25 Americans Discuss Whether Becoming An Expat Was A Good Thing

For many people born in third-world countries, travelling to lands with more opportunities and a better quality of life is a dream many work hard to achieve. For most, that dream is to travel to the place that many movies have romanticised over the years, the land of the free, the U.S.A. 

#1

Image source: Spiritual-Loan-347, Tim Mossholder

Short answer. Yes. 100% better. Would I recommend it – depends on your values and your goals.

Generally, if you like having new model cars, easy debt, lots of new clothes from Shein or other cheap stuff, want a big house etc., generally, US is the best for this type of life. You have access to credit to fund things you cant actually afford. You can get massive houses. You generally earn more than many places (though this is really an illusion, but people who really care about ‘potential’ earnings do better in the US).

However, I hated commuting for hours and didn’t want to have massive debt. Moved to Europe for university a long time ago and stayed. No debt. Landed a job and lived life. It’s easy to building community, live frugally but usually with better quality things (food, clothing etc), better work life balance, and great access to travel and explore. The history and culture are the cherry on top – took my husband around the US and he kept asking me but where things are and like there really isn’t much lol, each state might have a couple of nice things, but a lot of the US is just really blah (in our opinion), where as in European towns you find hidden gems of artisans, architecture, religion etc. we went back to the US for three years and then just came back because life in the US is a constant financial struggle no matter how much you make as a regular person (I’d say anyone not in the 2 percent or whatever) .

#2

Image source: Rev-Dr-Slimeas, Chinmay Singh

There are lots of pluses and minuses.

Also, just putting this out there, most people don’t qualify for a visa. For most people, it isn’t just filing some paperwork and paying fees. It’s getting a decent education, or having marketable skills. You’ve also got to be healthy, and able to prove you won’t be a burden on the new country. The average person just can’t. If it weren’t for some very specific circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to move.

That said, I did move to New Zealand as a person without a degree. I was low income in America, and I’m low income here.

The pluses would be:

A comprehensive culture and rule of law

Affordable healthcare that isn’t tied to employment

Decent public transportation

Mince and cheese pie

The cons would be:

Everything is more expensive, and I make less money doing more work

Isolation. Flights away are expensive, and there isn’t as much stuff to buy. Got a niche hobby? You’re paying more, and have fewer options

Taco Bell here tastes like s**t.

#3

Image source: uppy-puppy, Andre Furtado

Moved from the US to Canada 10 years ago.

I absolutely cannot understate this in any way, but things have been *so much better* for me here.

In the US, I always struggled to maintain health insurance. Even when I had a good job, almost every full-time position I worked required me to work several months before I was eligible to apply for health insurance. Before lining up the good full-time positions, I would be working a small handful of part-time positions simultaneously just to make ends meet, and that did not make me eligible for health insurance without paying privately out of pocket. Private health insurance out of pocket is just not affordable for young adults, in my experience. Most everyone I knew my age was either still on their parents insurance or just didn’t have coverage. The only option when you got sick was either to pay an astronomical amount out of pocket to see a doctor, go without treatment (which is what I mostly did), or go to emergency. Because of this, I spent most of my life worried about getting sick- which caused me a great deal of stress- which caused me to get sick *a lot*.

When I did have health insurance, the copay still made it difficult to afford seeing a doctor. If I didn’t have $75-100 in my bank account, I had to just deal with being sick. I was already living pay check to pay check, and missing work meant more money I didn’t have, so being out even more on top of that made it so hard to justify seeing a doctor that absolutely did not care about you and would do nothing except talk to you for maybe 3-4 minutes.

In Canada, I spend far less than I spent in the states, I’ve had incredible experiences both with my PCP’s and in the hospital, and I get sick way less because I’m not constantly worried about going broke from getting sick.

I could write a novel about the differences and how much I’ve loved it here, but I will end this with just two things. I once passed out at a friends house when I lived in the US from something I couldn’t afford to see a doctor for. A friend took me to hospital, they gave me fluids, I was there for maybe 2 hours, and I got a bill for $38,000. My mother, who had phenomenal insurance that my dad paid privately for (so not just through her job, though she had coverage through her job as well) and my family still paid $500,000 out of pocket for her cancer treatments. The doctors stopped taking her pain seriously, stopped running tests on her, and she took the rest of her pain meds one night in an attempt to end her life. One $5,000 ambulance ride and some tests later, they finally realized “oh whoops the cancer has spread haha didn’t realize that’s where your pain was coming from.” She died less than 6 months later. My dad was still making payments on her treatments long after she passed.

