LATEST ARTICLES
Portable Income Is the New Wealth
Why where your money works matters more than how much you make One Morning, Two Worlds The coffee arrives before I’ve fully settled into the chair — a small, handmade ceramic cup filled with a dark, creamy espresso with beans freshly arrived from Honduras touched with a tinge of chocolate. A luxurious morning start that costs the equivalent of a dollar-fifty but tastes like it costs ten. The café is unremarkable by local standards: a few wooden tables, against simple black industrial design, to match that they only serve delicious black coffee, plants spilling lazily over the windowsill, a neighborhood…
From $8,000 to ExpatFIRE: How I Achieved Financial Independence Through a Life Abroad
A testament to ExpatFIRE, NomadFIRE, BaristaFIRE, CoastFIRE, and financial creativity on the path to financial independence As I sit on another one way flight to Bangkok, this time from Seattle, I can’t help but smile, excited with both anticipation and appreciation…for what I experienced on my financial journey of the last 9+ years, for what is to come as I now fly into a new chapter with a “designed” and portable life, and for the flurry of thoughts running through my mind with a shocking new realization. I am excited thinking about the recent past. This morning, my “America reacquaintance…
Moving to Brazil: Essential Things to Know Before You Go
Moving to Brazil has emerged as a popular option for expats and digital nomads, whether for a summer or for a lifetime. The warm, inviting, rich, and social culture, incredibly low cost of living, and high quality of life against a backdrop of great infrastructure (in the right places) underpinned by safety (also in the right places) make pockets of Brazil wonderful potential homes. – One of thousands of beautiful beaches in Brazil – If you are considering Brazil as a retiree, a FIRE Expat, a nomad, or just an adventurous period of life – I can personally assure you…
Moving to Uruguay: A Guide to Living in the Switzerland of South America
In this rapidly changing and increasingly unpredictable world we live in today, moving to Uruguay often arises as an option for the aspiring expat aiming to go abroad to find safety, peace, openness, and a different pace of life in an unbothered corner of the world. And rightly so. With Uruguay’s slow-moving change, coastal backdrop, a track record as one of the safest countries in South America (and arguably safer than most places in the US), and a “simple” path to residency for the patient, living in Uruguay is a perfect option for the right expat. However, unlike most influencers,…
Chubby FIRE Guide: The “Balanced Fat FIRE” approach explained
Everyone would love the idea of being “financially independent,” and the FIRE approach is a great option that makes that life accessible. Unfortunately, the prospect of sacrificing life’s comforts to achieve and live in Lean FIRE, or even FIRE, is too much for some to fathom. At the other end of the spectrum, the millions of dollars required for Fat FIRE put the system out of reach for most people. But nestled in between is the goldilocks version of FIRE called “Chubby FIRE” – vastly more comfortable than Lean FIRE, and, with the right planning, vastly more achievable than Fat…
Fat FIRE Explained: A comfortable strategy for financial independence
For the average person who wants to achieve financial independence, that desire for early retirement is also for comfort. For many, the prospect of never having to work again is only a worthwhile opportunity if it comes with a lifestyle worth living, and without compromise. This is the prospect of Fat FIRE. The Fat Financial Independence and Retire Early approach is all about retiring with a fat bank account, translating to a high passive income in retirement. This ample income means no expense needs to be spared for your financial freedom. But with such a benefit comes sacrifice, up front….
