A year abroad doesn’t have to be a vague dream or a financial mystery. The calculator below lets you design a 12-month route through up to twelve countries, then estimates what that experimental year would actually cost—using country-level cost-of-living data, long-haul flights, regional moves, insurance, and a small monthly buffer.
Adjust the route, tweak the assumptions, and you’ll see in real time how a year of living around the world fits into your broader financial plan.
Your Year Abroad Budget: 12-Month Around-the-World Cost Calculator
Estimate the total cost of a 12-month “experimental year abroad” by choosing one country for each month, then layering in long-haul flights, regional hops, travel insurance, and any extra monthly buffer.
Choose your 12 destinations (one per month)
Start typing a country name in any box below and select from the dropdown list.
Travel & extras
Your Experimental Year Abroad Number
Estimated total cost for 12-month trip: —
Average monthly cost for the year: —
Start by selecting at least one country above to see your estimated year-abroad budget.
Detailed Breakdown
12-month cost of living across destinations: —
Long-haul flights (2 × —): —
Short & regional flights (12 × —): —
Travel insurance (12 × —): —
Additional monthly buffer (12 × —): —
Grand total for your experimental year abroad:
—
Your chosen countries (monthly costs)
.
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carlos Grider launched A Brother Abroad in 2017 after a “one-year abroad” experiment turned into a long-term life strategy. After 65+ countries and a decade abroad, he now writes about FIRE, personal finance, geo-arbitrage, and the real-world logistics of living abroad—visas, costs, and tradeoffs—so readers can make smarter global moves with fewer surprises. Carlos is a former Big 4 management consultant and DoD cultural advisor with an MBA (UT Austin) and Boston University’s Certificate in Financial Planning. He’s the author of Digital Nomad Nation: Rise of the Borderless Generation and is currently writing The Sovereign Expat.