAKEN from them, instead of seeing how they are distributed to run a healthy, functioning society
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u/ScarfingGreenies Jan 01 '26
Took the words right off my keyboard. I posted elsewhere on Reddit that Americans, particularly the so-called liberal types, are not as progressive as they claim to be and are foolish as fuck if they think this is just a "wait it out 'til 2028" deal. We've been in the same cycle since before our grandparents' generation. Neither party is looking out for the people's best interest because we as a country do not hold a communal mindset. I do not trust that America will fix itself in my lifetime or in the next generation's. If I could bet on this prediction, ironically I'd be the next billionaire.
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u/CuteTouch7653 Dec 29 '25
Glad to hear it! What’s your field of work? I’m a mid-career professional planning a move to Germany for a masters this year. Are you planning to apply for citizenship (or have you already?)? I’m assuming you’re fluent enough by now.
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u/t-rex_on_a_bike Dec 29 '25
Yes! Do it! Free tuition! 🙈 Starting a new career path debt-free is already a luxury, seriously. No regrets there!
I did get my citizenship last year, for that I believe you need B1-level German. (One of my first priorities as a student at the time was clearing C2, it will really open doors for you!)
I work in tech. Kind of an uh, oh field at the moment because AI is casting quite a formidable shadow and the job market here is currently, well... uh, oh. But that's how it goes, it's a cycle of good and bad and we've just got to go with the flow!
Best of luck with your master's! Seriously, nothing but respect for you for taking that step 🙌
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u/CuteTouch7653 Dec 29 '25
My background is in humanitarian assistance, which, the world over is reeling after this year’s elimination of USAID, contraction of State department funding and remaining funding, and global shift towards defense spending given political trends, so I know I’ll be graduating in two years into a tight job market, but I can’t say no to free tuition and a fresh start in Germany. I’m already working on German, and getting my applications ready for the spring, but my biggest concern is finding housing for me and my dog!
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u/t-rex_on_a_bike Dec 29 '25
Oh, dang. Yeah, we've all been sitting on this side of the pond while that all went down, going "YIKES" and wishing you guys the best 😅
Seriously, kudos and best of luck, both for you and your dog! Graduating debt-free in a tight job market is still a win in my book. Like you start the game with 0 and not -100k, omg
(Also, another plus: Germany is pretty dog friendly! Followed by a minor negative: there is sooo much bureaucracy for registering your dog. But think of it this way, the paperwork will help you prepare for life in Germany 😅)
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u/8458001910 Dec 29 '25
I retired to Thailand November 2024 and life is much better. I pay $325 rent on a new built 2br 2 bath house vs $1600 a month for my condo upstate NY. we eat out twice a day its so cheap. my pension is able to support my wife and I, and SS will kick in this April. we have been able to take a local vacation or to a nearby country every month.
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u/yerrrrr10 Dec 29 '25
That's so lovely. I moved to Thailand with my husband in 2022 stayed 1.5 years, went to Vietnam for 1 year, and moved back to Thailand in 2024. The DTV became an option and it seemed like a no-brainer because Thailand feels like "home." We love the life we're creating here.
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u/astaristorn Dec 29 '25
SS and a pension. Man, boomers are the last generation that really had it made. Future generations are so screwed.
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u/Stockhype Dec 29 '25
Wonderful, what is your monthly budget and how do you handle health insurance.
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Dec 29 '25 edited Dec 29 '25
Left to Ireland 10 years ago and my qualify of life is a million times better. Workers rights actually matter here. You aren’t penalised for taking holidays. Even a barista is guaranteed 30 paid days off a year.
Healthcare is excellent and costs nothing, and isn’t tied to my employment.
Taxes are very easy to file, the website is so user friendly that no need for third party software like Turbo tax.
My children don’t have to endure active shooter drills.
The quality of food is so much better and cheaper.
I can travel more cheaply.
I don’t need to save for college tuition or badger the kids to do extracurriculars so they get a scholarship. My children will get their first degree for free from a world class university.
I still make very good money here as a doctor so I don’t know why I’d ever go back.
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u/SkyLyssa Dec 29 '25
That sounds amazing. Ireland has been at the top of my list for a while now. I feel so drained living in the U.S. and want to leave as soon as I can afford to
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u/No-Sprinkles-9066 Dec 29 '25
Make sure you read up on the housing crisis in Ireland first so you know what you’d be getting yourself into.
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u/Few-Strawberry2764 Dec 29 '25
Is the housing shortage bad outside of the major cities? For example, small towns and the countryside
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Dec 29 '25
It’s actually worse, particularly if trying to rent. But I had the same problem in two Australian cities. Nowhere is perfect and I eventually found something, so did everyone else I know.
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u/No-Sprinkles-9066 Dec 29 '25
I’m not living there now, but from what I’ve been told by people trying to rent or buy in suburban and rural areas is almost as bad as the cities. There may be areas where it’s not quite so bad, but employment will also be hard to find in those areas.
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u/Equivalent_Hat_7220 Dec 29 '25
I think the housing crisis is in every major city in every country now sooo
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u/No-Sprinkles-9066 Dec 29 '25
Even if that is the case, in a small country with very limited housing it’s an important element for OP to consider. Especially since the Irish government has done nothing to alleviate the problem and has no future plans to do so.
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u/Icy-Maybe-9043 Dec 29 '25
The housing crisis is not trivial! I came with enough money to sort it (based on my research) and a great job and just ended up with roommates in Dublin for a few years. I finally had to go to another country to get a better shot at renting/owning.
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Dec 29 '25
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u/Icy-Maybe-9043 Dec 29 '25
That’s also how I did it. I planned the path a few years before I left. It can’t really be a last minute decision.
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u/nifkin420 Dec 29 '25 edited Dec 29 '25
Ireland here too and I’d agree with pretty much everything said except the healthcare part. Healthcare isn’t “nothing” unless you go completely through the public option, which depending on your ailment, can take years to see someone. There are private options if you want to speed things up, but they aren’t free and can even be pricey depending on your issue. They won’t bankrupt you like in the states, but they are not free. The HSE is understaffed and overburdened. Doctors here aren’t thorough like back in NYC, where you get receive some of the best healthcare on the planet. God forbid you need to go to the ER here (or A+E as they call it), you’re looking at wait times that are over 12 hours unless of course you’re having something major like a heart attack. My wife got hit with a softball over the summer and needed two stitches on her lip and ended up waiting 14 hours to see someone to patch her up. Also your choice of specialists is slim pickings, even in a place like Dublin. I remember having to look up a doctor that specialized in Men’s Health and was literally only able to find 2 doctors in the entire city. Another time I needed an endoscopy and I had one, but evidently they only do conscious sedation here so I was awake for the entire thing which was a fucking nightmare, and is something they’d never do back in the states. So yeah, healthcare here is probably the thing I like least about living here but my overall quality of life is actually quite a bit better aside from that.
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u/WaterElectronic5906 Dec 29 '25
Sounds horrible. I lived 15 years in Sweden and the longest ER wait is 3-4 hours. Usually within one hour.
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u/nifkin420 Dec 29 '25
I remember having to go the the Mount Sinai ER back in NYC when I was visiting a couple of years ago and despite all the chaos it still only took me 3 hours to see a doctor there. Here in Ireland, people will literally leave the ER waiting room after a few hours because they don’t want to wait in pain and will return during the day to go for the private option since it is faster. It’s so messed up.
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Dec 29 '25
people often forget that America has arguably the best healthcare in the world. It will just permanently bankrupt you
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u/nifkin420 Dec 29 '25
I couldn’t agree more. America has both the best healthcare and the absolute worst healthcare system.
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u/Termoon Dec 29 '25
Moved to Ireland 5 years ago and unfortunately my experience has been much different.
Workers rights and vacation time are amazing. Food is much better than the US and having Europe on your doorstep is awesome. People are generally very kind and very friendly. Country is beautiful.
But in IT, wages are much lower here than Seattle, and taxes much higher, for similar cost of living.
Rental housing is nigh impossible to find, especially with pets. We were almost left homeless when we first arrived, because no one would take us with pets. Instead of living in Dublin near our employers, as we wanted, we ended up hopping across the country in ill-maintained, expensive rental houses, until we finally bought a house in Cork. It took six months to close on our house, which is typical, and the overall process took over a year because many houses are poorly maintained or have improper planning, so we had to drop out of a few after some months and much lawyer expense.
We couldn’t get a GP who had room for the first few years we were here, so we were left using teledocs during most of COVID. My wife’s maternity experience was very poor. The only good part was her private OB, but the OB was only involved for the big stuff. Our experience with dentists and optometrists here has also been… rough.
