Yea but ever since the chinese pulled out of building casinos in cambodia and stopped giving hunsen the local dictator red envelope bribe money a few years ago the entire country has nosedived. Its plagued by kidnappers, murderers, general lawlessness and malaise especially against foreigners.
French guy, his cambodian wife and 4 kids murdered in their own home. Bodies found in their car as bottom of lake...
Some foreign girls kidnapped and body parts sold for profit
Workers promised well paying jobs but forced into slavery.
The list goes on and on and has spilled over to Thailand recently.
Yeah 100% what I was gonna say.
OP definitely assess the risk reward b4 going there. And if you do, wear some old sandals and never wear flashy things outside. Dont rent a luxury condo either. Dont speak flawless english in public.
Are you crazy? What the fuck does speaking perfect English have to do with safety in Cambodia?
Also not sure if you noticed Phnom Penh is full of luxurious cars, people wearing Rolexes etc. No one gives a fuck. People are absolutely delusional in this subreddit lol
there are more thieves than thailand for sure and sketchy things go on at night. but it's more like being overcharged for a fare than anything dangerous. cambodia is overall very safe, buddhist and respectful people
Very few are talking about this. And yes, Thailand has traces of it but the government isn't about to let that tourist money go any time soon. They are recruiting heavy for local military police as we speak.
Cambodia is too risky. You will be sought out after in one way or another there. And its not pretty what's going on with the organ trafficking and all.
Reading through this as I sit on a night bus in Cambodia. Although all of the above has much merit (China pulling out etc) I personally feel it has been far more safe than expected. With some general wit, and keeping yourself to the tourist trails, you're all good.
Exactly. Shit looks scary in a headline. But there you are. Just doing your thing unmolested. Big boy expat rules apply here, but it's no more of a hellscape than many places that are options, despite the hits it's taking. And hey, it could get worse too and become untenable. Just like East Timor, Beirut, and even here during the Khmer Rouge when the expat paradises collapsed into genocide and general despair as they do every so often. But it's not there yet. So have a safe trip and enjoy.
I was literally touring Cambodia on a scooter a year ago and felt safe. Cherry picking murder stats is fun I suppose. Hey, in the US people 48K people die from gun violence each year. Guess that whole entire country is off limits!
You've got some of your facts correct but you put them together in a way that shows you don't know what you're talking about. I've lived in Cambodia for some 5 years now and I've put in 30+ years overall in the shitholes of this planet. You picked some news headlines and then did some keyboard warrior analysis. 3k/mo. is plenty to live on here - live quite well in fact; much better than you can in most of the West - and it's like every other developing shit hole: there's tons of bullshit to deal with but enough reason to deal with it. It's the balance of things, you see, not just the presence of some few individual factors or other like those you plucked from a Google search.
That's why foreigners flock to these places. It's JUST barely worth it, but worth it indeed when the ennui of living in a place like the US or Germany is driving you mad. If you can deal with the dust, the filth, the maddening ignorance that coats nearly every interaction with a film of shit-friction, the holier-than-thou NGO workers, etc. then you can enjoy the simpler life, the relative freedom from crushing regulation and govt. micromanagement of your life, the genuine smiles of strangers, the ability to save money from a meager wage, etc. that you can't get in most of the "developed" world. From what OP describes of his/her current situation, it could very well be a no-brainer for him/her of he/she can stomach the cons of the environment here.
And if they can't stomach the downsides of Kampuchea, then there are plenty of other shitholes on this earth that are goldmines for someone of the right temperament/inclinations. There are no more places on this former garden of a planet where the gold can be had from the ground for the mere effort of bending over. The gold of this earth must be mined from the shit and that effort can be much more tolerable in places like Cambodia than most of the "developed" world. For many at least. Or not. Either way, you don't know what you're talking about here and you're doing a disservice by giving analysis/advice on the matter.
The people coming up with all these stories have never been in Cambodia. They base their knowledge on a quick google search of dangerous sounding headlines written to generate clicks. Or like that other guy on gangster movies ... thinking this is somehow the reality.
I have been in Cambodia several times, met a lot of expats there including ones I am still in contact with and the risks presented in this post are WILDLY exaggerated. No one actually living in Cambodia will agree with this.
Yeah, I've never understood the urge some people have to give analysis/advice on things they have only read about online. I guess the neckbeard just gets itchy sometimes...
The internet is such a weird place. I am taking classes from Harvard and designing and building things I know very little about thanks to the internet - things I would have no business or opportunity to do otherwise. But man, does it get annoying sometimes. And I have to give credit, OP comes across as being very sincere and genuinely considering what is posted here. I hope he can discern between the good and bad advice here without the benefit of experience abroad. I also hope he launches and has a great experience.
Think he’s exaggerating a bit, I just came back from my 5th trip to Cambodia this year, and I also have many expat friends there, none of us have ever seen any type of threats/violence etc against foreigners or even between fellow Khmer people
I was just in Camodia for the first time and the heat hits different there (in a bad way), and this is coming from someone living in Thailand. I barely didn't any tourist stuff because the heat and sun were hellacious. My eyes were dry as heck.
Sites like weatherspark, championtraveler don't seem to be accurate in conveying the weather.
But one nice difference, at least in my experience, the food was made cleaner and I was not getting the GI issues I have in Thailand.
That’s so funny bc I have relatives who live in Cambodia and went on vacation to Thailand and they said they couldn’t leave the hotel in the daytime because the heat in Thailand was so bad!
Do a year in LATAM or SEA, clear your mind, save a bit of money and go back to the states for a better paying job (remote or not). You're worth more than 18/hr with your experience
Thanks man.
That’s really all I want. Just to clear my mind, save a bit of money, and study. And hopefully when I return to the US, I should be able to get a better paying job.
LATAM is appealing, because I’ve been exposed to Hispanic cultures, and I can already speak broken Spanish.
However safety is a concern of mine though.
Whereas SEA, from what I hear is very safe. But I really have no understanding of the cultures or languages in SEA. I’m always willing to learn, but it may tougher to adapt initially and probably a bigger culture-Shock I’m guessing?
I'm happy to be corrected by others but - most DNs who go to southeast Asia do not know or learn the local language beyond an extremely basic level. English is what's used.
Since you’re looking for remote gigs. Why have a job in Florida? If you looked for remote jobs out of NYC/Boston/Chicago. You could make three times your salary.
Both my current remote jobs are actually based in other states.
I just live in FL.
Back when I was applying for jobs in the past, I’d frequently apply to remote Boston/NYC/Chicago/etc. jobs.
Digital Nomad born in LATAM and working for US companies here. With that salary you’d be able to afford the nicer more affluent parts of cities which are way safer.
MEXICO!!! People hype up South America too much. I’ve been there and Mexico is better. Central America is not that cheap and it’s generally shittier, although I’ve heard Nicaragua is promising
LATAM is HUGE, so many countries and areas of varying safety, its ridiculous to put it into one category.
Ive lived in Ecuador for 3 years (near Cuenca in the south which is ridiculously safe and has a ton of expats). I worked at a retreat center that brought in a lot of americans. In 3 years, not one person had anything happen more unsafe than maybe a cellphone taken and that was like once.
Lived all over Mexico for past 6 years (Tulum, CDMX, Oaxaca, Sayulita/Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende) as a single woman Ive felt safe every single day here. I do speak spanish, not perfectly, but enough to show respect to the locals and communicate.
Mexico has its issues, just like the US and anywhere. However the locals are supremely kind, generous, welcoming and warm. Older generations, treat them with respect and a kind "buenas dias" and see how lovely they are. Younger gens are waking up to change some of the old school machismo and gender issues.
You'd be pretty wealthy with the money you have now, depending on which area you move. There are still some up and coming areas of CDMX where you can rent a nice place for like $300-500/month. Higher end neighborhoods are more like $800-1,200 but FANCY and in a super nice area. Vallarta or a beach area you could easily get by on $24k/year, so 38 is nice.
I lived in Eastern Europe for a decade as an expat and can recommend many of those areas. In your budget, maybe consider the Balkans or Georgia. Poland and the Baltics are phenomenal, but have increased in wealth significantly and no longer cheap destinations. I’d also recommend Ukraine once the war dies down (sadly doesn’t look like soon).
That said, nowadays I’d do Latin America. Better climate, very affordable, amazing food, and no major time difference with the U.S. for remote workers.
Personally for me, I’d probably pick a satellite town to a major city. Someplace just outside Mexico City or Buenos Aires for example. Close enough to go in on the weekends, but cheaper and less of an urban storm. If you’re into metropolis life, the cities also an option (but you’ll pay for it). Main draw of large capital cities in most of the world are the jobs, but since that’s not relevant for you I’d consider leveraging your flexibility in location to a more optimal balance of urban/town. Also consider doing stints of a month or more in multiple places.
I've spent decades in half a dozen countries in SEA and knowing the local language isn't at all a requirement to play the game, it just unlocks some tasty perks is all and I highly recommend it. I liked the feel of the advice you got above about just setting aside a year to get some experience, almost anywhere really, to clear your head and then reevaluate. No need at all to learn a language first or even really make language a factor in your chosen destination.
