Repat Chronicles...(Gringo story of repatriating back to USA from South America)
03-20-2019, 08:35 AM
A lot of people don’t realise that in many developing countries if you want to live as an expat family man you often have to spend the same money as a first world country (but you get a lower quality of life).
A lot of people from first world countries get free or partially free healthcare (provided by the government or their employer paid private health insurance) which they often wouldn’t get in a developing country so they they have to pay for that. Also as discussed already in a developing country they often have to send their kids to an expensive private school to get the same quality of education as a free public school in their home country. Add to that often certain imported items like brand name clothes, electronics, cars, etc can cost more due to higher import duties, add to that frequent trips back to the home country to see your extended family/parents, etc and suddenly being an expat with a wife and a few kids in a city like Lima or Santiago is not so cheap if you are trying to have a western standard of living.
The lifestyle and spending requirements of a young single man are completely different to a family man. In many developing countries living as a young single bachelor can be very cheap but often not so much for a family man.
A lot of people from first world countries get free or partially free healthcare (provided by the government or their employer paid private health insurance) which they often wouldn’t get in a developing country so they they have to pay for that. Also as discussed already in a developing country they often have to send their kids to an expensive private school to get the same quality of education as a free public school in their home country. Add to that often certain imported items like brand name clothes, electronics, cars, etc can cost more due to higher import duties, add to that frequent trips back to the home country to see your extended family/parents, etc and suddenly being an expat with a wife and a few kids in a city like Lima or Santiago is not so cheap if you are trying to have a western standard of living.
The lifestyle and spending requirements of a young single man are completely different to a family man. In many developing countries living as a young single bachelor can be very cheap but often not so much for a family man.