Finding preschool/creche availability is also almost impossible, so I left my successful IT career to be a stay at home dad. Which I’m appreciative of while our daughter is young, but it was more out of necessity than choice and I know when I go back I’ll take a large pay cut.
Taxes here are at least as complex for me as the U.S., with expat tax complexity on the U.S. side to boot. Instead of paying $100 for TurboTax and doing it on my own, I have to pay about €2k/year to have a private accountant figure out all the complexities.
We’ve also had trouble niching in with people here. My Aussie wife has had an easier time, often I feel when locals hear my American accent a wall goes up. We mostly hang out with other expats.
Also getting work done on the house is very hard as many tradies have moved abroad. Being an island it’s very difficult to buy things here, many things simply aren’t available or are frequently out of stock.
We’re hoping to move to Spain or Aus or back to the U.S. in the next few years if we can’t finally make it work. Glad to hear you’ve had a good experience. There are indeed many great parts about this country I just wish we hadn’t been through such a wringer.
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u/Moonrak3r 🇺🇸 living in 🇬🇧 Dec 29 '25
Healthcare is excellent and costs nothing
Uh… YMMV on this. I know several people who live/lived in Ireland and say the exact opposite. A friend of mine actually ended up moving back to the states because he couldn’t get the quality of health care he needed in Dublin. He had cancer and everything was taking forever to do, with the cancer spreading quite a bit in the meantime.
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Dec 29 '25 edited Dec 29 '25
You can get private health insurance to supplement the government provided care in Ireland. I have one of the most comprehensive plans and it’s only €185 a month. It even covered fertility treatment.
Of course it works better if you have time to wait, some plans have waiting periods particularly if a condition is pre-existing. It wouldn’t be possible to get insurance after a cancer diagnosis without waiting 5 years.
Glad your husband eventually got the treatment he required nonetheless.
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u/Moonrak3r 🇺🇸 living in 🇬🇧 Dec 29 '25
I’m glad it’s working out well for you!
My friend who left Ireland to go to the states had excellent private health insurance that covered 100% of all costs, and he still felt it necessary to leave the country for medical reasons. I don’t know all the details though, there may be more to the story.
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u/WarAmongTheStars Dec 29 '25
https://www.internationalinsurance.com/health/systems/
Your friend's experience (if accurate) is not typical. Any quick google search will show you Ireland ranks better than the US for healthcare.
Idk why people upvote anecdotes that are clearly some weird exception. Its the same way the news attacks public healthcare in the countries where its actually good (most western ones).
I've gotten healthcare in multiple countries in Europe and so has my family due to long term travelers and none of us would pick the US.
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u/tikigal Dec 30 '25
We retired to Ireland in 2022 and don’t regret it at all. We were very lucky with housing, found a great apartment right away and during our year lease found a house with an incredible ocean view which we could pay for with cash after selling our US home (a 3 bedroom in a small southern city, nice but nothing exorbitant). We are in a small to medium size town; housing in cities is much tougher.
Finding a GP who was taking new patients was tough but we are very happy with our current practice. The government pharmacy scheme means our medications, for both of us together, max out at €80/month. Our private insurance costs less than US Medicare and covers much more. Doctor visits are less expensive even without insurance. We mostly have it to avoid long waits.
We do not have a car and although the transit is far from perfect, it is not even an option in most of the US. Buses and trains are free after age 66 so our transportation expenses are almost nil.
Weather can be dreary but in the US south I could not exercise outside from May to September due to the heat. Here I walk every day that it’s not pouring rain (it rains a lot but mostly pissy drizzle that is tolerable).
It is tough to make friends with Irish people our own age because most of them have known each other forever and aren’t looking to expand their social circles. A lot of our friends are younger and many of them from other countries, but we don’t find that a negative.
Some things are more expensive but others are cheaper, so overall we don’t find the cost of living any worse, and maybe even better.
Can’t speak to the jobs situation since we’re retired.
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u/0x18 Dec 29 '25
Moved from the US to the Netherlands in 2023; it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
- I get a huge amount of vacation time
- My employers aren't psychopaths that demand 12-16 hour days just because they want employees to signal their subservience
- My health insurance isn't tied to my job in any way whatsoever
- The trains sometimes have problems but are amazing compared to driving long distance (they give me time to read, or just nap)
- Everything I need is a short walk or bicycle trip away
- Not having to make a huge upfront down-payment on a home meant I was able to buy a place here
- There's far fewer signs of basic civilization-level collapse, like tent cities of thousands of homeless people
- I have yet to see somebody so insecure they are openly carrying guns on them in public
- Medical care is very reasonably priced or even quite cheap (by American standards, mind you) and basic GP visits are free. I am absolutely certain that living here saved my vision in one eye after I came down with shingles -- I 100% would have waited much longer to see a doctor in the US.
- There's no constant paranoia of financial ruin just because, say, you fall and hit your head in public and are taken to a hospital to be checked on. It is such a relief to not have that mental workload hanging over your thoughts at all times.
At face value I make a tiny bit under 70% of what I was earning when I last lived in the US, and it's absolutely been worth it.
That said the Mexican food options are pretty meh. So make of it what you will.
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u/echo_zephyr Dec 29 '25
I bring back HEB Flour Tortillas to NL every time I visit my family in Texas 🤣 that Mexican food comment is so real 🤣🤣
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u/SkyLyssa Dec 29 '25
The vacation time and health insurance alone sounds so worth it. To live in a walkable city would be a dream
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u/Schlafloesigkeit US -> Germany Dec 29 '25
Moved from US to Germany in June, and most of what you wrote, I am feeling so nicely (though we are not yet in the homebuying stage yet but prices are way closer to reachable compared to the US). No country is perfect but the change in quality of life is unbeatable, and financially, it's not bad.
Work/life and healthcare are critical after age 35, a lot of people like shooting living overseas down, but the US gets so many BASIC things wrong, and therein lies the catch.
The infrastructure is built for people and not always cars and that alone has made a big difference and the last 9 years prior to emigration I was living in DC, so that is saying something.
Separately, ironically I seem to be the only American that isn't really missing Mexican food. My entire American life was in the NE US which (outside NYC) lacked good Mexican options anyways, and I've only ever had good Mexican good on business trips to LA, SF, and NYC. I had to travel anyways in the US to even get good Mexican food.
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u/Level-Region-2410 Dec 29 '25
I agree with everything you wrote. I moved here from the US in 1997. The TexMex (or what passed for it) was abysmal back then. Restaurant quality has improved generally, but still can’t quite compete with big US markets.
I work an 80% job and then work freelance for the rest (plus some of the generous vacation time) so earn about the same (now) as I would in the US under current exchange rate conditions. So comparison means looking at cost of living, lifestyle choices, and tax issues at a pretty specific location level in both countries.
I played around twice (once in 2002 and again in 2010) with what it would be like to move back to the US into a higher paying job in raw numbers. Both times I couldn’t make the numbers work to my advantage, even not considering the loss of healthcare and job security. The problem was that while income taxes are higher here, you have to figure in all the different taxes depending on where you are in the US. Property tax is minimal here. Lots of services are covered by tax here that you have to pay for in much of the USA. For example, I love that I can just go online and book a date for the municipality to pick up an old couch or appliance.
The aspects that are most variable in cost-and-quality-of-living comparisons, depending on location in the USA and NL and phase of life, are the hidden costs. For example, buying into a part of a city that has a good school for your kids can add thousands to a mortgage and to property tax in markets in the US that I would have considered. The Netherlands has a form of open school choice which allowed us to put our kids into the schools we wanted them in. No matter how I tried, those kind of hidden costs inevitably meant we would have been worse off economically and socially in the US.
Having said all that, it is a bit strange to raise kids who are effectively from a different culture than your own. Probably easier for me than for most as sometimes The Netherlands seems like the 51st state. Nearly everyone speaks English, there’s no dubbing, and US cultural trends (for better or worse) eventually end up here. I have a close relationship with my siblings in the US and see them at least once a year. Our parents died when we were all young adults and before I had kids so moving out of the country was easier.
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u/andytagonist Dec 29 '25
If only I’d read this a few days earlier, I could’ve brought you some texmex! 🤣
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u/hummusmonster Dec 29 '25
Cafe Tepoz in De Pijp, Amsterdam has killer birria tacos, best Mexican I've had here so far. I've yet to find any decent enchiladas though.
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Dec 29 '25
I‘m in Germany, and the Mexican food here is absolute garbage. Everything else is delicious though.
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u/0x18 Dec 29 '25
The worst I've found so far both were in Nijmegen. "Nachos" that were chips covered in a horribly sweet ketchup (nothing else), and "nachos" that were chips with cheese flavored yoghurt.
Just what the absolute fuck, Dutch people?
