Living abroad on 20k a year? (vacation home, to buy, movies)

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Threestep

Getting creative will not do - you need to get a visa no matter where you want to spend a year. This will considerably limit your choices.

And different countries have different visa regulations.
If you are not a member of the European Union and don't speak another language, you are going to be limited.
I don't think it is impossible, though. There are a lot of expats out there who have developed various strategies, and have remained abroad year after year.
A lot of them start out teaching English, which gets them over there.
If they want to stay, then they get creative after that.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by cil

And different countries have different visa regulations.
If you are not a member of the European Union and don't speak another language, you are going to be limited.
I don't think it is impossible, though. There are a lot of expats out there who have developed various strategies, and have remained abroad year after year.
A lot of them start out teaching English, which gets them over there.
If they want to stay, then they get creative after that.

I agree that obtaining a residents/ work permit for the EU can be similarly difficult as obtaining a US greencard.

Moneywise the EU is not totally out-of-scope. I just found a small appartment on Germanys north-sea island Ruegen for €500 which would leave you another €500 to live from. Still you would have to supplement that with a job though.

Appartment: Wohnung Miete, Ostseebad Sellin, Ihr Traum im Bäderstil!

As suggested by CMDallas, Bangkok came into my mind too. Fantastic, vibrant city. However I don't know if I would move there with a teen though. Your money equals to some 1,700 Baht daily, and that would definitely not put you to the filthy rich.

Well, these two are already going into very different directions... not easy to find an answer.

[chielgirl]

Southeast Asia might be do-able. You could probably live in Thailand or Laos for $20k/year. Excellent and affordable medical (my dentist and gp are there)... decent schools, excellent food, wonderful culture and people.

Don't tie yourself into Bangkok, there are much nicer places with a slower pace. Sukhotai, Phisanolok, Korat, the South. I'd say Chiang Mai but I don't want more farangs moving there.

I've been there over a dozen times and am going back next month.

In a mere 7.5 years, I'll be living there.

[RxMarcus]

Ok, so here is my question. Everything in terms of cost-of-living is based off of the dollar. So with the declining dollar this makes most cities in Europe more expensive, but only to Americans, right? Are London, Moscow, Paris, etc really the most expensive cities in the world for the people that live in those cities? In other words, is London more expensive for Londoners than New York is for New Yorkers?

[Tjukken]

20 000 $ per year.
thats 113 200 nkr per year

u might be able to live in a tent for that...
if u skip food.

if u pay tax of this to Norway u will have free medical care.
but then u have to take of 36%.

ofc if u dont pay tax.. u will have to pay back when irs finds out. and then it will be 50% of what they fell or think u might have earned. then a fine on 20% of that on top...

basicly to live here u wud need about 40 000 $ per year.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by anonymous88

go to bulgaria. you can live for 2k a year.

you will probably die with 2000 dollars. The prices are the same like US sometimes even more, only the medical care and the rent are cheaper

[ian6479]

Originally Posted by RxMarcus

Ok, so here is my question. Everything in terms of cost-of-living is based off of the dollar. So with the declining dollar this makes most cities in Europe more expensive, but only to Americans, right? Are London, Moscow, Paris, etc really the most expensive cities in the world for the people that live in those cities? In other words, is London more expensive for Londoners than New York is for New Yorkers?

Yes they are. The average house price in London exceeds the average salary by a greater margin than New York. The cost of goods is also greater against the pound than the dollar.

The weakening dollar makes foreign spending a higher cost to Americans, but it is also bad for countries like the UK where most of our exports are sold in the US, and therefore become more expensive.

[Fnix]

Brazil is great

[MrTudo]

Thailand.

GREAT healthcare if you stick with hospitals like Bumrungrad in BKK and the like. Like a 5 star hotel. You'll come back here and think, what the ?

[internat]

You can live in Sweden considering a lot of retired people live on less.