140: Move abroad mythbusters: 30 things Americans get wrong about living abroad
If you have been researching moving abroad for any length of time, you already know that the internet is full of information. Some of it is true. Some of it was true ten years ago. Some of it depends entirely on the country. And honestly, some of it is completely made up.
Moving abroad myths are everywhere, and a lot of them are quietly keeping people from taking the leap toward the life they actually want. So today I am busting 30 of the biggest ones. Some of these might genuinely surprise you.
Moving Abroad Myths About Getting Started
Myth 1: You Have to Speak Another Language Before You Move
This is one of the most common moving abroad myths I hear and it stops a lot of people before they even start.
The reality is that many people move abroad speaking very little of the local language. So many people in Europe speak enough English to get by, and in larger cities that is even more true. It depends on the country, the city, and the visa you are on.
Should you learn the local language? Absolutely. Taking a language class after you move is actually one of the best ways to build community and meet people. But being fluent before you go is not a requirement. Do not let this one hold you back.
Myth 2: You Need $50,000 Saved Before You Move
The amount you need to move abroad depends entirely on your situation. Some people move with much less. Others need more. What you actually need depends on your visa, the country you are moving to, whether you have a job lined up, and whether you are moving alone or with a family.
Instead of guessing at a number, make a list of your actual costs. The flight. A deposit on an apartment. Visa fees. A buffer for the first few months. When you calculate it based on your specific situation, the number is often much more manageable than you thought.
Myth 3: Europe Is Cheaper Than America
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Housing in London is not cheap. Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But healthcare in Europe is usually significantly cheaper. Public transportation is often more affordable. And in countries like Portugal or smaller cities in Spain, the overall cost of living can be considerably lower than in the US.
The best thing you can do is look up the specific cost of living in the city you are considering rather than assuming Europe as a whole is cheaper or more expensive.
Myth 4: Everyone Abroad Hates Americans
Most people simply do not care. Genuinely. People abroad are far more focused on their own lives than on where you are from. Many are actually curious and find it interesting that you have moved there. Some people do have stereotypes about Americans, and you might get asked about politics at some point. But most interactions come down to you as an individual, not your passport.
Myth 5: Once You Move Abroad You Will Never Want to Come Back
A lot of people return home after living abroad. Some go back temporarily. Some go back permanently. And neither of those outcomes means the move failed. Going in with a one or two year commitment and then evaluating honestly is a completely valid approach. You can always go back. That is not failure. That is just figuring out what kind of life suits you best.
Moving Abroad Myths About Visas and Logistics
Myth 6: Getting a Visa Is Impossible
Hard sometimes? Yes. Impossible? Usually not. Getting a skilled worker visa in the UK is more challenging than getting a digital nomad visa in Spain, for example. Different visas have different levels of difficulty depending on the country and the type of visa you need.
What helps is knowing what type of work you plan to do abroad first and then finding out which countries have a visa pathway that fits. So many people have gotten visas before you. If they can do it, you can too.
Myth 7: You Have to Give Up Your US Citizenship
You do not have to give up your US citizenship even if you live abroad for many years, get permanent residency, or eventually become a citizen of another country. Most countries allow dual citizenship, which means you can hold both. There are some exceptions, like the Netherlands, which does not allow dual passports in most cases. But the majority of countries will let you keep your US citizenship alongside your new one.
Myth 8: Taxes Are Always Higher in Europe
Sometimes taxes are higher on average in Europe, but you also have to consider what those taxes cover. Healthcare. Longer maternity leave. More robust public services. When you factor in what you are no longer paying for out of pocket, the overall picture often balances out more than people expect. Do your research on the specific country you are considering and compare the full cost of living rather than just the tax rate.
Myth 9: Americans Cannot Get Jobs in Europe
False. Harder sometimes? Yes. Impossible? No. Americans get jobs in Europe regularly. If you want to dig deeper into this one, go back and listen to Episode 133 of the Move Abroad Podcast: Top 10 Strategies to Get a Job Offer Abroad. It covers exactly what you need to know.
Myth 10: Healthcare Abroad Is Free
This one is a yes and no. Public healthcare in many European countries is free or very low cost. I have personally gone to the hospital, had multiple tests done, and received medication completely free of charge in the UK. In the US that visit would have cost thousands of dollars.