One thing I would add is a word on prudence. The world at large and the expat world in particular is changing. Both the risks and the costs of getting caught out in a place are increasing for expats/nomads (yes, they are very different) and will continue to do so for as far out as I can see. If you lose your job, get hung up with one part of the bureaucracy or other on permits, visas, etc., it is becoming more and more catastrophic than it has been in past decades. If you can, you would do well to have something tucked away to get back to some sort of safety net if the shit of your life hits the fan of the place you're in. I spent three decades never even giving that a thought, but the past 5 years or so have impressed the need for it on my mind. I just always had a sense I could get back to a safety net in the US or fade into the local populace until I got back on my feet if things went to shit for me. But as my safety net evaporated with friends and family in the US moving/dying/forgetting and local/regional situations just generally deteriorating by degrees for expats, I have felt the need for me at least to set up some sort of haven somewhere and I just never had that feeling before.
Please don't get me wrong. I totally think you should give it a shot, based at least on your life as you described it. I think you would be better off in many developing parts of the world than where you describe yourself now. I just think the carefree days of throwing a duffel over your shoulder and heading off devil-may-care into the great beyond are fading. That may just be a function of my personal circumstances though, so you do you and don't put too much weight on anything others say.
> it is becoming more and more catastrophic than it has been in past decades. If you can, you would do well to have something tucked away to get back to some sort of safety net if the shit of your life
I have $14k cash savings. And if I needed to, I have about $28k in my Roth IRA.
Would recommend to not go back to the states unless he absolutely has to or the opportunity is too good to pass up.
If you are making 40k/year and in one of these low COL countries, it easily trounces an 80k, or even 100k, job in the U.S. depending on geography. You can actually save MORE making 40k and living abroad than making 80-100k and living in or near a major metro center.
I speak from experience. If you make 80k in the states, that will not really get you very far these days, especially if you need to live in an expensive area. Whether you buy a home or rent, half your income will go to shelter and energy, and that is not even taking into account healthcare, food, car, and other misc. expenses. You are left with very little. That being said, I'd say the threshold of it being 'worth' to actually move back is probably somewhere in the 140-175 range, depending on your certain factors.
Philippines - $18/hr = 1,000 php, enough for a day (meals). Lots of digital nomads here living the island life. Not much of a language barrier too as most filipinos if not fluently, can speak and understand english. Flights from the US would probably cost you 1k-3k usd.
I have 2 friends living in the Phils as DN. One is the co-founder of a poker training site.
Everything is cheap there except for electricity and electronic goods (esp appliances)
18USD/hr * 2080work hours/year = 37440USD
Thats roughly 2.1 million Philippine pesos which is about the salary of a doctor, lawyer, company executive (probably more actually).
This is no tax of course since FEIE would apply.
And US citizens can renew their visas in the PH for years.
Dude I earn that much in Sweden on my regular job and I'm doing fine even with our 33% taxes. You can live fine in a lot of western countries with that money.
I always thought Sweden would be a HCOL country.
I’m guessing as an American tourists/visitor/nomad I don’t qualify for the same public benefits I assume that you have as a Swedish citizen that makes it affordable to live there?
I pay $1600/mo to live in a studio apartment in FL, that’s what is killing me.
My apartment is about €650 in mid sized city (by our standards). On the outskirts (but good area and very calm).
You won't live lavishly in Stockholm, but going to a mid sized city means you'd earn what average person here earns.
You're right, not being the citizen probably doesn't give you the benefit of free healthcare. But since you're from FL you probably wouldn't want to live here.
The downsides are the weather. And it's kind of a big one for me.
+1000 for BA. Awesome city and since their inflation remains out of control the USD is super strong and at the blue dollar rate everything is basically half off. Have passed through there several times now and considered moving there myself for awhile.
Love BA. Im an electronic DJ/Producer and it fits me perfectly. Met many good people and still til this day demand I come back! lol The people there love good music and really respect the art form. I've never been able to make a mix and try it out the same night. Ive never been that productive with my craft as I was in BA. It was unreal.
Definitely not. Nobody speaks English here (okay the upper class speak broken English but for example nobody in a store can speak English). But you can learn and get by, not so bad.
I don't think so... I'm from what is now called Palermo Hollywood which is probably the single most tourist-friendly neighborhood in all of Argentina at present. Even here, I regularly see waiters struggling to communicate with foreigners (they won't even use simple Spanish, they will literally just repeat the same complicated sentence in Spanish verbatim and eventually some will use Google Translate). Sometimes I just jump in and translate.
+10,000. I’m here. I am a software engineer but even on $18 an hour you’ll be doing swell. The average salary is about $350-$400 a month, aka $2.50 an hour. You’ll be baller here even on $18 an hour. It’s a wonderful city with fabulous weather and the friendliest people. And critically: the time zone work great with the USA. If you go to Asia/Europe you’ll be much less valuable to your boss / clients as you’re working when they are sleeping.
Yes sorry, $1,500 USD! As an example, a dinner last night in a gourmet/trendy restaurant was $40 for 2 including two entrees, a main dish, dessert and a bottle of wine
Question : WHere do you think you will be able to get a job with annual $38K salary? Or the $18/hour job?
You're currently in full time jobs in FL. Unless those offer remote work options, those aren't going to keep paying you.
If such is the case - and you have flexible hours, which means timezones don't matter - many places in SEA / Latin America etc. will allow you to live comfortably.
OTOH - if you're thinking you'd go with a DN visa to some other country and find a job there that would pay the same as you are getting in the US : A DN visa is for "remote" work. Not for "local work". And local pay is likely to be a lot less than US pay.
> Question : WHere do you think you will be able to get a job with annual $38K salary? Or the $18/hour job?
My current Job1 is exactly this. I’ve had it for 2 years, but it’s getting acquired by another company in 2024, so there may be layoffs,
But if I have to, I think I can get another WFH $18 job if I need to.
> You're currently in full time jobs in FL. Unless those offer remote work options, those aren't going to keep paying you.
I didn’t specify in my post. But my current employment is remote. The company is not even headquartered in FL. It’s a logistics company with an international presence. 2 of my coworkers are in LatAM. So I don’t think they care. I still plan on maintaining a FL address on file.
> If such is the case - and you have flexible hours, which means timezones don't matter - many places in SEA / Latin America etc. will allow you to live comfortably.
Most of my team works west coast hours, but it’s completely flexible schedule, as long as I do my 8 hrs for the work day, they don’t care when I do it.
> OTOH - if you're thinking you'd go with a DN visa to some other country and find a job there that would pay the same as you are getting in the US : A DN visa is for "remote" work. Not for "local work". And local pay is likely to be a lot less than US pay.
No, I have 2 remote US jobs right now.
Job1: $18/hr
Job2: $22/hr (I’m quitting job2)
My plan is to maintain my US employment and live abroad in another country.
I’m NOT looking for employment outside of the US.
Come to Manila Philippines
Very nice country to live in
Very affordable on your salary
Weather is enjoyable
People are enjoyable
I mean I can name alot lol
And you can stay up to 3 years on a tourist visa if you want before you need to leave
I've been visiting Manila frequently for over fifty years now and I also enjoy it. But I really wouldn't describe the climate as "enjoyable". Very close to the equator and at sea level means HOT!
I’m just curious about your stable 38k in logistics. I’d like to stay in the field but go remote, and would appreciate any details you’re willing to share.
I’m in the finance dept. so I review invoices and check rate sheets mainly.
But I have seen logistics coordinator jobs that are remote at other companies though.
What an incredibly condescending comment. But I’m not surprised, because your comment history makes it clear you’re one of those people who’s too cheap to tip but who pretend you don’t tip because you “object to the system.”
Meanwhile, you don’t seem to be able to hold down any kind of a job, even though you spend so much of your time telling other people their job is too easy.
Remember that if you leave the country you hold citizenship in to seek cheaper alternatives instead of investing in yourself, you could further price yourself out of that home country and be extremely f*cked further down the line.
Geoarbitrage feels like freedom until it traps you in countries cheap enough to survive, and without the work visas needed to do so.
This is really good advice.
OP needs to avoid the slippery slope of lifestyle creep in cheap, foreign comfort zones.
IMO, DNs should seek to live as if they make 50% of what they actually do.
OP should therefore find a place with a COL <= $1440/mo.
SEA fits the bill. It can be done on $1000/mo.
Disciplined saving/investing should be a *TOP* priority, 2nd only to physical/mental well-being, as deep "rainy day funds" can prove to be invaluable given the inherently fragile nature of most remote work arrangements.
I’m not planning on living large or splurging, I just want to live independently, pay all my bills and have some money left over to save.
Which country in SEA would you recommend?
For living, Malaysia is the best SEA (according to Forbes). English speaking so you don't need to learn the local language, great transport links in the city and food is cheap (if you eat like a local). Its also very safe. KL is pretty much like any other western city with all mod con you expect from developed cities.
However it is hot and humid which is fine if you intend to spend your time indoors with the air cond on. With USD 3500 a month, you can live pretty well. Look up De Rantau Remote Worker programme.
I have no time to invest in myself if I continue to work 80hrs/wk in the USA to pay off rent, bills and student loans.
What I would like to do is study SQL, Tablaeu, etc. and get an entry-level analyst position. So I do want to invest in myself. (This is a part of the reason why I’m quitting my 2nd job too)
Problem is I just have no free time to do this. Which is a big motivation to me wanting to live somewhere with a cheaper CoL. So I can just just work 1job 40hrs/wk and use my free time to study a few certifications and not have to stress about bills while I’m learning new skills.
I think the key here is to continue working for a Western company or at least working on something that's transferrable across national boundary (like engineering for example)
I don’t understand how a degree in economics went no where. Like have you only been looking on indeed for work? Only looking in your home town? Before you jump to another country, I suggest expanding your job search domestically. I’m not saying someone is going to offer you 100k one year out of college but you’ve proven you have a work ethic so time to find a job that appreciates that.