Two weeks ago my husband had a UC flare up here in Canada. He had to go to emergency. We had a bed in 20 minutes, he was admitted a few hours later, they said *verbatim*, “hey, we could give you a referral, but we think it would be better to just have you do a colonoscopy now, would that be OK?” He had a colonoscopy done in the hospital about 14 hours later, and the next day was sent home with a treatment plan. We had a fantastic private room, the staff was incredible, and everyone that worked there *actually cared*. OHIP covered everything. The only thing we had to worry about was filing the short-term disability paperwork through his union to get reimbursed for his time off.

Oh and when we had a baby? 12 months of parental leave.

I will absolutely never return to the hellscape that is the US. Vive le Canada.

#4

Image source: Mustangbex, Agung Pandit Wiguna

US to Germany in 2017. Never going back. Our work-life balance is incredible. We travel, have time for our Kid, public healthcare, free daycare, free college for our son, there’s reliable public transportation and we can bike everywhere in the city. COL is lower, QOL is higher. There is VERY little violent crime, and we live 2km from a lake, at the midpoint between several large public parks, and within walking distance of about 12 grocery stores, hundreds of restaurants, and a major hospital with cardiac and children’s specialty departments. We’re 20 minutes from the central train station by bus, and about 25 minutes from the heart of the city by subway. My kid’s school is in a brand new building- they have tons of field trips and after school activities (that are also free)- two tram stops or 15 minutes bike ride from our home. He’s native bilingual in German and English (I’m conversationally fluent in German, native English), and will start a third language in a couple years.

Today we rode bikes to the grocery store, then got cash and pedalled over to a Sushi place for lunch, before riding bikes along the canal and stopping to relax in the sun and play on a swing set next to the canal. It’s not easy but it’s been infinitely worth it for us.

#5

Image source: asilaywatching, Louis

We moved from nyc to Switzerland. Everything about life here is better – schooling, safety, work / life balance, and especially salaries.

#6

Image source: fiffers, EVG Kowalievska

Moved from the US to Europe in 2011, when I was 23. I’ve lived between Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium.

My quality of life is incomparably better. I haven’t owned a car since I’ve been here. Most neighborhoods are walkable and mixed-use, with cafes and restaurants out the front door, everything a short tram/ metro ride away (friends, work, shopping) and a quick train ride to an airport connecting you with the rest of Europe via 50 euro Ryan air flights.

Life is a better pace, things are less manic, people chat over a beer or glass of wine for hours. In different languages. I never stop learning. Even a trip to the supermarket can be new bits of vocab, a cultural insight.

I’m healthier here. I walk. I eat better. I socialize more, and improvise more. I’ve always lived within biking distance to decent enough nature (casa de campo and beyond in Madrid, the dunes in Holland, Foret de Soignes in Brussels). I cycle on a whim.

I’m not in existential fear of a bad diagnosis or a bankruptcy. Guns aren’t the norm. It’s safe to walk home at night in big metropolitan areas.

There are things about the US I love, I feel very American in some aspects (which comes into sharper relief abroad) and Europe has a litany of its own problems. But I would never move back.

#7

Image source: Decoyx7, fauxels

Michigan to Germany, yes it was worth it. No, I’m never going back. Been here seven years, left everything behind in 2017 and I’ll be applying for citizenship soon. I was able to start an apprenticeship, and get PAID to go to school And work. I’ll be starting University again as well to pursue a masters.

I went from being homeless, selling d***s, avoiding police and dealing with gang violence. Lost enough friends to ODs or gun violence. Too poor to go to the doctors. I couldn’t go to the ER after a particularly nasty accident, leaving me scarred for life, simply because I couldn’t pay.

I lived in Flint during the water crisis, and the 2014/15 (I forgot which year it was) US army urban training in the city. Then the Bernie/Hillary debate came here the year after, feds shut down the whole city. Then Trump got elected in 2016.