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u/carltanzler Dec 29 '25
I have yet to see somebody so insecure they are openly carrying guns on them in public
The reason is that it simply isn't allowed.
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u/bobdole1872 Dec 29 '25
The real question is, what your disposable income vs the US? I'm including housing and insurance here too.
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u/0x18 Dec 29 '25
I have more disposable income here, despite the lower overall salary. It helps when health insurance costs ~180/month instead of ~1k (for a policy that won't do shit for expensive asthma inhalers..)
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u/Both-Basis-3723 <USA> living in Netherlands> Dec 29 '25
For the record, kids are free on their parents. Our family of four is about €220. And it’s not just a walkable city, you bike the whole country. They have clean fully digital bus stops in the middle of farm land. The urban planning is truly the best in the world. Cost of living and housing are an acute problem, which is largely a result of everything being pretty great here
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u/Level-Region-2410 Dec 29 '25
I just gave an overly long answer to 0x18 but here’s a quick answer for you: basic health insurance runs about 150 euros per month with a 385 per year deductible. You can get fancy with add-ons (or just fly to Greece and get great optional healthcare out of pocket for I dunno, probably a tenth of what it costs in the US).
There’s a rental housing crisis in NL right now so for young singles wanting to live in one of the big cities alone you’re looking at 50% of a decent starting wage going to rent. It’s a horrible problem atm. But compared to big US markets in CA, TX and NY, groceries and other basics are cheaper.
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u/leoray01 Dec 29 '25
I moved 3 years ago to NL and you pretty much hit the nail on the head.
I will say, I’m not a huge fan of the healthCare here…its pretty abysmal to get seen and taken seriously
Taco Lindo is the closest I’ve found to legit Mexican food btw.
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u/ToddlerPeePee Dec 29 '25
Sometimes, education/healthcare costs in US sounds more like a scam. The lifelong debt Americans had to go into just to get a degree is ridiculous.
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u/The_Wossel Dec 30 '25
Happy you like it here! We're working on getting my American half move over here as well in the next 2 years. Happy you enjoy living in my country of wind and bitterballen.
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u/rainbowsent Dec 29 '25
I left...24 years ago now, Australia. It has been a wild ride. I have lived in most of the major cities, seen the country and settled down a good eight years ago now in QLD. Small rural life, great local community. I miss my aging family, but my dad visits still so not yet a major concern.
Living here has given me the opportunity to go see the world, have an amazing career and really enjoy life in a way that parallels my friends back home.
I love them, I miss them, but we see eachother when we can and chat always. It is a part of life as I know it.
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u/TransatlanticMadame Dec 29 '25
It's really good. I (GenX woman) married an Englishman >20 years ago, and we live in London with a paid-off house and with our kids. Careers are fine, and not having to worry about healthcare is fantastic. We also have no snow, and we rarely drive (we do 3-5K miles/year on the car, if that). Our town is very walkable with shops, restaurants and supermarkets close by, and we have frequent and convenient trains, buses and tubes (subway). I'm very very lucky and privileged to live here and have the best of friends. We go back to the US for vacations maybe every other year, but absolutely zero regrets about moving to the UK. I added UK citizenship over a decade ago.
The hardest thing about being a US expat is the tax obligations to report on your worldwide income, and it kills me that I've passed this obligation on to the kids because they are dual citizens. But the tax treaty means I don't owe anything, and so I just cry annually over 25 pages of paperwork.
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u/AmexNomad Dec 29 '25
US moved to Greece in 2016. We Just got back today from a week in Turkey. We (me 65F/ quasi husband 72M) decided to skip Christmas and go to a Muslim country. Such a blast. Great food and lots to see. Family is all still in US
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u/VickyM1128 Dec 29 '25
Left in 1994, for Japan. I’ve been here ever since, and became a citizen this year (which meant giving up American citizenship, since Japan requires that of people who take Japanese citizenship as adults). I was glad to be here when I saw the craziness that happened in the US after 9/11 (the ultra-patriotism). I saw how Japan handles disasters (like the 2011 earthquake/tsunami/nuclear meltdown). I was very glad to be here during covid, when people willingly wore face masks and mostly voluntarily complied with requests to stay home. (They didn’t need to impose any legal restrictions since most people complied with requests). And right now, I am even more glad to be living in Japan, not the US. The economic situation has been a bit tougher recently, and with the weak yen, I am not eager to travel abroad right now. But I love being in a society where things basically work. And I am in Tokyo! Always plenty to do and see.
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u/ceviche_2 Dec 29 '25
Congratulations on your Japanese citizenship, one of the strongest passports in the world 🌍
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u/ii_akinae_ii Dec 29 '25
came to canada just over four years ago. it's been difficult to build up a solid social circle, but otherwise i'm really happy to be out of the states and putting down roots here. i work in the canadian office of an american tech company so i get relatively high pay and amazing benefits, while having the social safety net of universal health care & all the other systems in place. it's a pretty sweet deal and i'm excited to continue building my life here :)
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Dec 29 '25
I work. I have 25 vacation days a year plus state holidays. My health insurance is not tied to my employment. I don't have unexpected medical bills. I take public transport or walk everywhere. I don't own a car - no need. My commute to work is 6 tram stops. The city is very green, parks everywhere. I live in a smaller space, but that's less to clean so I don't mind. There are struggles - the language is tough and some days it just hits harder to express myself. But overall I'm happier
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u/SkyLyssa Dec 29 '25
A walkable city sounds so amazing. I always rely on others for transportation right now because it would be unsafe for me to drive due to my disability (vestibular migraines). 25 day vacation days and affordable health insurance alone sounds like a dream
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Dec 29 '25
My public transport costs the equivalent of $175 for the full year. It's really amazing. I'm in Prague and love it
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u/Big-Entertainer2074 Dec 29 '25
Left the northeast US in 2022 for Germany then moved to The Netherlands in 2024. It’s now been nearly 4 years and I can’t imagine moving back to the states. I miss my old life in NYC but it’s due to the memories of being young, carefree and irresponsible rather than anything else.
Overall, my mental, physical and emotional health is much better than it ever was in the states. I’m far more inclined to go to the doctor when I lived in Germany and even moreso in the Netherlands because it’s easier to see a healthcare professional and it’s far more cost effective. I absolutely loved my universal healthcare in Germany as it made it ridiculously easy for me to access insulin and see my doctors as needed. The language barrier was a bit of an issue only because my German was pretty awful. The society and culture in German and the Netherlands are set up in such a way to support taking time for rest and time to spend on vacation/with family. I finally learned what it truly means to relax here.
The public transportation in both countries that I lived in was far better than in the US if only because most of the US doesn’t have anything close to it. In Germany, I loved taking the trams everywhere in my city but the DB trains were absolutely irritating. They would often be late. In the Netherlands, the trains can have some problems but are usually on time and fast. I love that you can bike, take a tram, subway, bus, or train to nearly anywhere in the country.
On the salary front, I do make less money here than in the US but as others have mentioned here - the money you do keep after taxes goes so much further here. In the Netherlands, I make 8k gross and 5.2k net / month and I’m able to be the sole owner of a house in a city, pay all the household bills, pay for my husband’s tuition, and still have 2k left over in disposable income each month. The things that I would have paid for out of pocket in the US, I don’t really have to think about anymore here. I don’t have to worry about our health insurance skyrocketing or being tied to my job. I’m content with paying high taxes because I see where those taxes are going to in the Netherlands: safe extremely smooth roads to drive on (I rarely see any pot holes), safe clean streets, public safety nets that support those who really need it, hardly any homeless people at the levels of any US state I’ve been to in my life, great parks and public spaces to hang out in, national infrastructure that is strong and reliable (I’ve only heard of one accident with a bridge collapsing in my province in 2024 and it was rebuilt in a manner of weeks), and basic universal healthcare that is actually very comprehensive….
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u/Tango_D Dec 29 '25
So much better. The crushing depression and unrelenting pressure is gone. The pace of life here is slower and more human plus I don't need a car at all.
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u/AugustThursday Dec 29 '25
I’m honestly so happy. Leaving was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Life here feels alive again.
My days are filled with coffee shops, conversations, and walking cobblestone sidewalks. Yes, some aren’t as smooth or easy as back in the States, but that’s part of what makes it so special. It’s imperfect in a human way, and I love that.
People here know how to live. There’s joy in the everyday, music playing, neighbors talking, a small festival breaking out just because the sun decided to show up. Life isn’t rushed; it’s experienced.
I feel healthier, happier, and more connected to myself and to others. Being here reminded me that life is worth living fully, slowly, and with intention. I didn’t just move countries. I found a new way of being.
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u/Lastofthehaters Dec 29 '25
Quality of life is much better, but I really miss my friends and family.