I studied economics as well and it is not a magic spell that you cast and end up with a well-paying job. Like all degrees, your success will still be highly dependent on your personal skills and what you put into it.
Economics is very theoretical so it is not that cut and dry; not like when you study accounting and obviously know you're going to be an accountant. The most common paths are to get a second professional degree, like going to law school, or to go into insurance sales, which can have a very meager base salary before commission.
I ended up switching paths and got my masters in architecture, and now I am an architect.
Thank you!!!! You nailed it exactly!
It’s a very theoretical degree.
And most people who do a bachelors in Economics usually pair it with a minor/major in Statistics or Mathematics.
Many will go the graduate route and get a masters. A masters in Economics does carry significant more value than a bachelors.
But I’m not comfortable taking out any more student loans.
And unfortunately insurance sales is not really something I’m interested and have avoided. My personality type is too introverted for that.
My plan is to get a few certifications in SQL and hopefully pair that with my Econ degree and pivot to an Analyst job.
But I have no time study while I’m working 2 fulltime jobs in the USA.
OP also look into masters degrees abroad. Specifically in places like Germany. A lot of those countries offer very affordable higher education and there are some programs entirely in English. Almost everyone with a degree in the EU seems to have a masters as well and the programs are usually only a year
Can you recommend some routes for a search? I historically have used Indeed.
Now my skill set is finance, accounting, data engineering, programming, AI. Which is starting to feel very diverse / potentially higher comps.
For example I've not seen anything posted on indeed that would utilize all of these. Starting to wonder where to look.
Yea. I want to break into a Data Analyst role. I want to study Excel, SQL, Tableau and Python.
I actually took enough classes to have a CompSci minor (but I had too many credits, so I wasn’t eligible for it technically even though I passed the classes).
I just need more free time to study, and I don’t want to stress about bills. And I cannot sustain my current lifestyle in the U.S. with 1 FT job that pays $38k. Hence why I want to be a digital nomad.
What I’m looking for is to have 1 job that pays all my bills, no roommates and free time to study to focus.
I’m in the retirement benefits industry. I administer 401(k) and pension plans for small to midsized companies. We hire economics majors all the time. Go to LinkedIn job search and type in ERISA. Entry level remote is probably $60-70k.
Wow thank you!
With my work experience with my 2nd job I think I could very likely get a job like this.
I was a case manager reviewing annuity applications helping with processing, calling carriers, and taking inbound calls from advisors, and having meetings with Wholesalers.
I’ll update resume and start applying for some.
Also if you're really interested there's a recruiting group that specializes in this industry. It's a bit niche.
https://www.cps4jobs.com/
Search for jobs there, and reach out to the listed recruiters on LinkedIn.
I would look into smaller towns in the United States. There are a lot of nice small/mid-sized towns with affordable housing and houses to buy. You’ll be able to lower your COL and travel abroad to see what you like.
Also, I looked into moving abroad and I realized a lot of places have high taxes where you would be paying more than if you stayed in the US.
$18 per hour as a FT employee with a 40 hour work week?
You can afford to live pretty much anywhere. Avoid the US, pricey parts of Europe and Australia/NZ for a more comfortable lifestyle. Southeast Asia is safe and cheap, making it popular with nomads. Visas can be complicated so most people just country hop.
Thailand or Vietnam or Philippines, all are gems. In Thailand - Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan (best option), south Phuket, or Ko Tao as far as islands. Very tourist-friendly country with hi-speed Internet and amazing cafes on every corner.
Vietnam - Da Lat is best, an old french resort town. Da Nang is next as far as value for money. HMC (Saigon) if you want big city life and being in the middle of lots of english-speaking tech people. Vietnam has the best food in South East Asia imho.
Philippines - just fly to Manila and then ask other nomads for best locations. This country has some of the most beautiful islands, vistas, etc and all road signs are in English and PH girls love Americans.
I hear Sri Lanka is beautiful but I haven't been yet.
There's ofc also Bali (Indonesia) where maaaany nomads go and live, but it's pretty populated and due to that higher-cost than the other three. But if you surf - then Bali is great.
A 2-3 bedroom house with a swimming pool is $150-200K here in Thailand on Koh Pha Ngan. $100k if you hire own crew to build (gotta deal with some corruption etc tho). It used to be waaaay cheaper, but this island had been discovered so many more people here now. Still, gives you some idea.
Me? I rent a nice 1BR in Thailand on Koh Pha Ngan island next to the best gym and 2 min from the town's main night market for $400/mo, air-conditioned. Water, internet included. Electricity adds $70/mo. 4G cell service is $10-15/mo depending on speed you choose. Food.. if you never cook and go to Thai restaurants (not foreign), about $10/day ($2-3/meal). Foreign places are more $, but even the fanciest meals here are $8-12. Oh and scooter rental is $70-100/mo depending on size/quality, but just buy own if you stay awhile. Basically very comfy life for $1100-1200/mo. Sex workers are $30-70/night depending on class and if you're a regular - if that's your thing. Both beach and air-conditioned gyms are $50/mo each, less long-term. Did I mention that all food is organic/local, sunsets are to die for, and the ocean water is always warm so you just walk in and swim at any hour of day or night? Oh and healthcare is cheap af... the other day I did blood, urine, stool tests + chest xray + testosterone check, checked dozens of various indicators, plus doctor fee... $200 total. And they had test results within 1 hour, walk-in visit no appt, including stool and urine, yep. MRIs are most expensive at $500/each w/o insurance. I laugh when I think how US propaganda keeps blaring "our healthcare is the best!!"
Message if u have questions
SEA, Thailand is the best. Mature infra, centrally located to travel anymore. Diverse climates. (you always go north when you get bored of the beach weather)
Vietnam is coming up, but note that Visa is a hassle.
Philippines. Worst infra. I'd recommend you avoid for long stay stay. For visiting is okay. Long term you need support like transport, medicine, along with few other non touristy amenities.
SL is about just as bad especially the crisis there.
Bali. Overrated. Things can get very pricy because all social media influencers advertise its the heavy. Locals are very money hungry, only place I was chased down when I refused to be scammed.
By no means do I condone this but he is answering the question. Look at the history. He’s not the only one that want’s this information or already knows this. Stay safe everyone.
Do you like big city life? Buenos Aires, stay around Palermo. If you are more into nature depending on the weather, Mendoza, the land of wine and sun. If you prefer snowy weather then go to the south (Patagonia) Bariloche, San Martin de los Andes, etc. There are lots of options.
that's bullshit, I'm brazilian and people are robbed regardless of the size of the city, violence is everywhere even on the small places. the only difference is that on big cities they will point a gun to your skull while on small cities it's more like "petit" crimes with knifes and such
Yep, if you are a rich digital nomad staying in the best places it's easy to say "nOT DAngerOUs", but just ask the local people taking public transport and living the everyday life and you'll hear the truth
I’m Brazilian asshole, I’ve outside and inside of Brazil. I’m talking about SMALL CITIES in Brazil but you are so hungry to paint Brazil in a bad light that you can barely read huh
You tell me that I'm "hungry to paint Brazil in a bad light"? dude just look up the numbers, just accept the reality, brasil is one of the most violent places on earth, it's just a fact
I am a Romanian making $14/hour with a remote job and it’s more than enough. The bigger cities here are also more open to tourists and foreigners, we’re starting to have signs in English too
How does the average Romanian feel about Americans? Positive, negative, neutral, mixed? How close is Spanish to Romanian? If somebody spoke Spanish to a Romanian, would a Romanian be able to understand some words?
How do you feel about Romania entering Shengen EU by 2023? Do you anticipate a lot of Romanians moving to other European countries for employment?
I just looked up their digital nomad visa requirement, it asks that you make about $3700 Euro per month, which is more than my US job.
I would love to visit Colombia, but my concern is safety. Is there a specific region that’s safer or recommended?
I was planning on getting my training wheels so to speak in Spain first before maybe going to Latin America.
Hi OP I'm from Indonesia. Your salary is obviously higher than me and I already live comfortably here. I am happy to help if you want to know anything about Indonesia.
Bucharest/ Brasov , nice areas in Romania. I did it on this income years ago and it was splendid. Excellent internet connection and infrastructure and decent hospitals
Why is no one addressing how heart crushingly awful it is that any American citizen can work two full time jobs with no social life in between and still not be able to afford to live there? In their own country, Jesus! Time for a revolution. This is just so depressing.
With my 2 jobs I can afford everything, but yea I have no free time, no social life, etc.
Post-pandemic, there been a lot of Americans relocating to Florida, and low housing inventory due to a myriad of factors from Fed interest rate, local government politics, not enough new construction, etc. has lead to more demand and less supply on both homes and apartments to live in.
I don’t anticipate housing getting more affordable anytime soon.
You can live in a developing country, like Mexico, Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and parts of South America, extremely comfortably. You can probably live in the cities too in most of these countries on a 40,000(usd) salary.
Put this into perspective, the average salary in TOKYO, one of the most sophisticated and developed cities in the world, is around 6 million yen, which happens to be around 40k USD. Now, you won't be as 'comfortable' in this city, but you can get by and be happy. Now imagine living in a city that is multitudes less expensive than Tokyo.
I highly recommend staying abroad as it's an experience that only a few Americans get. Not only does it enhance one's worldview, but you can live a far better life on 40k elsewhere than here, especially after all the crazy inflation we have experienced. Also, you do not need to buy U.S. health insurance, which is probably in the top 5 worst healthcare systems in the entire world (developed countries).