That said, many people who live abroad also choose to get private health insurance for faster access and more flexibility. And here is the thing: private health insurance in Europe is a fraction of what it costs in the US. We are talking significantly cheaper for genuinely good coverage.
Moving Abroad Myths About Everyday Life
Myth 11: You Will Never Need a Car
This depends almost entirely on where you move. In a major European city like London, Amsterdam, or Berlin you probably will not need a car at all. But if you are moving to a smaller town or a more rural area, a car might be necessary. Think carefully about walkability and public transport access when you are choosing your city, because it makes a significant difference to your daily quality of life.
Myth 12: Every European City Is Walkable
Europe is generally very walkable compared to the US, but not every city or town is the same. Most major cities have excellent walkability and public transport. Smaller towns can be a different story. This is another reason why doing a test drive of the city you are considering before committing is so important.
Myth 13: Europe Is One Culture
This one always gets me. Spain and Germany are completely different. Portugal and Sweden have almost nothing in common culturally. England and Italy are worlds apart. Europe is made up of dozens of countries with deeply different histories, languages, cultures, food, and ways of life. Part of what makes living in Europe so incredible is how much variety exists within a relatively small geographic area.
Myth 14: You Will Travel Every Single Weekend
At the beginning? Maybe. The access to cheap flights and short distances between countries is genuinely one of the best parts of living in Europe, and I have absolutely booked last-minute weekend trips more times than I can count. But eventually life happens. You have laundry. Groceries. Dentist appointments. A social life to maintain. You will travel more than you did in the US, but you will not be on a plane every single weekend forever. And honestly, that is a good thing. It means you are actually building a life there.
Myth 15: The Food Is Healthier Everywhere Abroad
The food quality in Europe is generally higher on average. There are stricter regulations on what can be added to food and what chemicals are allowed in products. But whether your diet is healthier abroad depends entirely on the choices you make. Eating pasta and pizza every day in Italy is not automatically healthier than a balanced diet in the US. The quality is often better but what you do with it is still up to you.
Myth 16: Everyone Abroad Has Amazing Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance in Europe is generally better than in the US. But it depends enormously on the industry you work in, the company you work for, and the country you are living in. The idea that every European is having a three-hour lunch and finishing work at three in the afternoon is a myth. You will likely have better balance than you did in the US, but it is not automatic.
Moving Abroad Myths About Mindset and Identity
Myth 17: Moving Abroad Solves All Your Problems
This might be the biggest moving abroad myth of all. Moving abroad changes your environment. It does not automatically change you. The stress, the relationship challenges, the career worries, and any mental health struggles you have before you move will likely come with you.
That said, some problems genuinely are connected to your environment. If you are burned out from American hustle culture, moving to a country with a healthier approach to work might genuinely help. If you are dealing with expensive and inaccessible healthcare, moving somewhere with better coverage could make a real difference. But be honest with yourself about whether the things you are hoping to leave behind are truly environmental or whether they are something you need to work through regardless of where you live.
Myth 18: You Will Automatically Be Happier
Happiness abroad depends largely on the mindset you bring with you and the effort you put in after you arrive. If you move with an open mind, build community intentionally, and give yourself time to settle, most people find that they are genuinely happier. But if you move expecting everything to be perfect and resist the differences you encounter, it is a harder road. Your mindset going in matters more than the destination.
Myth 19: You Will Always Feel Like an Outsider
You might feel like an outsider sometimes. That feeling tends to fade over time as you build community, learn the rhythms of your new city, and start to feel genuinely settled. After almost seven years in London I still have moments of feeling like an outsider. But feeling like an outsider is largely a mindset, and the fastest way to move past it is to build real relationships and find your people.
Myth 20: It Is Selfish to Move Abroad
So many people feel guilty about this one. Guilty about leaving family. Guilty about leaving friends. Guilty about leaving their home country. But moving abroad is not selfish. It is choosing your own life. You can love your family deeply and still want to build a life somewhere new. You can care about your country and still want to experience something different.
The most intentional people are the ones who build the life they actually want rather than living the life other people expect of them. Choosing yourself is not selfish. It is brave.