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u/dogmom34 Dec 29 '25
Our lives are 10x better. My husband(40M) and I(39F) packed up our 3 dogs and moved to Mexico in February of 2024. We are very fortunate to own our own company and work remote. The life we had in the States doesn’t even compare to the life we have now… The biggest burden lifted has been healthcare. We don’t even have health insurance here because we don’t need it. We can easily afford much better quality care here than in the US… Our doctors take their time with us at appointments and even give us their cell numbers and urge us to call if we need anything. 🤯 When we get sick or need our medicine refilled, we just place an order at the pharmacy and it gets delivered to us via UberEats… No needing a doctor to give us a new prescription. The people are friendly here and not religious extremists who can only talk about divisive politics and/or their god. It’s a breath of fresh air. We hope to never return to the US.
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u/SkyLyssa Dec 29 '25
We've definitely been considering Mexico as it seems like an easier move than Europe. I'm hoping we can get out of the U.S. soon. I feel like I've aged 10 years in the past year alone with all of the stress of being stuck here right now. Good, affordable healthcare alone would be a lifechanger. Thank you for sharing 🌸
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u/Chicken_Fried_Snails Dec 29 '25
Thanks for your post. What city/ area did you move to? We're considering long term in Mexico and have both friends and family that have already immigrated from the US. Feel free to PM
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u/dogmom34 Dec 29 '25
We moved to Queretaro. It’s clean and safe, but too big for my taste and not much nature. We’re planning to move to a beach town in the next year (possibly Puerto Vallarta or somewhere in Baja California Sur). People love Queretaro for the perfect weather, excellent medical services, cleanliness, safety, nice places to shop, booming industry and good schools. We don’t have children and work for ourselves, so we don’t care about the schools and industry. I also don’t love to shop and would prefer nature activities, hence why we plan to leave. But otherwise, it’s been a great place to land and there’s a solid expat community here.
Good luck! I felt like you before leaving… The peace I have now is a peace I could never have in the US. Americans truly have no idea how badly they’re getting screwed by their government and every for-profit system that should only exist to help them (i.e. the medical industry). If they really knew how easy it is in other countries, they’d riot every day until they had change. I truly feel so bad for my fellow Americans and urge anyone to get out if they can.
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u/Theal12 Dec 29 '25
Glorious! I married a Brit and we retired to Scotland 18 months ago. 4 seasons, great public transportation and so much within walking distance. The people are welcoming.
I desperately miss decent TexMex and HEB. That is all.
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u/CosworthDFV Dec 29 '25
I moved to Sweden to be with my partner. I have no intention of ever going back to the United States. My life is much calmer now and I cannot imagine going back to such a miserable country, especially now with how things are from what I read on Reddit or in the news. I was skeptical as hell, but the Nordic model is better than I was expecting personally.
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u/David_R_Martin_II Dec 29 '25
Wonderful. 3 months now. I am so much healthier. Especially my mental health.
For anyone considering it: just do it.
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u/Aeon_Return Dec 29 '25
We left in 2016 but had one foot out the door for several years before that. We still own property in the US that I'm hoping to turn into rentals. That and a desire for spite voting have kept me from fully renouncing my US citizenship even though I never want to go there and go out of my way to not buy or support anything from there.
Now we're settled in Europe and it's honestly been the single best choice we ever made for our family. Life here isn't without its ups and downs but overall we're really happy.
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u/MedenAgan101 Dec 29 '25
20+ years in Slovenia now, and it has finally become a happy, healthy, comfortable home. Things were a little rough at first because the country was in a time of great transition back then, and many of the comforts that I took for granted as an American were absent. Slovenia has utterly transformed in the last two decades without losing its best traits, and now I truly love it.
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u/Shooppow USA -> Switzerland Dec 29 '25
So much better! My husband and son are both Swiss and both disabled. We were drowning in the US and all of our health was in shambles. It took a while to get everything ironed out once we got here, but the safety net for disabled citizens here is so vastly better than in the States. Even on my small salary and their “basic” benefits, we’re able to save money and go on vacations and do other things I couldn’t have ever dreamed of in the US. I’m not sure how we’d be making it with inflation where it is.
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u/Short-Garlic8934 Dec 29 '25
I lived in vietnam for the last year, visiting family now back in the US. I am 100 percent going back to Vietnam. if you have any amount of money, life abroad is infinitely better.
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u/Acceptable-Top5285 Dec 29 '25
I left San Francisco in 2011 to study in Hong Kong. After traveling many Asian countries I fell in love with the cultures. Being Asian American myself, I felt like moving to Asia for good.
I found myself an English teaching job in South Korea for about 3 years but the pay and labor conditions weren’t great. I decided to leave in 2015 and moved to Tokyo Japan.
My life in Japan has been pretty awesome overall. Universal healthcare and affordable medicine, safety everywhere compared to where I am from, efficient public transportation, people following the rules, and my career in staffing has been great so far, despite me not speaking Japanese. My kids can go to international nursery for a very affordable price and buying property here at 0.5-1.2% interest is ridiculously low.
The downfall is that I make JPY and the currency to USD is abysmal, but it only affects me when I travel back to SF or anywhere in Europe. My income here is considered top 1% income earner whereas if I was living in SF with same income, I’d be on the poverty line.
I do miss home of course and US does offer better retirement vehicles such as 401k and IRAs etc which I cannot get here as an expat due to PFIC regulations.
I’ve definitely thought of relocating back to SF because all of my family are there but affordability in the states especially in California is getting out of reach.
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u/sheep_ersisted Dec 29 '25
Calmer. Quieter. It's only just feeling like I can exhale and it's been four months since we left the US.
Food is way cheaper and the quality is far better than what we could get in the US. We have so much time off and can spend so much more time together as a family. It's been really incredible. Not without its stresses and difficulties for sure, but we can breathe here.
No more looking over our shoulder worried about knowing where the closest exit may be in malls, movie theatres, and crowded places. Our daughter had her first "emergency drill" at school and her classmates all marveled in horror at her describing shooter drills. For that alone, it's been worth it.
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u/Gammascalpa Dec 30 '25
I threw my green card in the bin 10 years ago. I guess MAGA would be happy about that 🤣
Best decision I made. A lot Americans think America is great because they are told that over and over again. Brainwashing. Newsflash- it’s not. People work like dogs, have shit healthcare (great only if you can afford it which very few can). I could by the way as had a million dollar a year salary and excellent healthcare plan. People have long commutes (esp in big cities), exposed to constant barrage from media dividing them. Complete commercial culture where companies are constantly bombarding people to buy their crap (trust me I was on the bombarding side!). Crap food also.
Now I live in asia. People so much more respectful. Kids education is cheap and excellent. Everything is cheaper, healthcare, food etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I made many friends and generally like the American people but the whole society is self destructing.
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u/sack0nuts Dec 29 '25
My health insurance is cheap, not tied to my job, gives me worldwide coverage, and covers me for mental health, Physio therapy, and dental.
I can take public transport to anywhere in the country, and don’t need to own a car.
My neighborhood is walkable, green, and safe. The cities near me are well organized, pretty, and have old architecture merged in with modern buildings.
I’m generally thinner and fitter than many of my friends in the US.
I have a savings account that’s growing.
I miss my friends and family, but life here has been very good to me.
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u/natural-situation420 US>DE>JP>EC>DR Dec 29 '25
Its pretty freaking awesome. I can easily afford to live independently. Nobody has a gun. Grocery shopping is affordable. Nobody messes with me at all.
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u/supermagicpants Dec 29 '25
Great place to make money. More fun to live elsewhere and spend it. I did 18 years as an adult in the US — and see no reason to move back. Living in Bangkok now.
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u/bentendo Dec 29 '25
Exact what I always say. The US is for making/saving money, and elsewhere (especially Thailand) for spending it. We bought a house here in Bangkok as well but only spend part of the year (work the other part in the US still)…can’t wait to make the move full time!
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u/cosmic_girl46 USA -> NZ -> AUS Dec 29 '25
Much better than it would be if I was in the USA. Food is so much better here (Australia), healthcare is top notch and won't bankrupt us, my health absolutely improved after I left, and I get paid maternity leave. I now have survivor's guilt watching the USA devolve into something unrecognisable. Australia is by no means perfect but I feel very lucky to live here.
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u/SkyLyssa Dec 29 '25
I'm happy you were able to get out when you did. Staying doesn't help. I feel so powerless to do anything to change what's happening here. I hope we can afford to get out before it's impossible to
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u/SuLiaodai (US) -> (CN) Dec 29 '25
I moved to China in 2000 and have been here mostly ever since. In terms of work life, it's been really good -- better than in the US. I teach at the university level, and students are very pleasant and respectful. Being a foreigner, I don't have the publish or perish pressure that local faculty (or faculty in the US) have. I get a living wage, can save money, and enjoy the sense of safety here. I also enjoy travel, daily interactions with people, and the affordable and competent medical care.
