Occasionally, while browsing properties in distant corners of the world, you might stumble upon the realization that the rent you shell out for a closet-sized room in your city could afford you a lavish house somewhere else. The idea of packing up and relocating somewhere more wallet-friendly can be exciting, but also scary.
While many of us might dream about it, a woman from the United States actually did it. The woman shared her journey of relocating abroad for a more affordable lifestyle on TikTok. Below, you’ll find all of the details Ajla shared, as well as reactions viewers have had to her video.
The woman shared a video detailing how moving abroad made her salary go much further
Image credits: Timur Weber / pexels (not the actual photo)
“You’re not broke; you just live in the US”
Image credits: ajlabrama
“I moved to a tiny country in Europe, and I plan on never coming back”
Image credits: ajlabrama
American TikToker Ajla Brama shared her journey of relocating to Albania for a more affordable lifestyle
Image credits: Vitaliy 🇺🇦 / unsplash (not the actual photo)
The main reason is that my expenses are significantly lower because everything is so much cheaper here. My rent is $1,500, and that’s considered expensive here, and that covers water, electricity, Wi-Fi, literally all utilities, and Netflix.
Image credits: ajlabrama
I have no car payment because everything is walkable, or you can just take a scooter. Healthcare is free, but if you want to go to a private hospital, giving birth is about $2,000. And doctors’ visits are about $30 each time. My groceries for two people are about $100 a month, but we do like to eat out a lot because the food is really good. And that alone maybe goes to like $200-$300 a month.
Image credits: Giorgio Trovato / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Self-care stuff like nails is going to go between $15 and $50, as is hair. A blowout is $10, and it can go up to $150 for other stuff. So our monthly expenses, give or take, are about $3,000–$3,500 a month. And this is for two adults and a baby.
Image credits: ajlabrama
Living abroad has given me so much more financial freedom. I can spend a little money here and get a lot more for it, which is the opposite in the U.S.
Watch the full video here
@ajlabrama People shouldn’t need to have 2 jobs just to afford to eat and live… like in the US #europe #travel #work #usa #live #expenses ♬ original sound – ajla
She also provided specifics about her work situation
Many people criticized her, claiming she’s privileged because she earns in dollars
A few others empathized with her regarding the high cost of living in the US
She also made a video about how the quality of life is significantly better in Europe
Image credits: ajlabrama
You’re not depressed, you just live in the US. I moved from the US to Europe and I plan on never going back. Living here has been so affordable and stress-free, I even had my baby here. It cost me about $1,300 to give birth here, and I got paid $400 by the state to have a baby here.
It’s just such a different culture here, like people aren’t only centered by their work and their job. You get to actually enjoy life and do things on your own time.
And I feel like right now is probably the best time to leave the U.S. And yes, that’s everywhere in the world, but it’s just so different when you live in a country other than the U.S. I moved to a tiny country in Europe for the past year and I am six hours ahead of the U.S. So that means 3 p.m. here is 9 a.m. there. So I have until 3 p.m. every single day to do whatever I want to do. It’s been incredible.
So if you can, move out of the U.S. and live in another country because life is just so much simpler elsewhere. The food is better, the air is cleaner, the education is free, the health care is free. And you’ll have a lot higher quality of life elsewhere other than the U.S.
@ajlabrama Only thing I regret is not doing it sooner #travel #europe #move #work #usa #live ♬ original sound – ajla
The TikToker shared aspects she didn’t like about Europe, mentioning that she found the people comparatively sterner than those in the US
Image credits: ajlabrama
You’re not struggling, you just live in the US. I move from the US to Europe and I plan on never going back. The main reasons are because life is just stress-free here. The food is really fresh. Like even fast food is way healthier than the US. And I can afford a full-time nanny, house cleaner.
But there are things that I don’t like about living in Europe. Number one, the etiquette. The etiquette is completely different than the US. Here everyone is really stern. Not a lot of please and thank yous. Like if you go to a restaurant, they’re not going to introduce themselves. They’re just going to take your order and go. But that’s probably because they get paid a living wage instead of relying on tips for survival, like in the U.S.
Two, the smoking. Everyone everywhere is smoking around you and it’s usually in your face. If you’re pregnant, old, young, a baby, they don’t care. They’re still going to smoke around you.
Three, the slowness. People operate on their own time here. They’ll get to it when they get to it and you have no choice but to wait. There’s no hustle or urgency. They’ll take a nap or go to lunch or have a coffee before they get to you.
Yet I still don’t want to be in the U.S. where there’s crippling debt, people can’t afford a home, and definitely can’t afford childcare.
@ajlabrama A few things I don’t like about being in Europe but still love it more than the US #europe #travel #work #usa #live #move ♬ original sound – ajla
The post “You Are Not Broke – Just Living In The USA”: Woman Says Moving To Europe Was The Best Decision first appeared on Bored Panda.