There’s a certain romanticism that surrounds the idea of living overseas. Social media feeds overflow with images of digital nomads sipping coffee in Bali, expats enjoying beachfront living in Mexico for a fraction of US costs, or retirees stretching their dollars in Southeast Asia. And yes, these upsides are real—lower cost of living, new cultural experiences, adventure, and sometimes a simpler pace of life.But there’s another side to this story that doesn’t make it into the Instagram highlights reel.When you move from the United States to a country with a lower GDP per capita, you’re not just trading expensive lattes for affordable street food. You’re also trading infrastructure, systems, and conveniences that you probably took for granted. The daily friction of life simply increases.
The Infrastructure Gap
Let’s start with the basics. In the US, you expect roads to be paved and maintained. You expect traffic lights to work. You expect that when you turn on a faucet, clean water will come out, and when you flip a switch, the lights will stay on.In many countries with lower average incomes, these aren’t guarantees. Power outages might be weekly occurrences. Water pressure might be unpredictable. Roads might have potholes large enough to swallow a tire. Internet connectivity—essential for many remote workers—might be unreliable or frustratingly slow.
These aren’t catastrophes, but they’re death by a thousand cuts. Each small inconvenience compounds. The generator you need to buy. The water filtration system. The backup internet plan. The extra time built into every journey because traffic is chaotic and roads are poor.
Bureaucracy and Red Tape
Getting things done often requires navigating bureaucratic systems that make the DMV look like a model of efficiency. Want to open a bank account? That might require multiple visits, notarized documents, and waiting periods that seem arbitrary. Need to extend your visa? Prepare for unclear requirements, changing rules, and officials who may or may not be having a good day.In countries with less developed institutions, personal connections often matter more than procedures. This can work in your favor if you’re well-connected, but it also means that simple tasks become relationship-management exercises.
Healthcare Trade-offs
Yes, healthcare might be cheaper abroad—sometimes dramatically so. But cheaper doesn’t always mean better. While some countries have excellent private hospitals that cater to expats and wealthy locals, the overall healthcare system may be less developed. Specialized treatments might not be available. Medical equipment might be outdated. Pharmacies might not carry the medications you’re used to.
You might find yourself needing to fly back to the US for certain procedures, or constantly calculating whether a health issue is serious enough to warrant international medical evacuation insurance.
The Service Sector Reality
In wealthier countries, competition and established consumer protection norms create reliable service standards. In less wealthy nations, this ecosystem is often less developed. Customer service might be poor or nonexistent. Return policies might be “no returns.” Quality control might be inconsistent.
That affordable handyman might do shoddy work. That cheap furniture might fall apart in months. That budget airline might cancel your flight with little recourse. You learn to lower your expectations and accept that fighting these battles often costs more in time and stress than the money you’d recover.
The Paradox of Choice and Quality
Supermarkets in the US offer overwhelming variety—fifteen types of mustard, twenty cereals, organic options for everything. In many countries, you’ll find smaller selections, fewer imported goods, and quality that varies wildly. Sometimes you can’t find basic products you considered staples.This isn’t necessarily bad—it can actually simplify life—but it is different, and it means constantly adapting your habits and expectations.
The Real Question
None of this means you shouldn’t move overseas. Many people find the trade-offs worthwhile. The slower pace, the adventure, the cultural richness, and yes, the cost savings can more than compensate for the inconveniences.
But it’s worth being honest about what you’re signing up for. You’re not just gaining affordability and novelty. You’re also accepting that daily life will have more friction, more unpredictability, and more moments where you think, “This would be so much easier back home.”
The question isn’t whether these inconveniences exist—they do. The question is whether what you gain is worth what you lose. For some people, at some stages of life, the answer is absolutely yes. For others, the reality doesn’t match the Instagram fantasy.
The key is going in with your eyes open, understanding that lower cost of living often comes with higher costs in time, patience, and convenience.
