Freedom Isn’t Free
It’s Just Cheaper Outside the U.S.
They say freedom isn’t free….But they never said it had to be expensive.
In the United States, the price of freedom is a soul-sucking 40-hour workweek, bloated healthcare premiums, $20 bags of beef jerky, and a lifestyle that consumes your time, energy, and creativity just to survive.
Most people don’t even question…they just say it’s just the “cost of living.” But there’s another way to buy back you freedom without waiting until retirement.
It’s called leaving.
For the price of a cramped apartment and fast food in the U.S., you can afford a housekeeper, a personal trainer, regular massages, and steak dinners anywhere in Latin America. Most importantly, you buy back your time.
I’ve busy the last couple of weeks, So it’s time to drop a couple articles. This one will break down HOW to escape the rat race.
Why the American model of success is broken
How life abroad dramatically lowers your cost of living
What it feels like to actually have time again
How to reinvest your savings into health, learning, and income
What steps you can take today to build a freedom-based lifestyle
The U.S. Freedom Trap
I bought into it for a long period of time. I had the traditional script: Went to a great school school, got a degree, (Went to the miitary) Got out and landed a good job in tech sales, worked 40+ hours a week, climb the ladder, bought a house. Was enjoying a sliver of freedom for a while, despite my high expenses. For me, Covid was easy, I didn’t live in an area that was closed down completely. But I still had plenty of time to think and realize that even after the pandemic was over…I didn’t want to do this for the rest of my life. For many, this dream has devolves into debt, burnout, and quiet desperation with no escape.
In major cities like New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, rent for a one-bedroom apartment regularly goes past $2,000 per month. Health insurance premiums can top $500 even with employer coverage, and that doesn’t include the deductible, co-pays, or prescription costs. Car ownership used to a symbol of freedom, but becomes a financial noose when you factor in car payments, gas, insurance, and maintenance. Add groceries, subscriptions, and taxes, and many are left with little room to breathe.
You might earn $80,000 a year and still feel broke. Even 200k a year can feel broke in my case when lifestyle creep hits. Most of it disappears into a system designed to keep you afloat, but not ahead. You don’t own your time. You rent it out hour by hour to afford comforts. And if you try to pause, even briefly, the bills don’t stop. For many people, the pandemic broke them and they are still recovering. For some, they were broken before the pandemic
Now contrast that with someone making $3,000 per month living abroad. Instead of just surviving, they’re thriving. They wake up without an alarm, go for a walk, grab fresh juice from a corner stand, work a few hours from a laptop, and still have the energy to hit the gym, learn a language, or do whatever. If you’re fortunate enough to hit a stride with a successful business or remote job and you make lets says $7k+ a month. You are wealthy.
Geo-Arbitrage Math
SHow much cheaper is it to live abroad? The answer depends on where you go, but in many countries, your dollar stretches 2-4x further without compromising quality of life. Let’s break it down with some real-world examples.
In Mexico City, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Latin America, a comfortable one-bedroom apartment in a trendy neighborhood like Roma Norte or Condesa can cost $800/month. Lets say $1200 if you really want to splurge.. That includes utilities, high-speed internet, and often a cleaning service. Private health insurance? Around $50–70/month if you want it, but most don’t need it. A gym membership? $30–40 or you can spurge to $75 Weekly meals out at good restaurants? Easily under $100/week. Throw in Uber rides for $3, fresh produce from the market, and a Spanish tutor for $10/hour, and your total monthly expenses hover around $1,500–$2000. If you’re splurging you can double that amount and have zero cares in the world
In Medellín, Colombia, it’s even more affordable. Rent in decent areas like Laureles or El Poblado runs can still be found for about $500–600/month. The bottom line is that By contrast, $2,000/month in the U.S. barely covers rent and utilities. Add in car expenses, insurance, groceries, and healthcare, and you’re in the red. Here, you can pretty much flex on that amount
Time:
When you cut your cost of living in half or more, the biggest benefit is that you can reclaim your time
Time IS the most underrated currency of the modern world. Most people spend their best hours alert, productive, creative…but chained to a desk. They get their lives back in fragments: an hour at the gym, a few minutes to eat, a weekend to recover. Then it’s Monday again.
When you live somewhere affordable, you stop trading time for survival. You’re not working 50 hours just to keep the lights on. Maybe you freelance 10–15 hours a week. Maybe you consult part-time. Maybe you take a sabbatical and live off savings for six months. However you do it, you now control your schedule.
In my opinion, with that space, your creativity returns and you start figuring out how to build more things for yourself, essentially making yourself more and more unemployable.
Reinvesting That Freedom
Once the gateway/path opens and once you’ve created financial slack, the question becomes: what will you do with it?
Health
Living abroad means you can optimize your health in ways most Americans can’t afford. With cheaper gyms, walkable neighborhoods, access to organic food, and affordable healthcare, you can build a routine around wellness instead of squeezing it into your lunch break.
Skills
With unlocked time, you can finally pursue the skills that compound. Learn a new language. Take online courses in design, sales, or coding. Start a podcast. Build a niche website.Do whatever you want.
Money
Fo myself and a lot of people, once your burn rate drops, your savings rate skyrockets. That gives you capital to invest in index funds, crypto, rental property, or your own business. You no longer need $1M to retire,you just need to get out of the U.S.
Your wealth is no longer tied to income. It’s tied to efficiency.
Downsides?
I’ll be honest about them…
You might struggle with the language at first.You might hit long periods of boredom. When there’s no need to grind and all your needs are met some people get into a low point. I can say that I spent a year pretty much doing nothing before I finally pushed forward with my business ideas ago.
Most people say their mental health improves, lower stress, better relationships. But some people crash and burnout simply from inaction and get this feeling that they need to leave and get back to the grind,
How to Start: Your Exit Plan
If this is resonating with you, here’s how to get started.
Step 1: Research Your Spots
Pick 2–3 cities with strong expat scenes. Look for decent infrastructure, safety, internet, and affordability. Use tools like Numbeo, Reddit expat threads, and YouTube vlogs to get a feel.
Step 2: Audit Your Budget
Track your current monthly expenses. How much of it is wasted on rent, insurance, and subscriptions you don’t use? Compare that with the potential savings abroad.
Step 3: Build a Runway
Save up 3–6 months of expenses. Sell off clutter. Consider subletting or Airbnb-ing your current place. Test out remote work opportunities if you don’t have one.
Step 4: Book a Ticket
Start with a 30–90 day trip. Don’t overplan. Just land, explore, and live. Join local meetups. Talk to expats. Feel it out.
Step 5: Decide
After a few months, you’ll know if it’s for you. Maybe it’s a seasonal base. Maybe it becomes home. Either way, you’ll never see life the same.
My final thought: You don’t need to be rich to be free. You just need to stop playing a game where the rules are stacked against you.
Moving abroad won’t solve all your problems. But it will give yous Space to think, grow, rest, and live.
Freedom isn’t free. But it is cheaper—outside the U.S.
If you want the actual playbook on how to set this up from visa strategies and digital income to dating and real estate…
Want help designing your own exit plan?
