I moved from the US to Argentina for the lower cost of living. It helped me pay down student debt, but living abroad had its dark side.

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a day ago

I'm from America, but I couldn't achieve the American dream if I stayed in the States.
I graduated from college on the heels of 2008's Great Recession. It seemed like nobody was hiring. I built a career writing for travel magazines and news outlets to keep up with student loan payments that started at around $900 a month.
When COVID hit, I lost clients, and my financial situation became dire. Loans and rent gobbled up nearly $2,000 a month before car payments. I moved in with my sister and then tried living in a dirt-cheap trailer, but I couldn't make up for the income I lost.
In 2021, I decided to leave my life in the US and move to Argentina with my two dogs. I hoped the lower cost of living abroad would help me slash expenses and reduce my debt.
For a time, everything clicked. I saved money and began paying down debts, but with the financial success came a darker side to living abroad. I struggled to connect with locals, and my isolation led to full-blown depression.
As Argentina's economic situation and my mental health floundered, I decided to move to Albania. I'm hopeful it's the solution I've been searching for.
Living in Argentina helped me pay down my loans
When I searched for a new home outside America, I knew I needed a country that allowed longer-term stays, was affordable, and would let me bring a pitbull.
In March 2022, I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, which met all my criteria. As a freelance writer with US clients, I didn't need any work approval, and I could keep extending my stay as a tourist by crossing the border every three months. I did fumble a bit with the local Spanish dialect — it took me far too long to discover "ll" sounds like "sha," so tortilla was pronounced tor-ti-sha. But I got by.
At the time, one US dollar traded for around 110 Argentine pesos. However, the unofficial exchange rate, which was used widely by locals although it's considered illegal, increased the dollar value to 200 pesos.
When I moved to Argentina in 2022, inflation rates were astronomically high, but as someone who didn't earn in pesos, the move still slashed my costs significantly. Aside from no longer having a car payment, my pre-paid mobile number cost around $4 a month, while my gym membership ran close to $15.
Locating a place to stay using local real estate agents took time, but I eventually landed a fully furnished apartment, decorated in what I'd call a dumpster-dive chic aesthetic. It cost me $400 a month, including utilities. In Arizona, my rent, car payment, and utility bills cost $1,635.
With the reduced cost of living and clients slowly returning post-COVID, I made good progress on paying down my debt.
The financial benefits didn't last long
After Argentina's 2023 presidential election, things started to change. The newly elected Javier Milei immediately slashed utilities and transportation subsidies and devalued the peso. Poverty rates reached their highest level in two decades.
The impact was felt across the country, and my own rent and utility costs living in Buenos Aires increased significantly.
I'd also been struggling with a growing sense of loneliness since moving to Argentina. Despite my best efforts, I hadn't made close friends, and I began experiencing bouts of depression.
I stuck with it because of the progress I'd made with paying down my debt, but the economic changes were making loan repayments more difficult.
Then, one of my two dogs died. I knew I needed to make a change before my emotional state declined even further.
With the same parameters as before, I set out looking for an affordable country to move to
As someone who enjoys staying on top of travel trends, Albania piqued my interest. The coastal photographs looked so nice that I thought they were AI-generated. I noticed US passport holders could enter for a full 12 months as tourists without applying for a residency permit.
In April 2025, I moved into a furnished two-bedroom apartment in Tirana, Albania's capital city, for roughly $600. With utilities, the first month cost $650.
Albania still remains somewhat of a new expat destination. It doesn't have the brand appeal of Spain or Italy, but locals I've asked have noticed a big increase in outsiders in recent years.
Albania's economy seems stable, which should provide me with predictable monthly expenses. I'd say most things are cheaper here than in Argentina. A cup of coffee costs me just $0.59 per cup.
It will take some time to figure out how much spare cash I'll have to pay off debt at the end of the month, since there are resettling costs involved in a move, like buying new dishes and a vacuum cleaner for the ever-shedding dog. I'll be happy if my expenses start to look remotely close to what my early Argentina days were like.
I've learned you can't be prepared for everything when you move abroad
When I moved to Argentina, I thought I was prepared. I'd researched the country and its occasionally volatile economy, which was financially beneficial to non-peso earners.
But moving abroad involves handing over power. Hopping on a plane and settling somewhere new is invigorating, but also terrifying. You can't account for the unknowns.
I chose Argentina for financial gain, but had no idea I'd struggle making friends, or that the extended isolation would lead to depression. I still wouldn't change anything about this difficult patch — it's part of my journey.
The digital nomad experience is fluid, and your experiences aren't always positive. This fluidity has washed me into Albania. The country's friendly nature makes me hopeful my life will improve not only financially but mentally as well.