Myth 21: You Will Lose All Your Friends Back Home
Some friendships will fade. That is just honest. But the ones that are truly strong will survive the distance and often become even more meaningful because of it. When you stop seeing people by default and start showing up for each other intentionally, you find out very quickly who your real friends are. And you will almost certainly build new friendships abroad that become just as important.
Myth 22: You Will Regret Moving Abroad
Maybe. But probably not. In almost seven years of living abroad and meeting people from all over the world who have made similar moves, I have never once met someone who said they regretted it. Some people move for a year or two and decide to go back home. They do not regret it either. They did the thing they wanted to do. The real regret tends to come from never trying at all.
Myth 23: It Is Too Late to Move Abroad
I hear this from people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. It is one of the most persistent moving abroad myths out there and it is simply not true. There are visa pathways for people at every stage of life. If you want to move abroad, there is a path for you. Age is not the barrier. Believing that it is the barrier is the barrier.
Myth 24: You Are Too Young to Move Abroad
On the flip side, maybe you are 22 and wondering if it is too soon. It is not. Moving abroad when you are young and have fewer responsibilities is actually one of the best times to go. There are pros and cons at every age. Less money but more freedom when you are young. More financial stability but more commitments later on. There is no wrong time. There is just the time you decide to go.
Myth 25: If You Leave America You Are Giving Up on America
You can love your home country and still want to experience life somewhere else. Moving abroad does not mean the US was not good enough. It does not mean you are abandoning anyone. It means you want more than one experience in this lifetime. You might even come to appreciate the US more after living somewhere else for a while. Leaving is not giving up. It is expanding.
Moving Abroad Myths About the Decision Itself
Myth 26: You Should Move to the Country You Loved on Vacation
Vacation and real life are completely different experiences. On vacation you are eating out every meal, seeing the sights, and experiencing none of the daily realities of actually living somewhere. The country that made the best vacation might not make the best home. Before you commit to a location, try to experience it through the lens of someone who lives there, not someone who is visiting.
Myth 27: You Need to Figure Everything Out Before Moving
No one has everything figured out. Not before moving abroad and not in life in general. Waiting for the perfect plan, the perfect timing, and the perfect amount of money saved is one of the biggest reasons people never actually go. Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every single time. Make informed decisions, stay flexible, and figure the rest out as you go.
Myth 28: Dating Abroad Is Easier
Dating abroad comes with its own unique challenges. You are meeting people from different cultural backgrounds, with different expectations and different communication styles. It is not necessarily harder or easier than dating in the US. It is just different. And it is absolutely possible to find incredible relationships abroad. So many people have. But go in with realistic expectations rather than assuming the dating scene will magically be better.
Myth 29: Europe Has a Better Quality of Life for Everyone
For many people, yes. Longer maternity leave, better healthcare access, more walkability, stronger work-life balance, and access to travel are all genuine quality of life advantages. But it depends on your priorities, your career, and your personality. If you are deeply career-driven in a specific industry, some European countries may not offer the same opportunities you would have in the US. Think about what quality of life actually means to you specifically before assuming Europe is automatically the better option.
Myth 30: You Have to Choose the Perfect Country
There is no perfect country. There are many countries where you could build a genuinely fulfilling and happy life. The pressure to find the one right answer is one of the things that keeps people stuck in research mode forever. List your priorities. Do your research. Take a scouting trip if you can. And then make a decision and move forward. Progress beats perfection every single time.
Final Thoughts on Moving Abroad Myths
The biggest moving abroad myth of all might be that there is one right way to do this.
There is not. Every person’s journey looks different. Every move has its own timeline, its own challenges, and its own rewards. The goal is not to find a perfect country or a perfect plan. It is to make informed decisions, stay flexible, and build a life that actually fits you.
If there is a myth on this list that has been holding you back, I hope this gave you the permission you needed to let it go.
Ready to take your next step? Grab the free guide, the 5 Exact Steps to Move Abroad, at jordangiberson.com/guide
Still figuring out which European city is the right fit for you? Take the free quiz at jordangiberson.com/quiz
And if you are worried about what people will say when you announce your move, go listen to Episode 113: Things People Will Say When You Tell Them You Are Moving Abroad.