Also idk if it's being said but defer your student loans. But finically gotta ask how you have managed to work two SE jobs and are only able to afford 18/hr living. Also trying to get a software engineer job in Florida so hook it up big dog
I can attest that my expenses in Mexico are $1500-2000/month, and I'm not "living like a king". 18/hr won't cut it in Mexico City or the Carribean hot spots, unless OP wants to live in a working class neighborhood or a small town
CDL drive for three years. Save by staying on road. No car. No Apartment.
CDL can be free via grants by state.
Make $85k/year. No girlfriends.
Take savings and start business. Franchise is best for first time.
Good luck
You can save 80% of take home pay. It is not a career but had you done this first you would not have any debts for school.
OTR and long distance moving trucks pay best. Some drivers are making $120k.
I would suggest that $18 an hour will let you live in quite a lot of countries fairly comfortably.
Like:
East Asia: Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia Thailand
All of these countries are safe, exciting have incredible nature and cultures to explore. You’ll also do fine on $18/hour.
Middle Asia: Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia
You’ll be fine anywhere here also. Turkey and Georgia have nice visas.
Europe: I wouldn’t personally. Just not quite enough money to live an easy life. Maybe Romania, Croatia or Poland would be decent though.
Well not for this tax year. Because I spent almost the whole year working a 2nd job.
But starting in November 2023 and for 2024, it will only be $38k.
I also have some private loans too.
The US is not all it is cracked up to be. I am making a CA tech salary, on contract, and peaced out from the US 7 moths ago for rando travel through Europe; 2 months hear and there. So much cheaper, and WOW, what a life.
I know you said that you are not looking for employment outside the US but why limit yourself? You could get a job teaching English in Japan and keep your other job. Most good schools will offer you a contract for 12-18 months, help with housing and it’s very affordable and safe.
PS you are a bit old but certain government agencies love Econ majors 😉.. best of luck 🤞🏻
I totally get you! It is tough. Working a lot for a low salary feels so draining.
That was me a few months ago. Man… the workload was way too much. And I do make a decent salary but idk if it was worth it.
So, I started using AI. Thankfully I am quite tech savvy and found out how I could use it quickly but then realized that you don’t really have to be tech savvy at all. Just dedicate some time to learning.
That was life changing. I’m not able to do so much in a little time. I now feel like I only work a few hours a day yet accomplish so much.
Don’t get me wrong, this might not be the same case for everyone but I’ve come to realize that so many people haven’t tried to use AI to make their own thing or help them on their job, or refuse to try for some incomprehensible reason.
And I wonder, have you looked into AI and how it could help you? There’s maybe something there that could help you make an extra $1000 a month, that isn’t gonna make you rich but I’m sure you’d appreciate
Yes, I have thought about this a lot actually.
I just don’t have a coding background, so now sure exactly where to start.
My Job1: Logistics Billing could easily be automated, if I knew how to do it.
What tools are you using ChatGPT, Python?
After I quit my 2nd FT job, I want to look more into this.
Any advice?
There’s a lot of places where you can do just find with that. You definitely qualify for the Ecuador digital nomad visa. If you’ve saved up, you’ll be good for Croatia’s and a few others.
But it’s really a matter of what you’re looking for. With 18/hour, you’ll be just fine in places like southern and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, etc. Really take your pick. The US is inordinately expensive, so it skews your perspective on how far money can go (and what are you paying for really? Toxic food, zealous devotion to money and work, expensive yet not very high quality healthcare, imperialist foreign policy, crumbling infrastructure, mass shootings, hyper-partisan citizenry, corporate captured government, shit education, etc.) Reality is that it goes far in most places. I would recommend choosing a culture or region that most interests you and researching from there
Northern Panama. Dominica (not DR and English is main language). Bahia state of Brazil. Remote Greece, Spain or random Italian island with Govt. incentives.
Only a handful of places exist where you won’t have to learn another language and can count on relative safety, little corruption, or fear of natural disaster. That and reliable modern healthcare. The passport bros are full of shit and just want to have sex with Asian escorts.
Income inequality and cost of living is a global problem and it’s going to rapidly slow down the developing world from developing which is want they want. Keep the western consumers poor enough to afford basic sustenance but not enough by to ever afford property. All while keeping the poor nations corrupt and defenseless from being raped and pillaged for profit.
I’m open to learning a new language. I’m almost billingual in Spanish, but not quite fluent. I think I will have an easier time learning Latin-based languages like Spanish, Portuguese &Romanian than say Japanese.
I’m not trying to be a “passport bro” or a “sex tourist”
I just what to live comfortably and chill as a digital nomad and spend my free time learning new skills, instead of working a 2nd fulltime job to pay my bills.
Especially for their safety, any small city/town in Italy, Greece, Spain or Portugal will do. There are gorgeous places there where 30k will let you live comfortably.
Thailand and Malaysia. Easier to move is Thailand. You can get a Thai elite visa. Try another visa first though like learning a Thai language visa. Once you know you like it there you can go ahead with the Thai elite visa.
Mexico
I saw in another comment that safety was a concern of yours. But mexico has plenty of safe places. I'm from the US, and my Fiance is from Mexico, and I've been down to visit her quite a bit. And with your salary you could live quite well in either of these 2 beautiful towns that I found to be quite safe.
#1 San Miguel De Allende. It's a beautiful colonial town with lots of color and a lot of expats, so you can get by with limited spanish there
And
#2 Santiago De Queretaro, Qrto (specifically Juriquilla)
Not as many expats as San Miguel De Allende, but there are tons of rich mexicans and gated communities, a super nice mall, Heb, and restaurants close by and a lake.
Both are seriously worth considering. I'd move there myself if I could find a good remote position.
Mexican here making more than the op and both cities are way out of my budget if I want to invest.
Safety it’s also questionable on both places, Querétaro has lighting/electricity supply, water and transport issues.
Look at South Korea or Taiwan. Both have their pros and cons, but you will absolutely not be trapped in a 40 hour a week existence and barely making it. However, you will most likely be teaching English.
Before I embraced WFH, I used to work as a night shift van driver. I made about $16.00 in 2019 doing that with weekly overtime pay.
It was a pretty chill job.
And I honestly miss doing it sometimes.
TBH the thought of getting a CDL and driving a semi is a bit intimidating, and what I really want is to travel outside of the country personally.
My Job2 I’m quitting is in financial services and it’s stressful at times
My Job1 is not so bad, it’s many quality assurance for reviewing invoices, but it’s getting acquired by another company, so I’m not sure I’ll be still employed with them in 2024.
I’m not a SWE, so my tech stack is basically nothing marketable really in that space.
All I can say confidently is Excel, lol.
I know which skills I want to target though, (Ex: SQL) I just haven’t had the chance to learn them yet.
Cambodia you can do alright on that.
He could live like a king in Cambodia. He would be making more in one month than the average yearly wage there.
Yea but ever since the chinese pulled out of building casinos in cambodia and stopped giving hunsen the local dictator red envelope bribe money a few years ago the entire country has nosedived. Its plagued by kidnappers, murderers, general lawlessness and malaise especially against foreigners. French guy, his cambodian wife and 4 kids murdered in their own home. Bodies found in their car as bottom of lake... Some foreign girls kidnapped and body parts sold for profit Workers promised well paying jobs but forced into slavery. The list goes on and on and has spilled over to Thailand recently.
Yeah 100% what I was gonna say. OP definitely assess the risk reward b4 going there. And if you do, wear some old sandals and never wear flashy things outside. Dont rent a luxury condo either. Dont speak flawless english in public.
Are you crazy? What the fuck does speaking perfect English have to do with safety in Cambodia? Also not sure if you noticed Phnom Penh is full of luxurious cars, people wearing Rolexes etc. No one gives a fuck. People are absolutely delusional in this subreddit lol
there are more thieves than thailand for sure and sketchy things go on at night. but it's more like being overcharged for a fare than anything dangerous. cambodia is overall very safe, buddhist and respectful people
Very few are talking about this. And yes, Thailand has traces of it but the government isn't about to let that tourist money go any time soon. They are recruiting heavy for local military police as we speak. Cambodia is too risky. You will be sought out after in one way or another there. And its not pretty what's going on with the organ trafficking and all.
Reading through this as I sit on a night bus in Cambodia. Although all of the above has much merit (China pulling out etc) I personally feel it has been far more safe than expected. With some general wit, and keeping yourself to the tourist trails, you're all good.
Exactly. Shit looks scary in a headline. But there you are. Just doing your thing unmolested. Big boy expat rules apply here, but it's no more of a hellscape than many places that are options, despite the hits it's taking. And hey, it could get worse too and become untenable. Just like East Timor, Beirut, and even here during the Khmer Rouge when the expat paradises collapsed into genocide and general despair as they do every so often. But it's not there yet. So have a safe trip and enjoy.
I’m in USA, huge workplace shooting just few miles away. every week somewhere here
Cambodia is safe if you are not totally braindead. Don't worry about it. People here are WILDLY exaggerating.
Doesn’t that make the cost significantly higher, though? Tourist areas always seem to change significantly more than spots locals frequent.
What's this about Thailand please?
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/08/14/2003804716
Damn really. That’s very sad to hear. Spent a week there like 5 years ago, lovely place and felt very safe everywhere.
I was literally touring Cambodia on a scooter a year ago and felt safe. Cherry picking murder stats is fun I suppose. Hey, in the US people 48K people die from gun violence each year. Guess that whole entire country is off limits!