I have a career. I have good credit. I have free time. My employer doesn’t ask questions when I’m sick. I get money TO GO ON VACATION. I can ride my bike to the doctor’s office 10 minutes away. The German and EU governments have strong consumer protection policies. I’ve never paid an overdraft fee. I can take the bus or train if I’m too drunk to drive. I don’t even need a car if I don’t want one. People mind their own business, usually. My neighbors come from countries from all over the globe. I never have to be scared that anyone could be armed.

It’s hard to make friends, but people find Americans fascinating to talk to, especially if you speak decent enough German. Nobody speaks English. After seven years, I could count the number of people I’ve met who could have any meaningful conversations with me in English on one hand.

I pay a lot in taxes though. And my base pay isn’t enough that my friends in America who work the same job make. Not even near enough. But I have 30 vacation days, 12 holidays, “bridge days” often included. Vacation and Christmas bonuses, and I was sick from work a total of 29 days last year.

And I can drink the god d**n tap water.

A lot of people, almost stereotypically always complain about Germany and their government, perpetually. Recently I’ve come to hear quite enough from my German coworkers about how much their country sucks. They truly have no clue how good they have it here.

Oh and, I live under a f*****g castle on a mountain, and there’s a wonderful medieval ducal palace, smack dab in the middle of my town.

#8

Image source: AquaHills, RDNE Stock project

Metro Detroit to Berlin 5 years ago. I’m still incredibly happy with the choice and hope to stay here forever. Definitely worth it. I still want to pinch myself occasionally as I’m going about my daily life and look around at the beautiful scenery and think about how happy I am here.

My life is great. I live in a beautiful green part of Berlin but can get to the city center in about 30 minutes. I live on the river and there are multiple beaches (both lake and river) within a 15 minute walk or tram ride. There’s literally more than a dozen fantastic playgrounds within walking distance for my kid and loads of parks. Some of the parks and playgrounds have adjacent Biergärten too.

I can take my dog with me into most restaurants and even in my little corner of Berlin I’ve been able to find a few amazing restaurants. Italian is especially good in Germany compared to the US. Ice cream is all fresh made small batch and delicious. There’s tons of different types of cheap fresh baked bread on every corner. My neighborhood (many neighborhoods) have a local market 3x a week in the town square. Fresh cheese, meat, fruit and other things are always on offer.

It’s currently Easter holidays for my kid and she gets 2 weeks off of school. She gets a 2+ weeks holiday not just at Christmas and Easter but also in the spring and fall, plus a half dozen long weekends and summer vacation. There’s so many more public holidays here and a minimum of 20 vacation days by law, though most companies give 25-30. And you’re required to actually use them. If you like to travel there’s so many places to visit within a few hours flight that it’s hard to decide where to go!

I don’t need a car to get around so both I and the planet are healthier and I only pay 59€ a month total for transport. No car payment, registration, insurance, or gas costs. Groceries cost less and are often fresher and taste better. Phone and Internet are significantly cheaper. Daycare is free. I don’t have to save for my kid’s university. I can go to the doctor or hospital if I need it, even with an ambulance, and not worry about the cost. I pay about the same in taxes as I did in the states but am able to save more money because so many costs are taken care of by these taxes.

Oh, and spring comes early and winter late compared to the in the north if the USA. I think I’m going to walk to the library with my kid today, passing lots of flowering fruit trees and Magnolias, enjoying the sun and the temperatures in the 70’s F this week. Then we’ll have lunch at a restaurant along the river. After she goes to bed I’m meeting up with friends at the local Biergarten. I’ll walk home down cobbled streets, though I never need to worry about driving after an evening out because of great public transport. The cobbles are a different story after and evening out lol.

#9

Image source: beefstewforyou, Andrea Piacquadio

I immigrated to Canada in 2018 and became a Canadian citizen in 2023.

I’m very glad I did it especially after seeing how truly bad America is getting. To make matters even worse, I’m from Florida. I once viewed my home state as a voice of reason for a bad region but it’s now become a Mecca for the worst people in America to move to.

It’s much more sane here. In the past 7 years, I haven’t met one person that thinks the world is 6000 years old but in Florida, I was the only person in my company that didn’t. Very rarely do I ever meet Trump cultists here as well. Back in Florida, I paid $3000 for a minor health issue but the worst I’ve ever had to deal with here was waiting two hours.

I’d say the biggest difference between the two countries is that Canada can criticize itself while America can’t. Criticism of what is wrong is the first step to fixing things. If you say something wrong about America in America, people won’t listen and scream at you and call you a communist.

