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.

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Expat-Advice Archives

Enjoy Beach Life All Year Round in Panama

Enjoy Beach Life All Year Round in Panama

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October 19, 2015

With the coming of fall, my family and friends in the States find themselves thinking of the long, cold winter approaching. It's not just the ice and snow they have to cope with, but the enormous heating bills, and not being able to enjoy the outdoors. But not me...living in Panama I don't ever have a heating bill and I haven't seen snow in years. The great outdoors is my playground all year round here in the Chiriqui province of western Panama. And that includes being able to go to the beach anytime I want.

Solving a Retirement Crisis with Costa Rica’s Low-Costs

Solving a Retirement Crisis with Costa Rica’s Low-Costs

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September 27, 2015

As retirement neared, Bob Beavis, 66, and his wife Linda, 59, thought they were all set. Bob’s last job was as a HR director near Dayton, Ohio, which made him eligible for a state pension. He found his job rewarding and he had a plan. He would put in his 10 years then get free healthcare in retirement, with $50 per month to cover Linda, too.

Buy in France’s Valley of the Kings For $95,000

Buy in France’s Valley of the Kings For $95,000

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September 22, 2015

I'm at Fontevraud Abbey in France's Loire Valley, gazing at the face of a man who left this world over 800 years ago. Fontevraud was the final resting place of Richard the Lionheart—or at least most of him. Arguably the most famous of England's Plantagenet rulers, the crusader king died in 1199. If his reclining effigy is a true likeness, he was a handsome brute.

Replacing the Rat Race with Stunning Views and Good Healthcare

Replacing the Rat Race with Stunning Views and Good Healthcare

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August 25, 2015

"In the U.S., you're always going, going, going...it's so easy to lose sight of where you're headed. Life got too fast-moving for us", explains Ray Granade. "We always needed to be somewhere, quickly, then somewhere else. It seemed like we were spending an extraordinary amount of time sitting in traffic. Now the longest we wait in the car is usually for a herd of cattle to cross the road," he adds, saying he and his wife Kim, both 63, also wanted to escape the consumerism in the U.S.

A Growing Expat Community and Affordable Living in Lake-Side Costa Rica

A Growing Expat Community and Affordable Living in Lake-Side Costa Rica

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August 11, 2015

As I came over the last hill on the road from Tilaran, a small town about 10 minutes from the shore of Lake Arenal, I could see what makes Arenal so special. The stunning lake vistas opened up before me... Most of the land here is forest, pasture, or farm—split by rivers, streams, and rocky waterfalls...natural and unspoiled. And it has that small-town feel, where strangers say "Buenas tardes" as you walk through town or wave if you drive by.

Yoga, Fresh Coffee, and Champagne in Medellin, Colombia

Yoga, Fresh Coffee, and Champagne in Medellin, Colombia

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August 7, 2015

The light streams through my window as the birds wake me with their joyful morning chorus. Last night I was lulled to sleep by chirping crickets and the sound of the nearby stream. I peek my head out the window to see fluffy clouds dispersing, revealing another beautiful day in paradise. After getting ready, I grab a notebook and pen and head out the door. The neighborhood fruit vendor senses my morning hunger as I approach his stand. He cracks open an enormous papaya and perfectly ripe mango, and serves me the most delicious fruit salad for just $1.75. "Enjoy," he says smiling.

Safety and Security Living Abroad

Safety and Security Living Abroad

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August 2, 2015

The 24-hour media machine fuels this “fear of elsewhere.” Footage of revolutions in the streets and masked gunmen stalking the jungle makes for good TV. Footage of people peacefully and cheerfully going to the market, relaxing on their porch of an evening, and doing the sorts of things normal daily life brings, well, that’s not going to attract the TV news crews, is it?