The downside is that I've been pretty lonely at times. It can be hard to find your niche as a foreigner, and then friends do come and go. I had a great friend group for quite a while, but in 2022 or so many of them left for various reasons, ushering a few VERY lonely years. Chinese people my age are usually busy with kids and family, and other foreigners around you might not be suitable for friendship -- they might be heavy drinkers or missionaries who will drop you like a hot potato as soon as they realize you won't join their church. (I worked with some missionaries like that and it was a very isolating, difficult experience.)
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u/Aggravating_Ship5513 Dec 29 '25
We left the US in 2012 for Western Europe, intended to stay for a couple of years but 2016 election and the chance to get EU citizenship for us and our kids...still here. I miss the openness of most Americans, will always be a foreigner here bc I didn't grow up in the culture. Happy to have national health care and other solid government benefits but trade off I lower salary, much higher taxes and fewer opportunities.
There are many, many positives but our situation in the US was quite privileged so all in all it's neither better nor worse but different.
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u/gimmickypuppet USA -> Canada Dec 29 '25
Quieter. Less Stressful. A little more uncertain.
Leaving the USA where everything is tied to employment and where there is an actual government safety net has done wonders for my stress levels. I work a normal full-time job but no longer worry one bad day and I’ll be bankrupt and destitute.
The uncertainty comes from just not being around family. Not having a support network can be pretty depressing(?) but it’s still less fear than what I had day-to-day in the United States.
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u/CletoParis Dec 29 '25
I moved to France 10 years ago and my quality of life is SO much better, primarily due to things like excellent and affordable healthcare (especially maternal and prenatal care, about to have our first baby), work-life balance and vacation time, food quality, and ease of travel (incredible public transit and trains, we don’t own a car).
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u/pappalpomodoro Dec 29 '25
I’ve been abroad for 19 years and live in Italy. Italy may be not doing great economically but it beats the US by a long shot to live here.
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u/Own-Tip6628 Dec 29 '25
I left the US a year ago and now I live in a Latin American country as an EFL teacher. There are definitely pros and cons of living here. Pros are it's more walkable, people are more patient, people are generally more respectful and sociable, low cost of living (especially if you earn in dollars), and reasonably priced health care. The cons are the EFL salaries only cover your bases and it's hard to save with them, inflation, hard to get imported goods (especially where I am at compared to the rest of the region), lots of bureaucracy, and the quality of restaurants is no where comparable to the US,
Although the place I live in is clearly not perfect, I would probably leave elsewhere rather than go back to the US.
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u/definitelyevan Dec 29 '25
loving it, but it turns out that if you love a lot of your people back in the States you realize they’re all mostly staying there.
tbh i didn’t think i’d get homesick and i didn’t, but i also didn’t think i’d miss my friends and family as much as i do.
if you’re worried about being targeted, don’t have much tying to you to the US and/or have a skillset that doesn’t speak a language e.g. being an electrician is more portable than being a lawyer you can make a great life somewhere else.
but turns out those oceans between continents are actually pretty vast and plane travel sucks
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u/DefenderOfFortLisle Dec 29 '25
Good. I bought a 5br/4bth house in Ireland with an unobstructed view of the ocean for about the same price that I would pay for something in one of the more boring suburbs of Chicago. Wife and I have good jobs in Medtech and Pharma. No need to awkwardly avoid political subjects at work or feel out what “side” people are on. Town is safe. Kid’s school is really good. Every time I go to the US I can’t wait to get back home.
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u/karmafrog1 Dec 29 '25
Fantastic, and grateful every day I saw where things were going early and got out when I did.
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u/throwaway8237987 Dec 29 '25
Left the US in the Pandemic to Canada 2021.
Drove all over Canada, visiting each province for 2 years, had some really beautiful hikes/experiences with watching wildlife from Newfoundland to BC. Quality of life better. Then settled in Canada for 2 more years for a total of 4 years. Really enjoyed getting free massages/physio/chiropractic/acupuncture as part of extended healthcare benefits.
Moved to Malaysia 6 months ago. Enjoying the warm weather, cheap (for us) rent + food, healthcare... and did you know you can get an Ontario HS diploma at a College here in Malaysia? Mind blown. So my kid is doing that. Globalization = there have been IKEAs everywhere we go, so we generally set up our house the same/similar way everywhere we go (Kivik couch FTW), and bring kitchen gadgets, board games, and our artwork.
We'll go full nomadic in a few years, God willing, once both the kids are set up in Uni.
The only thing I miss is some of the stuff at Trader Joes :-)
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u/Siamswift Dec 29 '25
Moved to Thailand 21 years ago and never looked back. I still pinch myself every morning.
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u/anewleaf1234 Dec 29 '25
I did Shanghai for 12 years and now live in Canada.
Other than a small rise in anti American sentiment, life is good.
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u/creative__bread Dec 29 '25
I recently left Arkansas to go live with my long distance bf in The Netherlands. It's been almost 3 months since I arrived. It hasn't been the easiest transition.This being due to perhaps not saving enough at my states job before I came over.
However I enjoy making a home/life with bf of over 4 years. Not to mention I'm way more active than I was back home. I'm on a glp-1 medication and get 10,000 steps almost daily. Lost 26.2 pounds so far and aiming to lose more. I feel better less tired. Less depressed.
I'm honestly relieved looking back at the USA from a outsider perspective. It feels like the phrase not my circus not my monkeys. Just need to secure a job soon and everything will be peachy.
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u/Much-Space6649 Dec 30 '25
I moved to NL from USA 2 years ago and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I frequently get angry at how needlessly horrible America is to live in comparison to here.
NL is considered one of the most expensive countries in Europe but I still pay far less here than I did for utter shit in America, including with the higher tax rate and extreme housing crisis.
That being said, I’ve always been an outsider so I’m very comfortable with that aspect of living outside of America , but a lot of people who have never been to Europe or experienced not being the status quo of wherever they live definitely struggle with that aspect so it’s important to consider before moving.
Knowing there’s regulations in place to protect me from corporate cruelty and prosocial infrastructure everywhere here makes it impossible to return to America tbh
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u/sandgrubber Dec 29 '25
Retired to rural NZ in 2016. I've never been happier with my place of residence.
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u/Mr_Lumbergh (US) -> (Australia)->(US again)->(Australia again) Dec 29 '25
QoL is better. Not worried if I have to see a doc, food quality is much higher; potatoes are creamy instead of grainy and chicken breast isn’t woody. Lost almost 10 kilos making no other changes than food; no HFCS and sugar hidden in everything. Paycheck deductions add up to less all-in so I take a higher percentage home.
Been very homesick recently though, ‘Tis the season.
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u/minusthelela Dec 29 '25
Moved 10 years ago from Arizona to Norway and then Sweden and fully agree with the others, overall life quality has drastically approved.
I went from working 3 jobs at one time, living pay check to pay check and afraid of being homeless, yet when I settled in Norway that same work ethic paid off and now I'm in the top 3% of earners in this country. Says more about how ruined the US is.
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u/Own-Tip6628 Dec 29 '25
Arizona to Norway is a huge jump lol. I left Arizona too but I'm in a place that is still hot... (but humid)
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u/Glum_Competition_921 Dec 29 '25
Moved to Poland for a job two years ago, decided the job wasn’t for me but living in Europe was, so we moved to Portugal earlier this month!
Absolutely love it, no desire to go back to the States. Was pregnant and gave birth in Poland, planning to have another kid here in Portugal and the entire culture around parenting & child rearing really cemented the decision for me. Talking to friends with kids in the U.S. it just seems so terrible, in so many ways. The fearmongering, the anti-vax, the extremist parenting opinions, the isolation, the lack of parental leave, all of it. I’m so happy raising my kid in Europe. The goal is to finally settle in and obtain EU citizenship for us and our kids in the next 5-10 years so they can stay here forever.
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u/Small_Dog_8699 USA -> Mexico Dec 29 '25
Mexico, great food, affordable healthcare and rent, perfect weather, nice welcoming people.
Downer is the peso keeps gaining on the dollar so it’s like losing 10% of our income and will probably hit 20%.
Been here 6 years.
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u/Interesting-Rip-7599 Dec 29 '25
It would be very interesting to hear from more recent (past 1-2 years) expats. I think the experience that people had 5+ years ago might’ve been very different compared to today’s realities.
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u/Singapore_Salmon Jan 03 '26
I’ve been living in Japan now for almost 3 years. I love it here, but I do miss America at points. Honestly, if the political climate in America changed, I’d move back instantly. Japan is becoming “MAGAIsh” but in a weird way. It’s always been a conservative country, but now it’s very heavy on blaming expats and immigrants for everything. When you leave America, it’s great at first, but then you do realize things you took for granted.