A lot of people wrongfully assume that I left because of Donald Trump. While he certainly helped push me away, I wanted to leave long before he was a thing. It all started from a negative military experience in 2007. I created /r/regretjoining years after that. Go there and read My Story.

#10

Image source: RetroSpangler, Roy Ryu

I moved to australia and it was the best decision I ever made. No way I would go back to America now… no school shootings, no reckless tyrants ignoring the law, almost bo hostility between fellow citizens based on political leanings. Sure, there are exceptions, but this is how it’s supposed to be.

#11

Image source: maiafly, Elle Hughes

USA > Australia in 2016. I initially came here to study but ended up meeting an Australian and now I’m a citizen.

I am also a teacher – my quality of life is infinitely better than it would be in the US. I make a living wage on my teacher income, I have access to healthcare and through my job every ten weeks I get two weeks off.

The only con is my family is a full day of travel away and if I want to travel “off the island” it’s minimum 7 hours, but I wouldn’t change anything about this decision.

#12

Image source: ohfuckoffwicked, Andrea Piacquadio

My wife is from California and moved to the UK. I just asked here and her headlines were:

Pros:

Cultural diversity

Cost of living is lower

NHS/free healthcare

Public transport

Ease of international travel

Holiday/maternity entitlement

General feeling of safety

Schooling is better if we ever have kids

Cons:

11+ hours and £000s to see family

Weather

Salary is lower

She has no interest in moving back and loves it here – even with the lower salary, the affordability compared to Southern California makes it worthwhile.

#13

Image source: Flaky-Walrus7244, Gabriela Palai

I moved to Scotland and my life is 100% better.

I’ll admit I had a major advantage: I’m a dual citizen so I didn’t have to worry about most of the immigration headaches.

But I absolutely love living here and have no desire to ever move back to the U.S.

#14

Image source: LickRust78, Anna Shvets

US to UK and it was the best decision we ever made. We were broke and didn’t see a future there, our kids were still young, 8,7, and 2. We used our tax return and made the leap. Hubby’s parents live here in the UK so we came for a holiday, finished up hubby’s citizenship and voila. Would never live in the US again. My kids are so much more cultured, we get to travel more, I can work again. We have a home and a simpler more quiet life.

#15

Image source: heywhatsmynameagain, RDNE Stock project

Moved to Denmark in 2017. Never ever going back. US society is sick, and I don’t see it changing any time soon.

Here we have better (and free) health care, better (and free) schools, my kids (8 & 10) walk or bike to and from school or friends houses on their own. I have actual work life balance. We don’t have gun problems, our society isn’t hopelessly corrupt.

Only thing I miss about the US are the National Parks. Let’s see how long they will be there for now.

#16

Image source: Secretkeeper012, Nato Z

Moved from the U.S. to Europe about 5 years ago, and honestly? It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The slower pace of life, better work-life balance, universal healthcare (what a concept!), and just generally feeling less stressed all the time have been huge positives.

There are challenges, of course — homesickness hits hard sometimes, language barriers can be humbling, and dealing with visa stuff isn’t always smooth. But I’ve found a sense of peace and presence that I never really had back in the States. I spend more time outdoors, eat better, and weirdly… I actually know my neighbors now.

Would I recommend it? 100%, if you’re open to change, willing to adapt, and want a different perspective on life. Just don’t expect it to be a fairy tale — it’s still life, just with different pros and cons.

#17

Image source: Eastern-Drink-4766, Callum Parker

Netherlands from the United States. Night and day difference for your mental health. If you dislike grind culture, divisive two-party politics, and the overall lack of community in the United States it is like a total fix. However, don’t move here if you want a house. There are no houses.

#18

Image source: trekwithme, Marcin Jozwiak

US to Spain 2021 (with citizenship)

Never say never but hard to imagine a scenario where I return.

Spain wins on the following:

Healthcare – public is free for everyone, private costs me $175/month, no copays or deductible. I’ve figured that has saved me $10,000 per year.

Cost of living – everything is significantly cheaper. Supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, housing, etc

Quality of life – unbeatable. Favorable climate, wonderful cities, sea, mountains, culture abounds

Public Transportation – remarkable. Don’t really need a car for 90% of everything I do.

