Expat Advice

International Living’s expat network is your key to a new life in a new country. Get real, honest advice from people just like you. Discover the tips, tricks, shortcuts, and strategies you can use to cut through red tape and improve your life overseas right away.

Read about and learn from real-life experiences our expats have had in their new home countries, from health care to taxes, earning an income overseas to buying real estate…and much more.

Expat Advice Archives

Rural Lake Arenal: An Active Lifestyle with a Small-Town Feel

Rural Lake Arenal: An Active Lifestyle with a Small-Town Feel

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March 19, 2016

The hills are cut with steep, tree-filled river valleys, and peninsulas, capes, and coves mark the lakeshore. At 18 miles long and three miles across at its widest, the blue expanse of Lake Arenal, in Costa Rica’s northern highlands, anchors a region known for its laidback lifestyle. Here, in a place of perennial warm weather and volcanic soils perfect for gardening, you can find the small-town U.S. vibe of yesteryear. And at a highly affordable cost.

The Best Retirement Lifestyles in Low-Cost Ecuador: Part 1

The Best Retirement Lifestyles in Low-Cost Ecuador: Part 1

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March 19, 2016

Just a few short decades ago, Ecuador was off the map for most North American retirees. All that has changed dramatically in recent years, though, as intrepid North American expats began trickling into this small South American country. What they found was a country with pretty colonial towns and cities; miles of golden-sand beaches; an equatorial climate tempered by offshore ocean currents and the mountain terrain to make it spring-like year-round;

The Best Retirement Lifestyles in Low-Cost Ecuador: Part 2

The Best Retirement Lifestyles in Low-Cost Ecuador: Part 2

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March 19, 2016

Picture yourself in a town where it’s pleasantly warm year round. Winter snows and relentless summer heat seem a distant memory. You can have your pick from the vast array of farm-fresh fruit and vegetables grown in rich volcanic soils. Impromptu parades awash with color and Andean music are par for the course, and in the evenings you can relax with a beer in hand with both local and expat buddies. Or retreat to that farm you’ve always dreamt of, just outside of town, where you can grow your own food amid serene solitude.

The Secret of the FEIE: Your Ticket to a Tax–Free Life Overseas

The Secret of the FEIE: Your Ticket to a Tax–Free Life Overseas

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March 19, 2016

Living and working overseas provides opportunities for new vistas, new cultures, great food, more sunshine, and a much lower cost of living. But did you know that it can also provide you with a huge tax benefit? Maybe you are overseas as an employee for a corporation, a local B&B, or even a tour company. Perhaps you operate abroad as an independent consultant, freelancer, or business owner. If you are a U.S. citizen living and working outside the U.S. for most of a year, you may qualify for what’s known as the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE). With this, you could completely eliminate your U.S. tax liability.

Part-Time Income, Full-Time Adventure in Laos

Part-Time Income, Full-Time Adventure in Laos

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March 19, 2016

"Here, people will ask you to take their picture and say ‘thank you’ when you’re done,” says Jonathan Look, 54, of his rewarding new life as a photographer in Laos. “It’s fun to go out in the villages and meet the kids and the families and see how they live, take pictures of their lives… I love taking photos of Laos. It’s just a beautiful place.”

Realize Your Retirement Dreams in Ecuador

Realize Your Retirement Dreams in Ecuador

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March 19, 2016

If you’re concerned about your financial future or your health…wondering whether you’ll be able to have the kind of retirement lifestyle you dream about…wondering if you’ll be able to afford to retire at all…you really should consider joining us in Quito in July, where you’ll learn all about the benefits, costsavings, and other opportunities that Ecuador has to offer.

Homes in Wine Country

Homes in Wine Country

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March 19, 2016

There’s something special about wine country. All around you, rows of vines stretch off to the horizon. A short stroll to your local café is all you need to enjoy the regional vintage, with each wine variety tempered by the terroir of the region: the combination of factors (including weather, soil, and even bedrock) that feed into a wine’s flavor.

Find Your Own Fountain of Youth Overseas

Find Your Own Fountain of Youth Overseas

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March 19, 2016

You read it here first—I’ve discovered the Fountain of Youth. Funny thing is, turns out it’s not a fountain at all. Nor is it located in just one place. In fact, it can be found in many places if you know where to look. Confused? Let me explain. I celebrated a birthday recently and it was a weird feeling. No, not that I’m getting older: actually, just the opposite. Since we moved to Ecuador almost six years ago, I know I feel younger than when we arrived, and I believe I have aged less than the number of years marked by the calendar (the same is true for my wife, Cynthia).

Retire on $1,000 a Month in Colonial Cambodia

Retire on $1,000 a Month in Colonial Cambodia

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February 20, 2016

San Diego-native Tom Richter, 57, was already living in paradise when he decided to move to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A corporate sales executive, he’d decided that moving to Central America was his best option for an early and affordable retirement. So he’d moved to a house in the Costa Rican countryside, where he could enjoy retirement on a Social Security pension.