Lean FIRE: A Guide to the Minimalist Approach to Financial Independence
Most people want financial independence and the opportunity to retire early. Unfortunately, the small margin of savings that many Americans have after paying the bills doesn’t make it easily possible to early retire with $2 million in the bank, or an $80,000 retirement withdrawal. But luckily, the solution doesn’t have to be working forever, or finding a cheat code to save millions. An alternative solution is designing your life to need less. This is the Lean FIRE approach to Financial Independence. Within the FIRE movement, a trend is emerging of rejecting unquestioning consumerism and intentionally designing a more efficient life…
Coast FIRE: The Burst Sacrifice Approach to Earlier Retirement
Most people love the idea of financial independence and retiring early, but these possibilities can seem remote on the standard path of saving and investing 10% of one’s paycheck. At the same time, though the FIRE movement offers proven approaches for early financial independence, it often comes with hefty sacrifice, and few people want to spend their entire, already uncomfortable working career, in increased frugality and austerity. Luckily, there is a middle ground approach that makes retiring early possible, while still living a normal, comfortable life – Coast FIRE. The “Coast FIRE” approach to financial independence uses an intentional one-time…
Living Abroad vs Traveling Abroad: The Lifestyle Design Difference (and the “Life Portability” Framework)
Ten years ago, I decided to leave the United States and travel for one year. That year was one of the most fulfilling years of my life, and I enjoyed every month, day, minute, and second of the experience. So much so that when it was time to come home, I couldn’t. Now I can happily say that I live abroad. A view of the most beautiful street in Buenos Aires But there is an important nuance there. Living abroad is very different than traveling abroad. And that difference is the whole reason I still live outside the U.S. Because…
Barista FIRE: Semi-Financial Independence, Blue Zone Style
Many people love the idea and possibility of financial independence, but in the current mix of average salary of ~$67,000 to average cost of living in the US, $60,000 to $70,000, that dream of retiring early can feel unlikely. With barely any financial room to breathe as is these days, the idea of stoic austerity just to hit a meager Lean FIRE retirement doesn’t feel worthwhile to most, making financial independence feel impossible, and retirement feel forever away. But what if retirement isn’t a date? What if it’s a dial? Luckily, like all things in life, financial independence doesn’t need…
Moving to Colombia (2026 Guide): Visas, Cost of Living, Best Cities + US Tax Tips for Expats & Nomads
For the aspiring expat, aiming to leave their home country for a more comfortable life abroad, with a slower pace and more time, Colombia always comes up as an option – and with good reason. As an expat who has been living abroad for more than a decade, spent years enjoying South America, and spent ample time living the best that Colombia has to offer, I can assure you, the “Land of a Thousand Rhythms” and gateway to South America is a gem worth considering. Moving to Colombia from the US, Canada, or Europe is an uncommon yet easy way…
Nomad FIRE: A Complete Guide to Financial Independence in a Nomadic Life
Many people fantasize about what life would be like if they could travel wherever they desired – financially secure enough to make such adventurous wanderings not just possible, but commonplace. In same moment, most people dismiss this “forever travel dream” as an impossibility. But as I sit in a public park in Montevideo, Uruguay, scouting out a potential new summer destination before Japan, I assure you that this life of travel is very much possible. And it’s all thanks to something called Nomad FIRE. Nomad FIRE is the “Financial Independence and Retire Early” movement approach to building financial independence, combined…
Nomad FIRE Calculator
Find Your “Travel-Funded FI” Number and Make the World Your Default Nomad FIRE isn’t “vacation forever.” It’s financial independence built for movement—living out of one or two bags, changing countries every 1 to 6 months, and using geoarbitrage to keep spending sustainable while still experiencing the world. If traditional FIRE is designed around a home base, Nomad FIRE is designed around routes, seasons, and pace. That’s exactly what this Nomad FIRE calculator helps you do: turn “full-time travel sounds amazing” into a number you can plan around. What this Nomad FIRE calculator does This calculator estimates: Nomad FIRE isn’t about…
Expat FIRE Calculator
Expat FIRE is what happens when you use global living—not just frugality and index funds—to make work optional. Find Your “Two-Numbers FI” Target (Local and Global) and Make Geoarbitrage Real The core idea is simple: if your lifestyle costs less in the right place abroad, your “FI number” can drop dramatically. Not because you gave up quality of life—but because your money buys more. And that’s why Expat FIRE often has two FI numbers: This Expat FIRE calculator helps you model that difference, so you can see what moving abroad changes—and what it doesn’t. What this Expat FIRE calculator does…
