Americans Abroad Face Hidden Costs of Cheaper Living

TL;DR

Record number of Americans moved abroad in 2025 for cheaper housing, education, and health care.
Turkey expat paid $300/month for a 3-bedroom villa with pool but faced 70% inflation and $6,000 cat relocation costs.
Italy and London expats report free health care and low tuition but say U.S. living costs now make returning impossible.

The story at a glance

A record number of Americans left the U.S. in 2025, more than arrived, driven by affordability abroad, with three expats sharing hidden costs and trade-offs. They include a woman who moved to Turkey from Michigan, Evelyn in Italy from Vermont, and Kate in London from San Francisco. The piece highlights why people go and what catches them off guard, amid U.S. cost pressures not seen since the Great Depression.

Key points

In 2025, more Americans emigrated than immigrated, the highest outflow since the Great Depression, mainly for cheaper housing, education, and health care.
Turkey couple rented a 3-bedroom coastal villa with pool for $300/month initially (later $500-$600), got free state health care, and paid fraction for cat vet care, but bought a 1997 car for $4,000 and dealt with 70% inflation.
Woman earned $400-$500/week remotely for a U.S. ed-tech firm, still paid U.S. taxes, wrote and self-published 14 romance novels earning ~$200/month passively, then returned to Michigan after $6,000 in double flights for four cats.
Evelyn studied in Italy for tuition one-third of Vermont in-state costs, has $40k-$45k U.S. loans on income-based plan (paid off $10k), gets free Italian health care but paid €650 for a DNA test; couple earns $50k-$60k post-tax, lives rent-free in inherited apartment.
Evelyn says U.S. return is unaffordable due to no credit history, high deposits, and €3,000 cost for a two-week U.S. visit.
Kate moved to San Francisco post-Missouri, now in London; worries low UK salaries won't cover her U.S. student loans, forcing an eventual return despite initial appeal.

Details and context

The Turkey expat sold her U.S. car for ~$2,000, used credit miles for flights, and lived with in-laws initially to reset finances after Ann Arbor's $1,200 rent outpaced incomes from coaching and childcare jobs. Inflation eroded savings gains, shifting plans from buying a Turkish house to saving in Michigan with family support.

Evelyn benefited from pandemic loan forbearance and Italian norms without widespread credit cards or car financing, making U.S. logistics a barrier. Her archaeology/history studies at American University of Rome kept loans far below U.S. peers.

Kate graduated early at 19 via AP credits and testing out, juggling San Francisco part-time jobs like college consulting before London. All three faced upfront moves like flights and pets, plus ongoing taxes or health add-ons, balancing short-term wins against long-term uncertainties.

Key quotes

“Inflation caught up to us, and we weren’t able to save as much as we’d planned.” — 40-year-old woman from Turkey.
“Even if we wanted to move back to the U.S., we can’t afford to.” — Evelyn, 33, Turin, Italy.
“I thought I would want to stay here after I finish school, but I can’t. The salaries aren’t high enough for me to be able to repay my student loans.” — Kate, 22, London.

Why it matters

Rising U.S. costs are pushing record emigration, exposing gaps in housing, health, and education affordability compared to places like Turkey, Italy, and the UK. Readers weighing moves should note upfront costs like $4,000 cars or $6,000 pet transport can offset gains, while return barriers like credit gaps trap some abroad. Watch inflation trends abroad and U.S. loan policies, as they could tip more toward permanent relocation or boomerang returns.