An often-forgotten aspect of living abroad as an expat in other countries is the cost of food, yet it is for this very reason that so many people choose to visit places like Mexico or Bulgaria. The simple math shows the reasons, because while the cost of groceries per year in the U.S. (according to the Department of Labor) per individual is $6,500 as of 2011, you can have the exact same groceries in a place like Mexico for $1,000 per year. It is this cost of living that makes living in other countries so lucrative for expats.
The numbers are somewhat startling in their simplicity. After all, when you can save a minimum of $5,000 per year on your grocery bill while living abroad, it begs the question "Why remain in the U.S.?" And what is really astounding about the numbers is that while single expats benefit greatly, families have even more to gain as their savings extrapolate out even larger depending on how many members of a family you have.
The average family of four in the United States of America needs around $20,000 per year to cover their basic grocery bill. Meanwhile, in countries like Bulgaria and Mexico, the same families are eating for around $4,000 per year. That's a savings of $16,000 a year simply by living in another country as an expat where the groceries cost that much less.
The savings are still there, even if you are just a pair of expats rather than a family, because while you need a minimum of 13 thousand per year to eat in the U.S., you only need about 2k per year in other countries. That's your total cost of food per year. And while some people have been brainwashed into thinking everything outside of the U.S. is inferior, think about the fact that the U.S. imports most of its produce and fruits. When you realize that, you can see how living as an expat in the same countries where the food is produced allows you the greatest savings.
Think about that the next time you head to your local grocery store to pay obscenely high costs for produce and fruits. You have a global range of options at your disposal, and while you might only be allowed to save pennies via coupons and other discounts in the U.S., you can save yourself literal thousands per year by choosing to live abroad and buy your produce locally where it is produced.
The numbers are somewhat startling in their simplicity. After all, when you can save a minimum of $5,000 per year on your grocery bill while living abroad, it begs the question "Why remain in the U.S.?" And what is really astounding about the numbers is that while single expats benefit greatly, families have even more to gain as their savings extrapolate out even larger depending on how many members of a family you have.
The average family of four in the United States of America needs around $20,000 per year to cover their basic grocery bill. Meanwhile, in countries like Bulgaria and Mexico, the same families are eating for around $4,000 per year. That's a savings of $16,000 a year simply by living in another country as an expat where the groceries cost that much less.
The savings are still there, even if you are just a pair of expats rather than a family, because while you need a minimum of 13 thousand per year to eat in the U.S., you only need about 2k per year in other countries. That's your total cost of food per year. And while some people have been brainwashed into thinking everything outside of the U.S. is inferior, think about the fact that the U.S. imports most of its produce and fruits. When you realize that, you can see how living as an expat in the same countries where the food is produced allows you the greatest savings.
Think about that the next time you head to your local grocery store to pay obscenely high costs for produce and fruits. You have a global range of options at your disposal, and while you might only be allowed to save pennies via coupons and other discounts in the U.S., you can save yourself literal thousands per year by choosing to live abroad and buy your produce locally where it is produced.
About the Author:
Saving money and enjoying absolute freedom are just part of the expat lifestyle. You can also fall in love as an expat abroad in other countries.
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