Coast FIRE Calculator
Find Your FI Number Where Compounding Does the Heavy Lifting Coast FIRE is the moment your portfolio hits a size where—if you stop contributing—time and compounding can carry it the rest of the way to traditional retirement. In other words: you don’t have to “hit FIRE” today. You just have to reach the point where your money can coast. This Coast FIRE calculator helps you estimate: It’s the most underrated FIRE milestone because it changes how you work: you can stop sprinting. What this Coast FIRE calculator does This calculator estimates: Coast FIRE isn’t retirement. It’s leverage. Coast FIRE in…
ExpatFIRE: A Guide to Financial Independence Living Abroad
Most people would love to achieve financial independence, but this lofty goal, with large “FI numbers” and pots of cash to save, often feels out of reach on average salaries. Many of those same people often dream of a life abroad, perhaps on a slow tropical island or steeped in an exotic and metropolitan city, but the logistics of such a life abroad feel just as out of reach. You might be one of these dreamers, envisioning early retirement in a location fit for a permanent vacation. Lucky for you, these two ideas, financial independence and a life abroad, work…
82 Long-Term Visas for Nomads and Expats (2026 Directory)
If you’re an aspiring nomad, expat, or FIRE follower who wants to find a good visa or residency option to live abroad long-term in your country of choice, the internet does not make it easy for you. You get listicles that confuse tourist visas with residency, half-translated government pages, and “ultimate guides” that quietly ignore whether a visa actually leads to permanent residence, citizenship, or swiftly out the door. Meanwhile, the rules keep changing. This ultimate directory to long-term visas and permanent residencies aims to fix that by listing every practical option for nomads, expats, and runaways with normal incomes…
What is financial independence & how to achieve it to retire early (FIRE Guide)
A complete guide to the 4% rule, your FI number, 25x, and crafting a FIRE plan. Most people are taught a simple financial script for their lives: go to school, work for 40–45 years, spend as you go, and retire at 65…if you’re lucky. Then, in retirement, if everything goes right, you may get 10–15 healthy years to enjoy before your body and options start to degrade. The problems are obvious: you spend your best years trading time for money, and the years when you finally “get your time back” often arrive as your energy, health, and curiosity are fading….
Digital Nomad Nation: Rise of a Borderless Generation
Digital Nomad Nation is the definitive digital nomad book of the last 25 years, capturing the rise of the individual digital nomad, the rise of the digital nomad movement, and the rise of the first digital nation born of the internet. If you have a coupon for a free download, click here to get your free copy Or click here to download a free PDF excerpt from the book What if the next great nation had no borders, no government, and no fixed land—just a shared identity and global movement? Imagine a world in which borders dissolved, making way for…
The FIRE Movement: A Complete Guide to Financial Independence, Retiring Early
Here’s how to Make It Happen in Your 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s… Financial independence is something many people dream of but few people realize is possible. However, the fast-spreading FIRE Movement is quickly sharing financial independence savvy and the ability retire with everyday people like you, and me. With all of the “get rich quick” pitches from fake gurus, cryptocurrency scams, and disastrous world events with major economic impact on a global and personal level, cynicism about the possibility of financial independence is justifiable. Luckily for us, financial independence is more possible than ever (thanks to the internet, free information,…
How to Become Financially Independent: A Complete Guide
…according to 15 Best Personal Finance Book Good personal finance principles – budgeting, saving, and investing properly – are not intuitive for most people, but are the exact steps for how to become financially independent. If you want to achieve the common financial goals to gain financial independence retire early, and live on your own terms, you must master the acts of saving and investing properly. The society we live in today is driven by consumerism and marketing pressuring you to buy the next best thing, society and media reinforcing “wearing your money” and “keep up with the Jones” to…
Retirement Visas for Americans: 11 Retiree & FIRE-Friendly Paths to a Better Life Overseas
If we’re being honest, the numbers for a “normal” retirement in the US just don’t add up. Healthcare feels too expensive even with Medicare. Rents and groceries keep inching up beyond “comfortable”. And the version of retirement that shows up in glossy brochures, with the big house, big SUV, and frequent domestic flights like they’re bus tickets, feels like a relic from someone else’s economy. Quietly, though, another version of retirement has been spreading: the American who takes their pension, Social Security, or investment income abroad and ultimately gains more life for the same money…or less. Not a lottery winner….