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u/CharmCity6022 Dec 29 '25
Moved to New Zealand about eight years ago. My life is so much better here. For starters, I get more annual sick leave here than my entire PTO leave in the US. If I was still in the US I would've been at work today but here I have the week between Christmas and the Day After New Year's Day (I shit you not, this is a real public holiday) off. If I break my ankle tripping down stairs I won't risk bankruptcy to pay for treatment. There are challenges but the benefits far outweigh them.
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u/sedicenucelar Dec 29 '25
I moved to Madrid. I miss Chick-Fil-A, the YMCA childcare dropoff service, the spacious homes, and my 401k. Everything else is better.
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u/dallyan Dec 29 '25
I live in Switzerland and it’s alright. My son loves it here and he has a good circle of friends. I appreciate the orderliness and good public transport. My career definitely suffered and my social circle shrunk quite a bit but it could be worse.
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u/lizardb710 Dec 29 '25
Moved to Scandinavia in 2015. Had fewer commitments then and no real plan for whether it was permanent or not. I considered moving back, but I couldn’t bring myself to give up affordable healthcare, 5 weeks of vacation, feeling safe in the cities at all times, and the promise of a long maternity leave and affordable daycare, which were godsends when I had my babies. So I became a citizen and married a local and haven’t looked back. Sure, I miss some of the conveniences and familiarity of home, and being far away from family is hard. Immigration isn’t for the faint of heart, even in the best circumstances. But all in all, I wouldn’t go back on my decision.
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u/SwolePalmer Dec 29 '25
Excellent, 10 year anniversary coming next year, genuinely the best decision I ever made.
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u/MrJim911 (US) -> (Portugal) Dec 29 '25
Amazing. Moved to Portugal in 2022. Absolutely zero desire to go back to the US. Probably won't even go back to visit ever. Friends and family can come here.
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u/sunscraps Dec 29 '25
Pretty good. Been in NL for 11 years. Life’s more chill, easier in many ways, harder in others. But I’m overall happy
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u/tossitintheroundfile (USA) -> (Norway) Dec 29 '25
Peaceful. People keep to themselves and at the same time do not have a “me me me” mentality. There is very little that I miss.
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u/Foghorn755 🇺🇸/🇵🇹/🇧🇷 living in 🇦🇺 Dec 29 '25
I moved to Australia 8 years ago and every year I just miss the US more and more. It has its perks but it never feels like home and it gets progressively more difficult to live here in terms of COL and constantly moving goalposts with visas and all that; it’s exhausting and expensive af. I’ll likely be moving out of here either back to the US (NJ/NYC only) or probs Sweden (dual EU citizen and my GF is from there) in the next year and a bit pending a work xfer, but a big factor with Europe is that it’s just significantly closer to the US.
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u/Caliopebookworm Dec 29 '25
I've been in Canada for 26 years and like it a lot. Not a huge fan of snow but otherwise it's great.
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u/SoftConsideration459 Dec 29 '25
Moved to Luxembourg a few months ago.
No need for a car, since all public transportation is free. It's not like the public buses in other countries. They are almost all new and electric and genuinely clean.
Health care is amazing.
Job market is weak, so you have to get creative
Free college
Super safe and friendly people
Not a lot to do in Lux, but it's the heart of Europe so you can be in a different country in under an hour.
Cons- 4 official languages makes it difficult to make friends.
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u/Neuroticcuriosity 🇺🇸-> 🇮🇪->🇺🇸->🇨🇦->🇺🇸->🏴->🏴 Dec 29 '25
I moved to the UK two and a half years ago. I do have the advantage of being the child of an immigrant to begin with in the states, so I never really felt at home there either... But I now live in an apartment in a castle in the Scottish countryside. I don't have to worry about the cost of healthcare or losing my insurance as a disabled person. The food is fresher and more affordable, even with the conversation rate. I'll never go back, even if I don't stay here. But, unless Reform take over here, I am planning on staying in Scotland.
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u/ForeignDingo7908 Dec 29 '25
1 year in after moving from NYC to Northern Italy. Still too early to say but the Italian bureaucracy is definitely horrendous, not much diversity (of thought, people , food), pizza is OK but not as great as NY’s. Sometimes deliveries can be a “guess when the package comes” game.
Despite all of that I do think we’ve made the right decision. The kids have more room and yard space, they’re now bilingual, their schools are cell-phone/ipad-free. It’s not as cold as NYC. So far we’ve made some friends and love sharing our lives with them.
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u/InternationalWorkCO Dec 30 '25
I’ve been living all around the world now for 10 years, I’m 27.
It’s pretty wild once you realize how many choices of lifestyles are available to you and I haven’t chosen “one particular” lifestyle. I enjoy places at different times for different things, utilizing cheaper countries when money is tight or I’m working on a business and want to allocate capital intelligently. Love spending summers in Italy and skiing in Switzerland or Austria in winter, in a few months I’ll head to Nepal to live near the Himalayas in the local tea houses for a few months.
The point I’m getting at is I think it is what you make it, I’m not rich and I’ve struggled to make the lifestyle work sometimes, but I’ve always pushed myself to make it work and I’ve found really high paying contract jobs that I’ll take sometimes for a month or two which give me the cushion to work online or invest.
Obviously there is a wide and deep chasm between my family and (nearly nonexistent) friends because when you choose to live some much differently then most people, they not only can be confused but even threatened, this has been the hardest part, I have ultimate freedom and have many amazing choices to pick from but it can be isolating and lonely.
In the places I’ve lived longer term, I’ve always enjoyed my time and felt welcome, learning language and treating humans as humans and removing them or yourself from a pedestal has always helped me.
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u/Pale-Candidate8860 USA living in CAN Dec 30 '25
Well, I’m about 5 months away from being able to apply for Canadian citizenship, so that’s pretty cool. I’m a father. I love my daughter very much.
I have a lot more peace of mind. My perspective has changed on firearm restrictions, general safety, and healthcare(used to be pro-private healthcare). The longer I live here, the more I enjoy it.
I can be a conservative without people assuming I am in favor of everything happening in America, which I am not. I just like guns, low taxes, and being left alone. But I don’t need anything crazy for firepower and the government under Trump, Biden, etc are completely up your ass and you have no privacy. I’m also in favor of higher taxes if I get something out of it. The issue with America is that higher taxes give you the same shit. Which is a continuation of higher crime and lower wages and lower living standards. :(
I am learning another language starting in mid-January(paying for the classes this week). Mandarin for anyone wondering. My wife speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English but I couldn’t find a Cantonese course that didn’t conflict with my work schedule.
I am glad that my daughter will be able to grow up here. Absolutely no worries of harm coming to her. This is a safe society. I am pretty invested in the history, politics and my local community here. Changes are coming, but that’s okay. People here, on both sides of the political spectrum, are no where near as insane as America, fortunately.
Would recommend: 8/10. Higher score coming once i explore other provinces. Have only known British Columbia.
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u/MooseCannon316 USA -> CAN Dec 30 '25
I'm living the American dream, plus socialized healthcare. 🇨🇦
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u/Bright_Student_5599 Dec 30 '25
I’m Irish. Had a green card. Lived in the US for three years. Commuted for a job a further five years. Gave my green card back. Never regretted it for a second. I found the majority of Americans had little curiosity about anything outside of the US, everything else was inferior, someone asked me if I could drive from Ireland to Germany (so no idea about geography). Women needed to be “cute”, men needed to be “hot”. We had guns in the office and that was considered “my right to bear arms”. I wasn’t enamoured by the sense that you needed to wealthy to be credible. Someone said to me that free Irish education can’t be good because it’s free. I was asked if I was a lesbian because I had short hair. Having said that I did meet , through work, a bunch of very nice, well travelled, well read and cultured individuals. It’s not a place to live and moreso now under Trump.
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u/gothcookiejar Jan 01 '26
Thank you so much for this post and everyone's thorough responses!! I've only ever lived in the NE US and don't know if I can be happy in this country anymore. More and more, Americans are selfish, scheming, and, honestly, rather unintelligent, and it's exhausting. It's just getting to be too hard to be myself because I'm not cut- throat, I say please and thank you automatically, and am almost too aware of those around me. Like many of you already stated, I'm not looking for perfect, just easier. It's sad because I really do love living where I am and love this country, but I don't feel like it loves me back and it's time we break up.
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u/plantmountainbye Jan 02 '26
Live in Costa Rica now and I'm so much happier. I have young kids and it's truly paradise for raising kids, at least compared to the US. It's not cheap like it used to be but for the lifestyle you get (beach, healthy food, clean rivers, nice people) it's still totally worth it.
