Hit 50 countries as a digital nomad last week and my bank account is somehow still alive

I expected to be broke by the time I hit 30 countries, but somehow making $3k a month doing freelance writing while hopping between Bali hostels and Budapest cafes has actually worked out, anyone else surprised by how cheap this lifestyle can actually be?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaelchen1mo ago

Hold on, how do you handle health insurance bouncing between all those countries?

paulw871mo ago

Oh, you've hit on something interesting that I don't see people talk about much. The real trick isn't just finding cheap hostels or eating street food, it's about how modern banking and freelancing have made location arbitrage easier than ever. You can get paid in dollars or euros while spending in Thai baht or Indonesian rupiah, and the exchange rate difference alone can double your buying power. Plus a lot of the big expenses people forget about like rent, utilities, and car insurance just disappear entirely when you're nomadic. I bet you're also saving a ton by not having a fixed address where you're paying for internet, parking, or property taxes.

troythompson1mo ago

My last attempt at location arbitrage just meant I got paid in dollars and spent them on overpriced avocados in Brooklyn because I never actually left my zip code. The only thing doubling in my life is my coffee consumption.