How More People are finding the “American Dream” abroad
with lower cost living and higher quality lives… Picture a young American man from California. At 35 years old, he knew himself well. He knew his love for wine and a delicious steak. He knew that time outside, whether walking between tall pines on hiking trails, or between centuries old architecture, recharged him. He dreamed of a corner apartment overlooking cobblestone streets and a walk away from a café perfect for a reflective coffee before work, and reading or a sketchbook on the weekends. He also knew that Los Angeles and the meager salary (which was gargantuan by global standards)…
15 Best Residency Visas for Americans: Long-Term Options for Nomads, Families & Retirees
By the time Alex finally sat down in the plaza in Valencia with a cold beer and a rental contract in his backpack, he’d already lived “abroad” three times. There was the 90-day sprint through Portugal on a tourist stamp, the six weeks in Mexico that ended with a surprise “you’re only getting 14 days this time” at the airport, and the year he spent in the tourist visa grey zone in Southeast Asia, technically “on holiday” while working full-time for a U.S. employer. He had seen a lot of cafes and many sights that could make a vacation worthwhile,…
Year Long Round theWorld Trip Cost Calculator
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.
What’s Your FI Number? |How to Calculate Your Number Financial Independence & Retiring Early
To effectively achieve Financial Independence as soon as reasonably possible, you need to answer one deceptively simple question: What does “enough” actually mean for me? Once you answer that, “financial independence” is no longer just a vague idea. It then becomes two concrete dollar amounts to plan on as goal lines: the ongoing monthly income you need to cover the expenses of a comfortable life and the pot of invested money that can safely produce that monthly income for the next 50 years or more. This article is essentially a calculator in prose that will guide you through the process…
“FIRE Calculator”: How much do you need to financially independent or retire early?
Have you ever wondered how much you would need to be financially independent and retire early? Or to live anywhere else in the world, indefinitely? The following FI number calculator gives exactly that. Simply enter your current cost of living, assets, and how much you’ll continue to save monthly to get your FIRE number for where you are now, and for the top 25 countries for expats. You can also use this tool to estimate how many years it may take to reach financial independence, based on your current savings rate and expected investment returns. Or, click here for a…
Low-Income Digital Nomad Visas: 15 Countries Where Normal Remote Workers Still Qualify
If you only skim the headlines, you’d think digital nomad visas were designed exclusively for software engineers and crypto founders. Of the 82 accessible digital nomad visas and residencies across 52 countries, many of the best-known programs demand minimum incomes of $3,000 to $4,000 per month, and sometimes more. For most nomads, finding their way around the world with perfectly respectable remote jobs as teachers, designers, copywriters, non-profit folks, freelancers, that income threshold is a hard no. Or at least, not a yes…yet. But the story is more nuanced. Alongside the high-threshold visas in Western Europe and a few wealthy…
11 Essential Visa and Residency Tips for Nomads and Expats
When it comes to moving abroad, most people obsess over the “where.” To be fair, destinations are worth obsessing over. The right city can feel like a dream: great food, perfect weather, a wonderful community of intermeshed locals and eclectic foreigners, and maybe a sea breeze or a mountain trail outside your door. But for slowmads, nomads, and expats trying to build real lives abroad, it’s the visa, the permission to build a stable, long-term situation there – and the experience of getting it – that quietly decides whether that life is satisfyingly stable or frustratingly fragile. In the process…
![A Quick Checklist for Moving Abroad [PDF Download]](https://abrotherabroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/image-3-800x400.png)
A Quick Checklist for Moving Abroad [PDF Download]
The following checklist is straight straightforward list of “to do” items for your upcoming move. It is a good idea to review every item to ensure that the transition to your new life is as easy as possible. Aim to address each item well before departure. For items that may not apply, confirm they are not necessary to do before your big move to keep peace of mind through the chaos. If you find this checklist useful, be sure to download the free PDF of this checklist at the end of the post. Moving Abroad Checklist Click here for the…