Education – college/university is 10% of the cost of a US university

Important note: Spain is NOT a socialist country

USA wins on the following:

Economic opportunity – you can earn a living here but the typical job pays significantly less than the USA.

#19

Image source: expatwizard, Elina Fairytale

Moved 8 years ago to the UK. Don’t think I will ever move back. Life is generally better here, but I have a highly desirable skill for work here and make a good living too.

Overall it’s great but there is a certain longing for home and family and friends that will bother most people. I miss my friends but I also just made new ones. You have to be willing to actually start over across the board if you want to succeed.

#20

Image source: goodytwotoes, Anna Nekrashevich

I have been living abroad for 8 years and in Spain for 5. I cannot overstate how much better my quality of life is here.

Cheap healthcare. Affordable food. Affordable rent. I feel very safe, very relaxed, and I nap every day (as is customary). Amazing restaurants, kind people. Walkable (I didn’t have a car until this year). Lots of holidays.

I am so grateful to be here, every single day, and I work hard to integrate into the community to thank them for their kindness.

Cons: I miss having a clothes dryer (I could buy one but I rent), and sometimes I get tired of not speaking really good Spanish, like in hospitals or government-related situations. Visas suck and for some people it’s not easy to pick up and move, but there are a few different options like the digital nomad visa or a work visa.

When it comes down to it, the U.S. hasn’t been home to me for a long time, and won’t be again. .

#21

Image source: elevenblade, Evangelos Vamvounakis

We moved to Stockholm, Sweden in 2017. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. The quality of life is incredible. So nice not to be dependent on an automobile. Stockholm is an incredibly beautiful city, built on a bunch of islands connected by bridges. There is water, parks and nature everywhere. Great bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Tons of great bars, restaurants and cafes. Easy access to museums, concerts, theatre and sporting events. What’s not to love?

#22

Image source: Dr_Izzie, Tessy Agbonome

Yes, yes and yes.
We left when I was 12.
My parents were able to afford private education for 4 kids + university, a 6 bedroom house, all while living in a bustling city with great public transport.
I currently work as a radiation oncologist in Santiago, Chile, with 0 school debt.
I don’t think I would be in such a great place (education and money wise) if they hadn’t left.
I have no plans to move back for now.
Great place to raise and educate a family.

#23

Image source: siqniz, Ricky Esquivel

Moved from US to Mex. Damned worth it. My life is far better, simpler and my QoL is far higher as well. 100% worth it, I regret not doing it sooner tbh. Its not perfect but looking at the US like anything is better than what it is right now.

#24

Image source: PleaseDisperseNTS, VitAp SwF

Originally came to Finland on a one year consulting contract. Been here 11 years now. I’m originally from the Northwest so the cold doesn’t bother me and summers are AMAZING. I can lay out in the sun at 10pm.

I took a 8k pay cut (in the beginning) but honestly didn’t even feel it. Rent is more then half of what I was paying in San Diego. Internet is a RIGHT, so it’s free in my apartment. Health care is completely free through my employer. I walk to work and take the excellent public transportation if I want to go somewhere. I also have access to the company car if needed. Utilities flatuate but still way cheaper then in the States The work/life balance is insane here. My current contract says I can’t work more than 37.5 hours a week. And if I do, it gets calculated into my yearly bonus and/or vacation days. I also get 5 weeks vacation a year and I’m FORCED to use them. And I have a blonde Swedish GF and I’m learning the Finnish language so I can apply for citizenship (probably next year). Having a Finnish passport means I can move to work anywhere in the EU, and travel to more places without a VISA. (Still keeping my US passport also).

#25

Image source: External-Example-292, Jonathan Borba

Yes. Moved to Norway. Peaceful, the raw nature is quite beautiful. So much fresh air. Healthcare is really good. I just started my maternity leave which covers 100% my salary and I don’t go back until January 2026. The tax is a bit but I think the government really puts it to good use. The pay isn’t as big as in US but it’s certainly comfortable enough for us to live an average middle class type of life. It’s also safe to raise children here. I like that public transportation is really good.

I got lucky that my husband is Norwegian. When I first met him online in late 2006 I honestly didn’t even know where Norway was. I only knew it was similar to Sweden 😂😅

The only things I miss in US are my family and few friends and some of the fastfoods and restaurants 😆 so I only would like to visit US but not live there.