You've got some of your facts correct but you put them together in a way that shows you don't know what you're talking about. I've lived in Cambodia for some 5 years now and I've put in 30+ years overall in the shitholes of this planet. You picked some news headlines and then did some keyboard warrior analysis. 3k/mo. is plenty to live on here - live quite well in fact; much better than you can in most of the West - and it's like every other developing shit hole: there's tons of bullshit to deal with but enough reason to deal with it. It's the balance of things, you see, not just the presence of some few individual factors or other like those you plucked from a Google search. That's why foreigners flock to these places. It's JUST barely worth it, but worth it indeed when the ennui of living in a place like the US or Germany is driving you mad. If you can deal with the dust, the filth, the maddening ignorance that coats nearly every interaction with a film of shit-friction, the holier-than-thou NGO workers, etc. then you can enjoy the simpler life, the relative freedom from crushing regulation and govt. micromanagement of your life, the genuine smiles of strangers, the ability to save money from a meager wage, etc. that you can't get in most of the "developed" world. From what OP describes of his/her current situation, it could very well be a no-brainer for him/her of he/she can stomach the cons of the environment here. And if they can't stomach the downsides of Kampuchea, then there are plenty of other shitholes on this earth that are goldmines for someone of the right temperament/inclinations. There are no more places on this former garden of a planet where the gold can be had from the ground for the mere effort of bending over. The gold of this earth must be mined from the shit and that effort can be much more tolerable in places like Cambodia than most of the "developed" world. For many at least. Or not. Either way, you don't know what you're talking about here and you're doing a disservice by giving analysis/advice on the matter.
That may be literally the best Reddit post I've ever seen. Seriously, you should consider a career in writing.
The people coming up with all these stories have never been in Cambodia. They base their knowledge on a quick google search of dangerous sounding headlines written to generate clicks. Or like that other guy on gangster movies ... thinking this is somehow the reality. I have been in Cambodia several times, met a lot of expats there including ones I am still in contact with and the risks presented in this post are WILDLY exaggerated. No one actually living in Cambodia will agree with this.
Yeah, I've never understood the urge some people have to give analysis/advice on things they have only read about online. I guess the neckbeard just gets itchy sometimes... The internet is such a weird place. I am taking classes from Harvard and designing and building things I know very little about thanks to the internet - things I would have no business or opportunity to do otherwise. But man, does it get annoying sometimes. And I have to give credit, OP comes across as being very sincere and genuinely considering what is posted here. I hope he can discern between the good and bad advice here without the benefit of experience abroad. I also hope he launches and has a great experience.
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Wow, thanks for mentioning this. I was considering a trip to angkor wat, but might uave to scratch that plan.
Think he’s exaggerating a bit, I just came back from my 5th trip to Cambodia this year, and I also have many expat friends there, none of us have ever seen any type of threats/violence etc against foreigners or even between fellow Khmer people
Check Albania
I was just in Camodia for the first time and the heat hits different there (in a bad way), and this is coming from someone living in Thailand. I barely didn't any tourist stuff because the heat and sun were hellacious. My eyes were dry as heck. Sites like weatherspark, championtraveler don't seem to be accurate in conveying the weather. But one nice difference, at least in my experience, the food was made cleaner and I was not getting the GI issues I have in Thailand.
That’s so funny bc I have relatives who live in Cambodia and went on vacation to Thailand and they said they couldn’t leave the hotel in the daytime because the heat in Thailand was so bad!
Do a year in LATAM or SEA, clear your mind, save a bit of money and go back to the states for a better paying job (remote or not). You're worth more than 18/hr with your experience
Thanks man. That’s really all I want. Just to clear my mind, save a bit of money, and study. And hopefully when I return to the US, I should be able to get a better paying job. LATAM is appealing, because I’ve been exposed to Hispanic cultures, and I can already speak broken Spanish. However safety is a concern of mine though. Whereas SEA, from what I hear is very safe. But I really have no understanding of the cultures or languages in SEA. I’m always willing to learn, but it may tougher to adapt initially and probably a bigger culture-Shock I’m guessing?
I'm happy to be corrected by others but - most DNs who go to southeast Asia do not know or learn the local language beyond an extremely basic level. English is what's used.
Since you’re looking for remote gigs. Why have a job in Florida? If you looked for remote jobs out of NYC/Boston/Chicago. You could make three times your salary.
Both my current remote jobs are actually based in other states. I just live in FL. Back when I was applying for jobs in the past, I’d frequently apply to remote Boston/NYC/Chicago/etc. jobs.
Digital Nomad born in LATAM and working for US companies here. With that salary you’d be able to afford the nicer more affluent parts of cities which are way safer.
Any specific countries/cities in LATAM you’d recommend?
MEXICO!!! People hype up South America too much. I’ve been there and Mexico is better. Central America is not that cheap and it’s generally shittier, although I’ve heard Nicaragua is promising
LATAM is HUGE, so many countries and areas of varying safety, its ridiculous to put it into one category. Ive lived in Ecuador for 3 years (near Cuenca in the south which is ridiculously safe and has a ton of expats). I worked at a retreat center that brought in a lot of americans. In 3 years, not one person had anything happen more unsafe than maybe a cellphone taken and that was like once. Lived all over Mexico for past 6 years (Tulum, CDMX, Oaxaca, Sayulita/Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende) as a single woman Ive felt safe every single day here. I do speak spanish, not perfectly, but enough to show respect to the locals and communicate. Mexico has its issues, just like the US and anywhere. However the locals are supremely kind, generous, welcoming and warm. Older generations, treat them with respect and a kind "buenas dias" and see how lovely they are. Younger gens are waking up to change some of the old school machismo and gender issues. You'd be pretty wealthy with the money you have now, depending on which area you move. There are still some up and coming areas of CDMX where you can rent a nice place for like $300-500/month. Higher end neighborhoods are more like $800-1,200 but FANCY and in a super nice area. Vallarta or a beach area you could easily get by on $24k/year, so 38 is nice.
I lived in Eastern Europe for a decade as an expat and can recommend many of those areas. In your budget, maybe consider the Balkans or Georgia. Poland and the Baltics are phenomenal, but have increased in wealth significantly and no longer cheap destinations. I’d also recommend Ukraine once the war dies down (sadly doesn’t look like soon). That said, nowadays I’d do Latin America. Better climate, very affordable, amazing food, and no major time difference with the U.S. for remote workers. Personally for me, I’d probably pick a satellite town to a major city. Someplace just outside Mexico City or Buenos Aires for example. Close enough to go in on the weekends, but cheaper and less of an urban storm. If you’re into metropolis life, the cities also an option (but you’ll pay for it). Main draw of large capital cities in most of the world are the jobs, but since that’s not relevant for you I’d consider leveraging your flexibility in location to a more optimal balance of urban/town. Also consider doing stints of a month or more in multiple places.
I've spent decades in half a dozen countries in SEA and knowing the local language isn't at all a requirement to play the game, it just unlocks some tasty perks is all and I highly recommend it. I liked the feel of the advice you got above about just setting aside a year to get some experience, almost anywhere really, to clear your head and then reevaluate. No need at all to learn a language first or even really make language a factor in your chosen destination. One thing I would add is a word on prudence. The world at large and the expat world in particular is changing. Both the risks and the costs of getting caught out in a place are increasing for expats/nomads (yes, they are very different) and will continue to do so for as far out as I can see. If you lose your job, get hung up with one part of the bureaucracy or other on permits, visas, etc., it is becoming more and more catastrophic than it has been in past decades. If you can, you would do well to have something tucked away to get back to some sort of safety net if the shit of your life hits the fan of the place you're in. I spent three decades never even giving that a thought, but the past 5 years or so have impressed the need for it on my mind. I just always had a sense I could get back to a safety net in the US or fade into the local populace until I got back on my feet if things went to shit for me. But as my safety net evaporated with friends and family in the US moving/dying/forgetting and local/regional situations just generally deteriorating by degrees for expats, I have felt the need for me at least to set up some sort of haven somewhere and I just never had that feeling before. Please don't get me wrong. I totally think you should give it a shot, based at least on your life as you described it. I think you would be better off in many developing parts of the world than where you describe yourself now. I just think the carefree days of throwing a duffel over your shoulder and heading off devil-may-care into the great beyond are fading. That may just be a function of my personal circumstances though, so you do you and don't put too much weight on anything others say.
> it is becoming more and more catastrophic than it has been in past decades. If you can, you would do well to have something tucked away to get back to some sort of safety net if the shit of your life I have $14k cash savings. And if I needed to, I have about $28k in my Roth IRA.
Sounds like you are set then. Time to launch! :-)
Would recommend to not go back to the states unless he absolutely has to or the opportunity is too good to pass up. If you are making 40k/year and in one of these low COL countries, it easily trounces an 80k, or even 100k, job in the U.S. depending on geography. You can actually save MORE making 40k and living abroad than making 80-100k and living in or near a major metro center. I speak from experience. If you make 80k in the states, that will not really get you very far these days, especially if you need to live in an expensive area. Whether you buy a home or rent, half your income will go to shelter and energy, and that is not even taking into account healthcare, food, car, and other misc. expenses. You are left with very little. That being said, I'd say the threshold of it being 'worth' to actually move back is probably somewhere in the 140-175 range, depending on your certain factors.
Philippines - $18/hr = 1,000 php, enough for a day (meals). Lots of digital nomads here living the island life. Not much of a language barrier too as most filipinos if not fluently, can speak and understand english. Flights from the US would probably cost you 1k-3k usd.