![25 Crucial Things to Do Before Moving to Another Country [+PDF Checklist]](https://abrotherabroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/image-3-800x400.png)
25 Crucial Things to Do Before Moving to Another Country [+PDF Checklist]
For many people, the opportunity and dream of moving abroad has the potential to fulfill more desires and open more doors than most believe is possible. Whether you’re giving up everything for an international move from California to Bali, from New York to Portugal, from Tennessee to Turkey, or from Pennsylvania to Panama, the things to come will be as exciting and enjoyable as you can imagine. Unfortunately, along with the wanderlust and excitement that precede leaving one’s life “back home”, a pile of things to do before moving to another country sit as hurdles to that “pleasant departure.” I…
Where to buy the book “Digital Nomad Nation”
Barnes & Noble Click to purchase “Digital Nomad Nation” in eBook or paperback from Barnes & Nobles Google Play Store Click here to read the first 20 pages, or order the eBook in Google Play A Brother Abroad Library Click to download the PDF copy (or use a free coupon code) at the ABA Library Page eBook storefronts at Books2Read Discover eBook and e-reader options for “Digital Nomad Nation” on Books2Read IngramSpark Click to order print copies of “Digital Nomad Nation” on IngramSpark To more about the book… Or, click here to learn more about the book “Digital Nomad Nation:…
Join the Digital Nomad Nation
Want A FREE 15 Minute Video Overview of Digital Nomad Nation?Digital Nomad Nation is a great read—but at 375 pages, it takes time. Digital Nomad Nation is 375 pages of strategy and stories. If you want the essentials now, grab my 15-minute video that distills the whole book—free—plus a toolkit to get moving Get your FREE tools to join the digital nomad nation …and our latest and greatest by email. Subscribe You’ll receive your bundle instantly, plus occasional field updates—unsubscribe anytime. Signup up below to get the first of many valuable tools, and receive highlight news of the Abroadcast, the…
How to Open a Bank Account in Argentina as a Foreigner, for Rentista, Pensionado, Reunification, and Digital Nomad Visas
For most foreigners moving to Argentina with the hope of staying long term, the Argentine Rentista Visa and Pensionado Visas loom as tempting goals that easily lead to permanent residency, Argentine citizenship, and most importantly an amazing life in a Latino European paradise at the end of the world. Unfortunately, while Argentina has taken some amazing tastes and culture from its European roots, it has also brought in tidbits of bureaucracy and process headaches to test the resolve of aspiring immigrants. Among the biggest headaches for foreigners – getting an Argentine bank account ranks highly. For the visa applicant, Argentine…
Moving Abroad: Why it is more possible than you think
Moving and living abroad, is it possible? Absolutely, but not the way that you think. I’ve lived abroad in some shape or form for over a decade since I was introduced to “backpacking” as a possibility for experiencing the world. In that time, I’ve been lucky enough to get a cultural and personal education in sides of the world most will never see, and I’ve been able to live out a more luxurious, adventurous, healthy, affordable, and fulfilling life than I otherwise would have been able to had I spent that same time in the US. To quote myself after…
47 Cheapest Cities to Live in 2026 on $1000, $1500, and $2000 a month
Many of the cheapest cities to live in the world not only deliver low prices, but high quality of life and value as well, if you know where to look. In this report, we’ll share the best cities around the world to live on a budget of $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000 monthly while maintaining a good quality of life. Whether you want to live in Europe, on a tropical island, in Japan, or soaking up the vibrance in South America without paying a fortune, it is possible, if you choose the right destination. This report is the product of analyzing…
The Sovereign Expat: Next Evolution of Nomadic Living and Global Citizenship
As I sat on the short flight from Chiang Mai, the plane landed in Kuala Lumpur while I skimmed my handwritten notes from the last two weeks. Ten days in silence in the hill country of northern Thailand, followed by a few days of grilled meats, savory curries, and satisfying Thai beer, put life in perspective. Almost 10 years after my first visit to Thailand with a goal to travel the world, my goal had changed – to simply live in the world. A perpetual existence abroad but not as a rambling backpacker chasing a thrill, or a digital nomad…
