Let’s get real about money.
If you’re making $150,000 a year in the U.S.—you’re supposed to feel “set.”
Six figures. Respectable title. Tech job. Stability.
But here’s the deal:
After taxes in a city like Austin, you’re taking home about $9,400 a month.
Sounds nice, right?
Until you realize the average U.S. cost of living is $6,400/month.
That’s just… living.
Not thriving. Not flying. Not stepping out of your house and feeling anything except the grind.
Same Budget, Different Life
Now… imagine waking up in a breezy villa in Bali, coffee in hand, private pool glowing.
Or walking to a cafe in Lisbon, where tiled walls and ocean air remind you you’re alive.
Or living in Bangkok, in a sleek serviced apartment, surrounded by color, contrast, and energy.
For that same $9K/month in the States?
You’re burning most of it on rent, gas, and groceries that somehow feel both expensive and mid.
But abroad?
You could live comfortably—damn near luxuriously—for a third of that.
The Tribe’s Global Cost-of-Living Reality Check
| 🌎 City | 💵 Avg. Monthly (Comfy Solo) |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $6,440 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico City | $1,600 – $2,000 |
| 🇹🇭 Bangkok, Thailand | $1,300 – $1,600 |
| 🇵🇹 Lisbon, Portugal | $1,800 – $2,200 |
| 🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City | $1,000 – $1,400 |
| 🇨🇷 San José, Costa Rica | $1,600 – $2,100 |
| 🇨🇴 Medellín, Colombia | $1,200 – $1,500 |
| 🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain | $1,700 – $2,200 |
| 🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | $1,200 – $1,500 |
| 🇪🇨 Cuenca, Ecuador | $1,000 – $1,300 |
| 🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia | $1,500 – $2,500 |
So… What Are We Actually Doing?
If the world is wide
And your job is remote
Or your business is mobile
Or your dream is ready…
Then what’s stopping you?
This is not a fantasy. This is math.
It’s arbitrage for your life.
Live where your money moves differently.
Where your days stretch longer.
Where your lifestyle costs less, but gives you so much more.
The New Rich Aren’t Rich. They’re Free.
They’re the ones who figured out it wasn’t about earning more.
It was about spending less to live more.
You don’t have to move forever. You don’t have to sell it all.
But maybe it’s time to try something new for 30 days, 90 days, 6 months.
Because home isn’t always where you were born.
Sometimes, it’s where your budget breathes.