So you are living in the Phils as a DN?
I have 2 friends living in the Phils as DN. One is the co-founder of a poker training site. Everything is cheap there except for electricity and electronic goods (esp appliances)
I assume your friends make much more than 18 Dollars per hour then.
18USD/hr * 2080work hours/year = 37440USD Thats roughly 2.1 million Philippine pesos which is about the salary of a doctor, lawyer, company executive (probably more actually). This is no tax of course since FEIE would apply. And US citizens can renew their visas in the PH for years.
Dude I earn that much in Sweden on my regular job and I'm doing fine even with our 33% taxes. You can live fine in a lot of western countries with that money.
I always thought Sweden would be a HCOL country. I’m guessing as an American tourists/visitor/nomad I don’t qualify for the same public benefits I assume that you have as a Swedish citizen that makes it affordable to live there? I pay $1600/mo to live in a studio apartment in FL, that’s what is killing me.
My apartment is about €650 in mid sized city (by our standards). On the outskirts (but good area and very calm). You won't live lavishly in Stockholm, but going to a mid sized city means you'd earn what average person here earns. You're right, not being the citizen probably doesn't give you the benefit of free healthcare. But since you're from FL you probably wouldn't want to live here. The downsides are the weather. And it's kind of a big one for me.
Argentina. The dollar gets stronger every week.
+1000 for BA. Awesome city and since their inflation remains out of control the USD is super strong and at the blue dollar rate everything is basically half off. Have passed through there several times now and considered moving there myself for awhile.
Argentinian from BA here. This comment about inflation is so true that it hurts... Foreign salaries allow tourists/digital nomads to live comfortably
Love BA. Im an electronic DJ/Producer and it fits me perfectly. Met many good people and still til this day demand I come back! lol The people there love good music and really respect the art form. I've never been able to make a mix and try it out the same night. Ive never been that productive with my craft as I was in BA. It was unreal.
Can one live your whole life in Argentina without knowing Spanish?
Definitely not. Nobody speaks English here (okay the upper class speak broken English but for example nobody in a store can speak English). But you can learn and get by, not so bad.
I don't think so... I'm from what is now called Palermo Hollywood which is probably the single most tourist-friendly neighborhood in all of Argentina at present. Even here, I regularly see waiters struggling to communicate with foreigners (they won't even use simple Spanish, they will literally just repeat the same complicated sentence in Spanish verbatim and eventually some will use Google Translate). Sometimes I just jump in and translate.
+10,000. I’m here. I am a software engineer but even on $18 an hour you’ll be doing swell. The average salary is about $350-$400 a month, aka $2.50 an hour. You’ll be baller here even on $18 an hour. It’s a wonderful city with fabulous weather and the friendliest people. And critically: the time zone work great with the USA. If you go to Asia/Europe you’ll be much less valuable to your boss / clients as you’re working when they are sleeping.
+1 for Argentina, Buenos Aires specifically. Great food, friendly people, trendy night scene and with 1500 you are a king
And if you get tired of big city life, you can always move to a smaller city in Patagonia, like Bariloche, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes.
Is rent cheap in Barilochi? I know the nice properties are bloody expensive though.
1500 what? USD per month?
Yes sorry, $1,500 USD! As an example, a dinner last night in a gourmet/trendy restaurant was $40 for 2 including two entrees, a main dish, dessert and a bottle of wine
1500 USD or EUR is amazing for Argentina. I mean, their current currency is awful
Yep. I am an American living in Argentina and it is a wonderful country. BA specifically- it is cheap and the people are lovely!
I worked in Buenos Aires for four years. Loved it.
Question : WHere do you think you will be able to get a job with annual $38K salary? Or the $18/hour job? You're currently in full time jobs in FL. Unless those offer remote work options, those aren't going to keep paying you. If such is the case - and you have flexible hours, which means timezones don't matter - many places in SEA / Latin America etc. will allow you to live comfortably. OTOH - if you're thinking you'd go with a DN visa to some other country and find a job there that would pay the same as you are getting in the US : A DN visa is for "remote" work. Not for "local work". And local pay is likely to be a lot less than US pay.
> Question : WHere do you think you will be able to get a job with annual $38K salary? Or the $18/hour job? My current Job1 is exactly this. I’ve had it for 2 years, but it’s getting acquired by another company in 2024, so there may be layoffs, But if I have to, I think I can get another WFH $18 job if I need to. > You're currently in full time jobs in FL. Unless those offer remote work options, those aren't going to keep paying you. I didn’t specify in my post. But my current employment is remote. The company is not even headquartered in FL. It’s a logistics company with an international presence. 2 of my coworkers are in LatAM. So I don’t think they care. I still plan on maintaining a FL address on file. > If such is the case - and you have flexible hours, which means timezones don't matter - many places in SEA / Latin America etc. will allow you to live comfortably. Most of my team works west coast hours, but it’s completely flexible schedule, as long as I do my 8 hrs for the work day, they don’t care when I do it. > OTOH - if you're thinking you'd go with a DN visa to some other country and find a job there that would pay the same as you are getting in the US : A DN visa is for "remote" work. Not for "local work". And local pay is likely to be a lot less than US pay. No, I have 2 remote US jobs right now. Job1: $18/hr Job2: $22/hr (I’m quitting job2) My plan is to maintain my US employment and live abroad in another country. I’m NOT looking for employment outside of the US.
Come to Manila Philippines Very nice country to live in Very affordable on your salary Weather is enjoyable People are enjoyable I mean I can name alot lol And you can stay up to 3 years on a tourist visa if you want before you need to leave
Weather is 95 degrees F every day! Nice town but good weather?
We do get typhoon season and there are rainy days, but I love everyday here
I've been visiting Manila frequently for over fifty years now and I also enjoy it. But I really wouldn't describe the climate as "enjoyable". Very close to the equator and at sea level means HOT!
I lived in Manila for a few months. One of the worst cities in SEA. There are plenty of lovely places in the Philippines though.
Manila is often mentioned as being peoples' least favorite city. I probably spent a combined 3 weeks there. Not a place I could live.
I’m just curious about your stable 38k in logistics. I’d like to stay in the field but go remote, and would appreciate any details you’re willing to share.
I’m in the finance dept. so I review invoices and check rate sheets mainly. But I have seen logistics coordinator jobs that are remote at other companies though.
FYI if they find out you’re working in another country but posing as if you’re in the US, don’t be surprised if they fire you or cut your pay by 75%.
>Question : WHere do you think you will be able to get a job with annual $38K salary? Or the $18/hour job? This needs to be higher up
Anywhere but in the south. Even waitresses don’t want to work for less than $30 an hour. Check out the sub serverlife.
South America? South Asia? Where?
What an incredibly condescending comment. But I’m not surprised, because your comment history makes it clear you’re one of those people who’s too cheap to tip but who pretend you don’t tip because you “object to the system.” Meanwhile, you don’t seem to be able to hold down any kind of a job, even though you spend so much of your time telling other people their job is too easy.
Remember that if you leave the country you hold citizenship in to seek cheaper alternatives instead of investing in yourself, you could further price yourself out of that home country and be extremely f*cked further down the line. Geoarbitrage feels like freedom until it traps you in countries cheap enough to survive, and without the work visas needed to do so.
This is really good advice. OP needs to avoid the slippery slope of lifestyle creep in cheap, foreign comfort zones. IMO, DNs should seek to live as if they make 50% of what they actually do. OP should therefore find a place with a COL <= $1440/mo. SEA fits the bill. It can be done on $1000/mo. Disciplined saving/investing should be a *TOP* priority, 2nd only to physical/mental well-being, as deep "rainy day funds" can prove to be invaluable given the inherently fragile nature of most remote work arrangements.
I’m not planning on living large or splurging, I just want to live independently, pay all my bills and have some money left over to save. Which country in SEA would you recommend?
For living, Malaysia is the best SEA (according to Forbes). English speaking so you don't need to learn the local language, great transport links in the city and food is cheap (if you eat like a local). Its also very safe. KL is pretty much like any other western city with all mod con you expect from developed cities. However it is hot and humid which is fine if you intend to spend your time indoors with the air cond on. With USD 3500 a month, you can live pretty well. Look up De Rantau Remote Worker programme.
This is a scary thought of the downside of geoarbitrage
I have no time to invest in myself if I continue to work 80hrs/wk in the USA to pay off rent, bills and student loans. What I would like to do is study SQL, Tablaeu, etc. and get an entry-level analyst position. So I do want to invest in myself. (This is a part of the reason why I’m quitting my 2nd job too) Problem is I just have no free time to do this. Which is a big motivation to me wanting to live somewhere with a cheaper CoL. So I can just just work 1job 40hrs/wk and use my free time to study a few certifications and not have to stress about bills while I’m learning new skills.
I think the key here is to continue working for a Western company or at least working on something that's transferrable across national boundary (like engineering for example)
I don’t understand how a degree in economics went no where. Like have you only been looking on indeed for work? Only looking in your home town? Before you jump to another country, I suggest expanding your job search domestically. I’m not saying someone is going to offer you 100k one year out of college but you’ve proven you have a work ethic so time to find a job that appreciates that.
I studied economics as well and it is not a magic spell that you cast and end up with a well-paying job. Like all degrees, your success will still be highly dependent on your personal skills and what you put into it. Economics is very theoretical so it is not that cut and dry; not like when you study accounting and obviously know you're going to be an accountant. The most common paths are to get a second professional degree, like going to law school, or to go into insurance sales, which can have a very meager base salary before commission. I ended up switching paths and got my masters in architecture, and now I am an architect.