How to Get an EU Passport in 2026: The Smartest and Fastest Legal Paths
Getting a passport to the European Union is potentially one of the most life-improving things a traveler, nomad, or retiree can do. Whether you want to set up a new home in the Mediterranean, have dreams of wandering Europe for more than 90 days at a time, or simply want to start a new legacy and life in Europe, getting a passport to an EU country is a smart and worthwhile first step. Unfortunately, nothing good in life comes completely easy or cheap, and the most talked-about options for getting an EU passport require a lot of luck (being born with blood…
Rentvesting Abroad: Why Buying ETFs Beats Buying Property for Expats and Digital Nomads
Buying a home in paradise is often pursued as the ultimate escape. But what if there was a way to live in a home in paradise indefinitely, get rich, and keep the freedom of a traveler? Spoiler alert: There is. If you’re enjoying life abroad and, like a responsible adult, considering home ownership, you’re on the right track – but there is a better financial option for adventurous souls who love remote corners of the world. Rentvesting. “Rentvesting” is the process of – instead of buying a home or real estate – investing in stocks and ETFs that not only…
I Built a Villa in Bali three years ago: Was it worth it?
In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, when the world was on lockdown and me and a few of my friends were living our best lives in Bali, amidst the euphoria, I threw caution to the wind and, against my more conservative investment nature, “bought” a little piece of land in Bali. The goal was to quickly and efficiently build a “tiny” nomad base camp, to use as a home in the green of the rice fields close to beaches for surfing, between traveling across Asia once the world opened. Additionally, I hoped to rent out the villas during…
53 Best Digital Nomad Visa Options: An Ultimate Remote Worker Visa List for Long Stay and Slow Travel
Living the lifestyle of a digital nomad, location and financially independent, and traveling the world is a dream that many have. However, this dream comes with its fair share of issues – visas being one of them. Finding visas that are free and allow an extended stay in a location you actually want to be in can be tiresome. Thankfully, there are currently 53 digital nomad visas (or long-stay visa options) available for globetrotting remote workers to date, with 17 options being almost perfect for most nomads and remote workers. In this article, we’ll share these 53 digital nomad visas…
The New Japan Digital Nomad Visa Guide: How to Apply, Country List, & Full Requirements
For digital nomads visiting Japan that would love to spend more time working in and exploring the “Land of the Rising Sun” than a normal tourist visa allows, the Japan digital nomad visa is an excellent new option for you to visit Japan and experience the archipelago more deeply. Everyone who has had the pleasure to visit Japan will tell you the experience is otherworldly. This extraordinary country somehow perfectly blends the past and beautiful ancient history with the future via innovative, entertaining, and always satisfying ways to accomplish even the smallest of tasks. The result is a place that…
Essential Guide to the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa
For nomads hoping to live the good life in Spain for longer than the 90 days allowed in 180 days in the EU**, the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa is your best option. This visa, the remote worker friendly counterpart to the Spanish Non-Lucrative visa, allows nomads that can prove an income of €33,152 annually to not only stay in Spain for up to a year, but also travel the European Union and Schengen zone freely for the period. Overview In January 2023, the Spanish government launched the Spanish Digital Nomad visa, as part of the “Startup Act” ultimately aiming to…
Spanish Non Lucrative Visa Essential Information
For expats, flexpats, and nomads aiming to live long term in Spain, visas, the EU 90 day visa exemption, and passport issues can be a damper on dreams of living the life of eternal summer in beautiful Spain. Luckily, the Spanish Non Lucrative Visa provides an easy, straightforward option for nomads and flexpats to live in Spain for 1 year to start, and renewable up to 4 years on the initial visa. What is the Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa: A 1 Year Renewable Visa to stay, but not work, in Spain The Spanish Non-Lucrative visa is a Spanish residency permit designed…