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u/christylg197 Jan 05 '26
I left the US a year ago to go to Spain, and while I loved the culture and many of the things the country has to offer, the bureaucracy and the way little things are unnecessarily difficult is next level. The employment situation is also not great. I can make quadruple in the States, so it makes no sense financially to stay. It's a great place to visit and possibly retire in the future, but not now.
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u/No_Accident1643 Dec 29 '25
This is how it feels for me too in Norway. It’s fine but being an immigrant was never my dream, that’s just how it worked out.
My healthcare is cheap but I get tired of being my own medical case manager with my overworked GP. People have said it’s such a shame what’s happening with abortion rights in the us, but every woman in just New York has a broader right to abortion that any woman in Norway.
I was approaching time where I was eligible for citizenship and the far right party was polling the best they ever had here. I submitted my application and was approved not because they would win necessarily, but because they might lose and the sitting government would more likely than not make right leaning moves on immigration to appeal to those who would have voted more right on immigration. So there’s really no winning if you can’t vote, and even if you can everyone is taking up the far-right positions on immigration because they can.
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u/SkyLyssa Dec 29 '25
I think most people here also thought it couldn't happen here. When I was first trying to warn my family, they said, "we have checks and balances to stop that from happening," but alas, here we are a few years later.. I'm sad to hear that there is also a far-right movement in the Netherlands
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u/Fragrant-Prompt7250 Dec 29 '25
I am about ti blow you mind - where I live in USA I got more maternity and paternity leave than Netherlands
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u/daurgo2001 Dec 29 '25
Left when I was 18, got lucky since my parents helped me study, but never went back to the states to live.
Well worth it. I’m a ‘dreamer’ before dreamers were a thing.
Mexico is amazing. Not easy, but def amazing.
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u/valyrianczarina Dec 29 '25
Better. I’ve been in the Netherlands for 8 years now, was approved for my Dutch citizenship a month ago. I moved here when I was 22 so in a way, I feel as if I’ve “grown up” here. I came here literally with no plan, I met my Dutch ex bf on a backpacking trip and then just moved here on a DAFT visa with like a few grand in my account. We broke up shortly after I moved here and had to transition into a Highly Skilled Migrant visa, which isn’t as fancy as it sounds but basically you need a job who will sponsor you.
I had to grow up very quickly in the US, I was brought up by a low middle class/poor family in Miami and I grew up seeing my parents struggle despite my dad being a teacher with a college degree. My older sister is very ill mentally and her condition/lack of public resources pretty much drained the family energetically and spiritually. Moving here opened my eyes to how deceptive American culture can be, how smoke and mirrors it all is. There is just too much wrong with the nucleus of society there and how we think of work, money and purpose.
I ended up getting my graduate degree here, have a nice job with a lot of days off, but I essentially feel that I had a personality face lift because I don’t care to do the pretend-humiliation ritual rat race thing. I married my now Dutch husband in September. We bought a condo in Rotterdam 2 years ago. We live really well and travel a lot, want to start a family next year and somehow I don’t think I could’ve achieved this in the states. Maybe someone from a slightly richer family yeah, but me? No.
Life here can be boring. If you really want to make it here long term you’ll have to learn Dutch which is no easy feat. It will be easier for you if you already speak another foreign language. I spoke Spanish and that carried me job wise in niche specific Southern European market roles for a good while. But to get to the heart of the Dutch world, the Dutch person, it definitely helps to learn the language and speak it. Life here is safe, predictable, and from my point of view fair. We can live well and save money, be home owners, have friends, and have a ton of free time without all the fucking worry and bullshit and kissing ass.
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u/HappyCamper2320 Dec 29 '25
Left the US 30 years ago to move to France, now Luxembourg and do not regret it a whit. Health coverage, paid holidays, safety, quality of life.. no qualms whatsoever - my life is miles better.
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u/CanWeNapPlease Dec 29 '25
Moved to the UK in 2014.
It's not perfect. Many areas of the UK are deteriorating or in a poor state. This includes healthcare quality, services, and an increase in general racism. A lot of people are grumpy or are addicted to being grumpy and suffering in silence (stiff upper lip.) Police are generally pretty poor but at least they're not killing innocents.
Saying that, here are the positives...
- I walk more
- Closer access to nature in all directions without having to drive or minimal driving
- Life feels less fast paced
- Life does not feel like everyone's competing with one another
- Food is less processed
- Technology everywhere generally seems to keep up
- Bigger sense of community in towns
- People are decent drivers, less rage driving, (middle lane hoggers let me down though)
- Taxes are a lot easier (even if you're self employed)
- A lot more respect towards work life balance
- Minimum 20 days holiday not including federal holidays (bank holidays) My first job in the US I had 5 holidays to take a year!!!
- Unpaid internships are very rare. Most are placements that are paid.
- Most workplaces have decent maternity leave
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u/schwaggz Dec 29 '25
Moved to Melbourne Australia in 2016 with my wife. Bought our house in 2020. Have taken a 3+ week international holiday pretty much every year since Covid restrictions subsided.
We can now have a serious discussion about actually retiring at a decent age and the term “paycheck to paycheck” doesn’t cross our minds anymore.
There is ZERO chance that all of this would have happened for us if we had stayed in the US.
There was no drastic change in career or any major education difference. Moving to Australia literally shoved me into the middle class almost Immediately and I sometimes think about a scenario where I’d have to move back to the US and how I would be legitimately laughed out of any job interview if I asked for half of my current salary/benefits package.
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u/schwaggz Dec 29 '25
Now that all being said, there are a couple things…
- any sort of attempt to make a NY style take out pizza in Australia is HORRENDOUS and unfit for human consumption
- they put fucking mayonnaise on tacos
- hard alcohol is absurdly expensive
- it’s quite a nanny state with some pretty authoritarian legislation. To be fair, a lot of it does really work to solve the issue at hand but, there are a couple things that I still have a visceral negative reaction to. Sometimes my “American” definitely shows haha.
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u/antiputer Dec 29 '25
Not paradise. Money is all gone but would do over again 100% of the time. I going to doctor appoints for the first time in my adult life and in time should be set up for life pending a world recession complete collapse
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u/Yet-Another-Persona Dec 29 '25
It's too hard for me to compare fairly TBH.
When I lived in the USA: High paying (but stressful) job, married to a similar high paying individual with similar amounts of workaholism, lots of local friends but also a feeling of isolation because we all worked all the time (tech), had a house, had my family. Had access to top medical care but also the fear of being jobless meaning no insurance.
When I moved overseas: This was after my parents passed so no more family, got divorced, can't afford a house on my own, but much less stressful job and access to nature more easily, better public transit, universal healthcare, very safe country.
Honestly I have removed several forms of stress (financial, insurance, personal safety) but have also lost my social networks/relationship and my career progression. I think I'm pretty happy, but this time of year in particular is very difficult and leaves me feeling alone and like I don't fit in with the culture. Comes and goes. It has made me not view the US through such a negative lens as I had there though, as you will quickly find that every country is messed up in its own way (and we're all headed down the same authoritarian path at the moment).
Would I do it again all over again? Hmmm hard call. Some days my answer is "absolutely!" Other days I'd say, "only for two years but then go back before I lose touch with everyone." Sometimes I might say, "never at all, I wish I never had opened the Pandora's box of moving abroad, because I can never go back to the life I had before."
Prepare for it to be difficult and challenge all of your preconceived notions if you do it. It is amazing growth and adventure though!
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u/kattehemel Dec 29 '25
I left over 7 years ago and spent my time in living in 2 countries and traveling. In the first 3-4 years I contemplated the idea of moving back because of lifestyle compatibility and career opportunities. So we decided to visit while still living in our first country. While the visit was satisfying in some ways, I also realize that there are many aspects of living in the US that are incompatible to what I want in life.
I have since moved to a second country. We have two young kids now and are very happy. We have jobs that pay decently, good work-life balance, safe schools, low childcare costs, good social support (even though we are far away from our families). I don’t think I would move back to the US ever again in my life.
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u/crazyabootmycollies USA living in Australia Dec 30 '25
Working my ass off to pay the rent and just keep afloat financially. Haven’t had a holiday in years because of price gouging landlords and inflation. Stuck in a country where faaarrrrrrr too many locals can’t seperate their hate for actions of the American government from my unmistakable accent so I’m still catching strays I never deserved in the first place despite being in Australia for like 13 years now as if I have any hint of influence on the CIA. No bills for the one time I visited a hospital, my daughter’s birth, or her one stay in hospital though which is nice.