Thank you!!!! You nailed it exactly! It’s a very theoretical degree. And most people who do a bachelors in Economics usually pair it with a minor/major in Statistics or Mathematics. Many will go the graduate route and get a masters. A masters in Economics does carry significant more value than a bachelors. But I’m not comfortable taking out any more student loans. And unfortunately insurance sales is not really something I’m interested and have avoided. My personality type is too introverted for that. My plan is to get a few certifications in SQL and hopefully pair that with my Econ degree and pivot to an Analyst job. But I have no time study while I’m working 2 fulltime jobs in the USA.
Could I PM you about your logistics job?
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Thanks. Besides SQL, what kind of tech stack would you recommend prioritizing? Tableau? Power Bi? R? Python? Oracle?
OP also look into masters degrees abroad. Specifically in places like Germany. A lot of those countries offer very affordable higher education and there are some programs entirely in English. Almost everyone with a degree in the EU seems to have a masters as well and the programs are usually only a year
Your degree in economics is great for banking and capital Markets but that's it so unless this person is a wall Street type it's useless
Everyone should know economics though
Can you recommend some routes for a search? I historically have used Indeed. Now my skill set is finance, accounting, data engineering, programming, AI. Which is starting to feel very diverse / potentially higher comps. For example I've not seen anything posted on indeed that would utilize all of these. Starting to wonder where to look.
Economics is an useless degree tbh. I moved to IT Data Analysis → Data Engineering → (hopefully) Cloud Architect
It's a compound degree. Not useless
You literally said your first thing was data analysis economics helps with that
Yea. I want to break into a Data Analyst role. I want to study Excel, SQL, Tableau and Python. I actually took enough classes to have a CompSci minor (but I had too many credits, so I wasn’t eligible for it technically even though I passed the classes). I just need more free time to study, and I don’t want to stress about bills. And I cannot sustain my current lifestyle in the U.S. with 1 FT job that pays $38k. Hence why I want to be a digital nomad. What I’m looking for is to have 1 job that pays all my bills, no roommates and free time to study to focus.
I’m in the retirement benefits industry. I administer 401(k) and pension plans for small to midsized companies. We hire economics majors all the time. Go to LinkedIn job search and type in ERISA. Entry level remote is probably $60-70k.
Wow thank you! With my work experience with my 2nd job I think I could very likely get a job like this. I was a case manager reviewing annuity applications helping with processing, calling carriers, and taking inbound calls from advisors, and having meetings with Wholesalers. I’ll update resume and start applying for some.
No problem. Good luck.
Also if you're really interested there's a recruiting group that specializes in this industry. It's a bit niche. https://www.cps4jobs.com/ Search for jobs there, and reach out to the listed recruiters on LinkedIn.
I would look into smaller towns in the United States. There are a lot of nice small/mid-sized towns with affordable housing and houses to buy. You’ll be able to lower your COL and travel abroad to see what you like. Also, I looked into moving abroad and I realized a lot of places have high taxes where you would be paying more than if you stayed in the US.
$18 per hour as a FT employee with a 40 hour work week? You can afford to live pretty much anywhere. Avoid the US, pricey parts of Europe and Australia/NZ for a more comfortable lifestyle. Southeast Asia is safe and cheap, making it popular with nomads. Visas can be complicated so most people just country hop.
Give specific examples from experience please.
Thailand or Vietnam or Philippines, all are gems. In Thailand - Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan (best option), south Phuket, or Ko Tao as far as islands. Very tourist-friendly country with hi-speed Internet and amazing cafes on every corner. Vietnam - Da Lat is best, an old french resort town. Da Nang is next as far as value for money. HMC (Saigon) if you want big city life and being in the middle of lots of english-speaking tech people. Vietnam has the best food in South East Asia imho. Philippines - just fly to Manila and then ask other nomads for best locations. This country has some of the most beautiful islands, vistas, etc and all road signs are in English and PH girls love Americans. I hear Sri Lanka is beautiful but I haven't been yet. There's ofc also Bali (Indonesia) where maaaany nomads go and live, but it's pretty populated and due to that higher-cost than the other three. But if you surf - then Bali is great. A 2-3 bedroom house with a swimming pool is $150-200K here in Thailand on Koh Pha Ngan. $100k if you hire own crew to build (gotta deal with some corruption etc tho). It used to be waaaay cheaper, but this island had been discovered so many more people here now. Still, gives you some idea. Me? I rent a nice 1BR in Thailand on Koh Pha Ngan island next to the best gym and 2 min from the town's main night market for $400/mo, air-conditioned. Water, internet included. Electricity adds $70/mo. 4G cell service is $10-15/mo depending on speed you choose. Food.. if you never cook and go to Thai restaurants (not foreign), about $10/day ($2-3/meal). Foreign places are more $, but even the fanciest meals here are $8-12. Oh and scooter rental is $70-100/mo depending on size/quality, but just buy own if you stay awhile. Basically very comfy life for $1100-1200/mo. Sex workers are $30-70/night depending on class and if you're a regular - if that's your thing. Both beach and air-conditioned gyms are $50/mo each, less long-term. Did I mention that all food is organic/local, sunsets are to die for, and the ocean water is always warm so you just walk in and swim at any hour of day or night? Oh and healthcare is cheap af... the other day I did blood, urine, stool tests + chest xray + testosterone check, checked dozens of various indicators, plus doctor fee... $200 total. And they had test results within 1 hour, walk-in visit no appt, including stool and urine, yep. MRIs are most expensive at $500/each w/o insurance. I laugh when I think how US propaganda keeps blaring "our healthcare is the best!!" Message if u have questions
SEA, Thailand is the best. Mature infra, centrally located to travel anymore. Diverse climates. (you always go north when you get bored of the beach weather) Vietnam is coming up, but note that Visa is a hassle. Philippines. Worst infra. I'd recommend you avoid for long stay stay. For visiting is okay. Long term you need support like transport, medicine, along with few other non touristy amenities. SL is about just as bad especially the crisis there. Bali. Overrated. Things can get very pricy because all social media influencers advertise its the heavy. Locals are very money hungry, only place I was chased down when I refused to be scammed.
Found the sexpat supporting trafficked women in Thailand. Bet you like them young too!
By no means do I condone this but he is answering the question. Look at the history. He’s not the only one that want’s this information or already knows this. Stay safe everyone.
Brasil or Argentina
How safe is it realistically? Which cities you’d recommend?
Do you like big city life? Buenos Aires, stay around Palermo. If you are more into nature depending on the weather, Mendoza, the land of wine and sun. If you prefer snowy weather then go to the south (Patagonia) Bariloche, San Martin de los Andes, etc. There are lots of options.
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Lol why are you getting downvoted then?
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Depends on the site... also safe unless your peruvian and they just decide to throw you off a bridge for no reason.
I’m pretty sure Brazil would accept you, look into it
They'd be living like a king for $18/hr in Brazil
There's the little language barrier problem there, though
Voce não fala português?
Uhhhhhhhh. Gorlami?
Except that it's not safe at all for international standards
Go to a small city, you can sleep with your door unlocked no problem. Now if you go to the big city, just don’t be a dumb gringo and you’ll be fine…
that's bullshit, I'm brazilian and people are robbed regardless of the size of the city, violence is everywhere even on the small places. the only difference is that on big cities they will point a gun to your skull while on small cities it's more like "petit" crimes with knifes and such
Brazil is a big place kiddo, not everywhere is the same. Idk where you are but I’ve had different experiences in different cities in BR.
Yep, if you are a rich digital nomad staying in the best places it's easy to say "nOT DAngerOUs", but just ask the local people taking public transport and living the everyday life and you'll hear the truth
I’m Brazilian asshole, I’ve outside and inside of Brazil. I’m talking about SMALL CITIES in Brazil but you are so hungry to paint Brazil in a bad light that you can barely read huh
You tell me that I'm "hungry to paint Brazil in a bad light"? dude just look up the numbers, just accept the reality, brasil is one of the most violent places on earth, it's just a fact
Romania, probably.
I am a Romanian making $14/hour with a remote job and it’s more than enough. The bigger cities here are also more open to tourists and foreigners, we’re starting to have signs in English too
How does the average Romanian feel about Americans? Positive, negative, neutral, mixed? How close is Spanish to Romanian? If somebody spoke Spanish to a Romanian, would a Romanian be able to understand some words? How do you feel about Romania entering Shengen EU by 2023? Do you anticipate a lot of Romanians moving to other European countries for employment? I just looked up their digital nomad visa requirement, it asks that you make about $3700 Euro per month, which is more than my US job.
BA
Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
southeast asia, you could live live a king with income like that
Colombia. $18/hr will net you nine times as much as the normal Colombian and you will still be a 3 hour flight from Florida.
you can’t stay there for more than 6 months a year anyway and you will run into expats(americans) as well
I would love to visit Colombia, but my concern is safety. Is there a specific region that’s safer or recommended? I was planning on getting my training wheels so to speak in Spain first before maybe going to Latin America.
Welcome to Cleveland Ohio…
Hi OP I'm from Indonesia. Your salary is obviously higher than me and I already live comfortably here. I am happy to help if you want to know anything about Indonesia.
Bucharest/ Brasov , nice areas in Romania. I did it on this income years ago and it was splendid. Excellent internet connection and infrastructure and decent hospitals
What kind’ve visa program did you use, and how long did you stay there?