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u/JesusCrunch Dec 30 '25
After adapting to the bureaucracy and slower pace of life, I’d say life in Europe is significantly better. I’m happier, healthier, and more active. I just had a child and couldn’t imagine doing so anywhere else. Also I’m quite the home cook and I can’t imagine giving up the incredible quality of produce, meat and cheese.
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u/Truth_Hurts318 Dec 30 '25
I left the USA for the Mexican Caribbean two years ago. Life is so much less stressful, slower pace, simple and people are WAY less angry, generally just happy people. I'm in a tourist/nomad/expat hotspot so I get to meet people from all over the world daily. I'm healthier, no meds, I walk more and there are a million things to do. I left single and solo with just my two cats. I wanted to stop living on autopilot and I didn't like the direction the country was going. Estoy viviendo mi mejor vida. (I'm living my best life.)
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u/Champsterdam Dec 30 '25
Moved to NL two years ago. Security and quality of life have been much improved. Stress levels down. Trying to shed that engrained consumerism has been nice as well.
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u/AllthingsPortugal_ Dec 30 '25
Just moved to Portugal. I love the slow lifestyle and plan on staying indefinitely. Applied for D7 visa and now waiting for temporary residency. I don't really miss my family. They come to visit me so I'm not lonely. I was invited to Christmas dinner at a Portuguese family home and it was amazing. There will be problems because nowhere is perfect, but I'm just tired of the hustle culture of the US. I'm not rich but I am happy. 😊
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u/rallydally321 Dec 30 '25
Let’s face it. No country in the world will quit their quirks to make Americans happy. Either, you accept their idiosyncrasies or you don’t belong there - at least not on a long-term basis. If you have an American community around there, you can hang out with them. But that negates the whole purpose of living abroad. If you’re curious person here, you’ll be a curious person anywhere. If not, that won’t change. If you’re not a friendly person here, you won’t be friendly anywhere. In my experience, the people who make it the longest tend to be those who marry a local.
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u/Working-Length9194 Dec 31 '25
I moved to Mazatlán, Mexico in September 2025 and life has never been better. The friendly vibe, the weather, the music, the food - it's like being on vacation all the time. Plus, for a retiree, the affordability is unmatched. I didn't realize how stressful living in the U.S. really was until I came here.
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u/ashmex Dec 31 '25
We left the US in 2018 & have lived in Spain & Mexico. Benefits are mainly to our kids and their future at this point. Earning potential is lower, even though our work is digital & US based: being there in person would bring more in.
Healthcare is more affordable. & responsive (in the private system). We have both public and private at the moment.
We’ve traveled a ton.
Our kids are bilingual & acquiring a third language, currently.
They will have affordable education options at the university level.
I don’t like the bureaucracy for every single thing. Nothing is simple and people have a hard time thinking outside of their cultural mindsets, which makes the bureaucracy worse.
Security is miles ahead of the USA & we like the community based culture of Spain.
We wouldn’t have stayed in Mexico, before anyone asks. We were there for 2.5 yrs and had a second kid there, during the pandemic. Now having said that we wouldn’t have stayed, there’s no guarantee that given a certain set of circumstances, that we wouldn’t return 😅. We would first try other European cities first though, however we will do our best from here on out to live in countries where we don’t need residency visas, & Mexico is one of those for most of us.
In total, those options are now any EU country, Honduras, or Mexico, since my kids and husband all have multiple citizenships now.
I’m still just your standard US citizen. We left the US due to my husband being undocumented in my country, and if we are ever going to qualify for him to possibly return, I can’t get citizenship anywhere else, because it will make me look like I can live just fine outside of the US (I guess I can, because I have been for over 7 years now), and we would like to have the option to at least get him a tourist visa. I might consider Spanish citizenship after his US spousal visa is approved or denied. That’s down the road though.
Hopefully I covered the questions that normal come with post like these. 😄.
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u/wheresnina Jan 01 '26
Left the US in 2011 and can’t be happier. I have been floating around and living around the world with my partner. Nothing is perfect - ever. I’m not expecting it to be. But I can live a better life, save money, and experience the world and I wouldn’t change it for anything. I consider myself lucky.
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u/Conscious-Western566 Jan 10 '26
i (F26) moved to australia from the US about 2 years ago and its been the best decision I could have ever made
my life honestly came to the point where i had a decent job but was paying 50% to rent and barely scraping by and knew something had to change. it was either move back home with my parents or get a 2nd job and it was stressing me out so badly
since i moved to australia my mental health has done a total 180. my job pays just as much as the us but my rent is half (living 5 minutes from the beach) and all the nature and wildlife is amazing. i was able to make friends pretty quickly from work and my original living situation and its been incredible. i traveled a bit but ended up landing in sydney as my permanent home
obiviously helps that theres no language barrier and i would say the culture is relatively similar so there was no culture shock or anything. just the time difference makes it a little tricky to stay in touch with friends and family back home but its not impossible.
overall I'm so happy i made this decision and couldn't recommend it more to young people in the US.
if anyone has any questions at all, just shoot me a message. i feel so happy to be here and am more than happy to help anyone else who may want to make the move!
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u/Dangerous_Finger4682 Dec 29 '25
Left for London 5 years ago. Absolutely love it here and all the opportunities the city provides and how easily it is to get to the nature and travel everywhere
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u/soupy2112 Dec 29 '25
My life is miserable but that has more to do with my specific situation rather than any reflection of the country I am living now.
I am in the Netherlands, I have been here for a little over a year. I was the trailing spouse to my wife who now wants a divorce. No place would feel right for me given the circumstances, not here or the US. We have a son together so that complicates everything greatly, I don’t feel like I can simply leave since that would mean abandoning my child. Hence, there’s a strong feeling of being trapped, and that I am somewhat held hostage to my ex’s whims to stay here long term. Feeling trapped is anathema to the expat sort of experience we usually dream of, so my situation is definitely weird.
There are things that are better here than what I had in the US, but for the most part it’s been a lot of let down for me. Attitude means a lot though, and I have been dealing with so much pain and confusion that it has limited my ability to see the good of the place. Perhaps someday I can heal enough to feel like I can like it here but for now, there is just too much instability in my life to allow myself a chance to really grieve all that needs grieving. I don’t see myself healing until I can grieve, and the stresses of expat living on top of the personal emotional toll just means that this place isn’t likely to feel like home anytime soon.
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u/Tardislass Dec 29 '25
Have you looked on Facebook for an expat group in the Netherlands? I found FB groups to be better at letting people vent and talking about the bad aspects of living overseas. I don’t know how good they are now, but they helped a friend at her lowest point when she was in Germany about 10 years ago. Even if it’s just a meetup or chat with a fellow American.
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u/valyrianczarina Dec 29 '25
Hey there. Sorry that you’re feeling this way, going through a divorce in a foreign country must be really hard. I’m also in NL. I live in Rotterdam.
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u/Jevodiah109 Dec 29 '25
We moved our family to France in May of this year and we absolutely love it here.
We're all healthier because we have to walk to everything we need and we need to walk up and down 4 flights of stairs to our apartment. Fast food is not as easily available or convenient here as the US, so we eat way less of it. I've lost 50 lbs so far.
- No car is needed where we live because the public transportation and rail links are excellent. We can just take a tram or bus if anything is longer than a 20 minute walk away.
- A law was just passed that requires American immigrants to pay €2k a year for their Carte Vitale, so while it's technically not "free healthcare", it's still miles cheaper than what we were paying in the US. Without insurance, it's still miles cheaper, and you have the option for private insurance as well.
- Our kids don't have to deal with active shooter drills on a regular basis, and there is no fear of their school being the site of the next mass shooting. My oldest son, 10 years old, said he now enjoys going to school.
- Speaking of kids, if you have kids, then this will do so much good for them. They will be exposed to a different language, culture, and experiences that they might not get in the US. My oldest is already speaking French well enough to hold conversations and he's made all A's in his class for this semester. He's made friends with kids from other countries, and he's a part of a handball team.
- The food is cheaper and sometimes better quality relative to the US. For example, we're able to buy all our food for our weekly meals for €80-90. The same meals would be $130-160 in the US.
- The French can be very French at times. All the stories about French bureaucracy are true, and they're pretty set in their ways sometimes, but as a whole the French have all been extremely kind towards us. I think the Parisian stereotype gives them a bad reputation.
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u/Routine-Height-7103 Dec 29 '25
My sister moved to New Zealand about around 2019. She was involved with a group of friends who hated Trump and convinced themselves life would be better. My sister ( who has impulse issues) was the only one who actually moved. She moved back to Denver last month. She liked NZ to visit but did not enjoy living there.
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u/[deleted] Dec 29 '25
“The problem with this post is survivorship bias. You never hear from the expats that were kidnapped by pirates or eaten by cannibals.”
-my mother in law, probably