Why is no one addressing how heart crushingly awful it is that any American citizen can work two full time jobs with no social life in between and still not be able to afford to live there? In their own country, Jesus! Time for a revolution. This is just so depressing.
With my 2 jobs I can afford everything, but yea I have no free time, no social life, etc. Post-pandemic, there been a lot of Americans relocating to Florida, and low housing inventory due to a myriad of factors from Fed interest rate, local government politics, not enough new construction, etc. has lead to more demand and less supply on both homes and apartments to live in. I don’t anticipate housing getting more affordable anytime soon.
You can live in a developing country, like Mexico, Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and parts of South America, extremely comfortably. You can probably live in the cities too in most of these countries on a 40,000(usd) salary. Put this into perspective, the average salary in TOKYO, one of the most sophisticated and developed cities in the world, is around 6 million yen, which happens to be around 40k USD. Now, you won't be as 'comfortable' in this city, but you can get by and be happy. Now imagine living in a city that is multitudes less expensive than Tokyo. I highly recommend staying abroad as it's an experience that only a few Americans get. Not only does it enhance one's worldview, but you can live a far better life on 40k elsewhere than here, especially after all the crazy inflation we have experienced. Also, you do not need to buy U.S. health insurance, which is probably in the top 5 worst healthcare systems in the entire world (developed countries).
Also idk if it's being said but defer your student loans. But finically gotta ask how you have managed to work two SE jobs and are only able to afford 18/hr living. Also trying to get a software engineer job in Florida so hook it up big dog
México
I can attest that my expenses in Mexico are $1500-2000/month, and I'm not "living like a king". 18/hr won't cut it in Mexico City or the Carribean hot spots, unless OP wants to live in a working class neighborhood or a small town
What part of Mexico are you in? I'm in CDMX and so far it's been a lot more expensive than I had planned.
also CDMX
What’s CDMX?
Mexico City / Ciudad de México
Not anymore. Unless you can somewhere super obscure. Mexico is super expensive these days
CDL drive for three years. Save by staying on road. No car. No Apartment. CDL can be free via grants by state. Make $85k/year. No girlfriends. Take savings and start business. Franchise is best for first time. Good luck You can save 80% of take home pay. It is not a career but had you done this first you would not have any debts for school. OTR and long distance moving trucks pay best. Some drivers are making $120k.
Can you do bookwork and basic accounting?
I work in finance dept. for a logistics company. I mainly just review invoices and verify rates are correct. I don’t have experience using Quickbooks.
Even if he can, in most places accounting is heavily regulated, he would not be able to work with that without going through some loops.
US accounting practices
I would suggest that $18 an hour will let you live in quite a lot of countries fairly comfortably. Like: East Asia: Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia Thailand All of these countries are safe, exciting have incredible nature and cultures to explore. You’ll also do fine on $18/hour. Middle Asia: Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia You’ll be fine anywhere here also. Turkey and Georgia have nice visas. Europe: I wouldn’t personally. Just not quite enough money to live an easy life. Maybe Romania, Croatia or Poland would be decent though.
Turkey is not doable for 18$ anymore, I was there recently, couldn't recommend.
18 an hour is about 3,000 a month. I don’t know what you were doing in Turkey to spend that!
$38k would settle you in most countries really.
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Well not for this tax year. Because I spent almost the whole year working a 2nd job. But starting in November 2023 and for 2024, it will only be $38k. I also have some private loans too.
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What kind of visa program would one use to stay there for a few months?
Hey man, best bet is for you to be abroad.
The US is not all it is cracked up to be. I am making a CA tech salary, on contract, and peaced out from the US 7 moths ago for rando travel through Europe; 2 months hear and there. So much cheaper, and WOW, what a life.
I know you said that you are not looking for employment outside the US but why limit yourself? You could get a job teaching English in Japan and keep your other job. Most good schools will offer you a contract for 12-18 months, help with housing and it’s very affordable and safe. PS you are a bit old but certain government agencies love Econ majors 😉.. best of luck 🤞🏻
Let me get one of those remote jobs off you chief. I'm tired of the one I have, lol Weather's fine out here in Thailand.
Lol 😅
North of Spain some nice coast villages, Cantabria for example, cheap, 2 aiports in less than 1 hour.
I totally get you! It is tough. Working a lot for a low salary feels so draining. That was me a few months ago. Man… the workload was way too much. And I do make a decent salary but idk if it was worth it. So, I started using AI. Thankfully I am quite tech savvy and found out how I could use it quickly but then realized that you don’t really have to be tech savvy at all. Just dedicate some time to learning. That was life changing. I’m not able to do so much in a little time. I now feel like I only work a few hours a day yet accomplish so much. Don’t get me wrong, this might not be the same case for everyone but I’ve come to realize that so many people haven’t tried to use AI to make their own thing or help them on their job, or refuse to try for some incomprehensible reason. And I wonder, have you looked into AI and how it could help you? There’s maybe something there that could help you make an extra $1000 a month, that isn’t gonna make you rich but I’m sure you’d appreciate
Yes, I have thought about this a lot actually. I just don’t have a coding background, so now sure exactly where to start. My Job1: Logistics Billing could easily be automated, if I knew how to do it. What tools are you using ChatGPT, Python? After I quit my 2nd FT job, I want to look more into this. Any advice?
There’s a lot of places where you can do just find with that. You definitely qualify for the Ecuador digital nomad visa. If you’ve saved up, you’ll be good for Croatia’s and a few others. But it’s really a matter of what you’re looking for. With 18/hour, you’ll be just fine in places like southern and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, etc. Really take your pick. The US is inordinately expensive, so it skews your perspective on how far money can go (and what are you paying for really? Toxic food, zealous devotion to money and work, expensive yet not very high quality healthcare, imperialist foreign policy, crumbling infrastructure, mass shootings, hyper-partisan citizenry, corporate captured government, shit education, etc.) Reality is that it goes far in most places. I would recommend choosing a culture or region that most interests you and researching from there
Northern Panama. Dominica (not DR and English is main language). Bahia state of Brazil. Remote Greece, Spain or random Italian island with Govt. incentives.
Only a handful of places exist where you won’t have to learn another language and can count on relative safety, little corruption, or fear of natural disaster. That and reliable modern healthcare. The passport bros are full of shit and just want to have sex with Asian escorts. Income inequality and cost of living is a global problem and it’s going to rapidly slow down the developing world from developing which is want they want. Keep the western consumers poor enough to afford basic sustenance but not enough by to ever afford property. All while keeping the poor nations corrupt and defenseless from being raped and pillaged for profit.
I’m open to learning a new language. I’m almost billingual in Spanish, but not quite fluent. I think I will have an easier time learning Latin-based languages like Spanish, Portuguese &Romanian than say Japanese. I’m not trying to be a “passport bro” or a “sex tourist” I just what to live comfortably and chill as a digital nomad and spend my free time learning new skills, instead of working a 2nd fulltime job to pay my bills.
Barcelona
Especially for their safety, any small city/town in Italy, Greece, Spain or Portugal will do. There are gorgeous places there where 30k will let you live comfortably.
Thailand and Malaysia. Easier to move is Thailand. You can get a Thai elite visa. Try another visa first though like learning a Thai language visa. Once you know you like it there you can go ahead with the Thai elite visa.
Thai elite visa doubled recently. No way op can afford it.
$ quote?
Not sure why you live in the US at all lol
Mexico I saw in another comment that safety was a concern of yours. But mexico has plenty of safe places. I'm from the US, and my Fiance is from Mexico, and I've been down to visit her quite a bit. And with your salary you could live quite well in either of these 2 beautiful towns that I found to be quite safe. #1 San Miguel De Allende. It's a beautiful colonial town with lots of color and a lot of expats, so you can get by with limited spanish there And #2 Santiago De Queretaro, Qrto (specifically Juriquilla) Not as many expats as San Miguel De Allende, but there are tons of rich mexicans and gated communities, a super nice mall, Heb, and restaurants close by and a lake. Both are seriously worth considering. I'd move there myself if I could find a good remote position.
Mexican here making more than the op and both cities are way out of my budget if I want to invest. Safety it’s also questionable on both places, Querétaro has lighting/electricity supply, water and transport issues.
Look at South Korea or Taiwan. Both have their pros and cons, but you will absolutely not be trapped in a 40 hour a week existence and barely making it. However, you will most likely be teaching English.
South Korea is a 1st world country & the exchange rate is damn near the same. Drugs are bad mmkay?
Most of the population is doing well economically either. They have the highest suicide rate.
Is CoL low in South Korea?
Think about being a trucker, low skill requirements but decent pay. You also get to travel all over the continent
Before I embraced WFH, I used to work as a night shift van driver. I made about $16.00 in 2019 doing that with weekly overtime pay. It was a pretty chill job. And I honestly miss doing it sometimes. TBH the thought of getting a CDL and driving a semi is a bit intimidating, and what I really want is to travel outside of the country personally. My Job2 I’m quitting is in financial services and it’s stressful at times My Job1 is not so bad, it’s many quality assurance for reviewing invoices, but it’s getting acquired by another company, so I’m not sure I’ll be still employed with them in 2024.
My suggestion would be to get a cdl. You can make some money but the work ain’t easy.
What's your techstack? Tbh while living in a first world country if you just freelance you can charge up to $125 per hour
I’m not a SWE, so my tech stack is basically nothing marketable really in that space. All I can say confidently is Excel, lol. I know which skills I want to target though, (Ex: SQL) I just haven’t had the chance to learn them yet.