A lot of you have asked how I actually manage to live abroad full time and what my setup looks like in real life, so I wanted to put everything in one place instead of answering it in pieces.
In this post, I’ll go through how I travel with just one backpack, how I stay connected when I move between countries, and the simple systems I use to keep everything running without overcomplicating it.
More importantly, I’ll break down the tools I personally rely on for money, insurance, internet, and running my online work while constantly changing locations.
The idea is not to build some perfect “minimalist lifestyle”, but to have a setup that actually works in real situations, whether I’m staying in one place for a month or moving every couple of weeks.
By the end, you’ll have a clear and realistic picture of how I keep things simple while living and working abroad, and how you can build something similar without making it complicated.
Why so many people are moving abroad
Before getting into the tools, it helps to understand the bigger picture of what’s actually happening.
More and more people are leaving their home countries while still earning remotely. You’ll hear terms like “digital nomad” or “expat”, but in reality it’s more of a lifestyle shift than a trend. People are simply choosing to live differently because remote work makes it possible.
From what I’ve seen in reports like MBO Partners and Nomad List, there are now tens of millions of people working remotely from different countries. A big part of this comes from the US, but it’s a global shift. At the same time, even retirees are increasingly choosing to live abroad while still receiving their income from home.
The reason is usually pretty simple. Life in many major cities has become expensive and high pressure, while in other parts of the world your money stretches further and daily life feels more relaxed.
But there is another side to this that people don’t really talk about.
Living abroad long term can become difficult if you don’t have a stable setup. It’s not usually one big problem, but a mix of small things like banking, SIM cards, insurance, taxes, and constant moving between systems. Over time, this can start to feel tiring and expensive.
That’s why I’ve found that having a simple and reliable setup matters more than most people expect. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be stable enough to support your day to day life across different countries.
My financial setup when living abroad
One thing I completely underestimated when I first started living abroad was how much money gets lost in small, invisible fees.
Currency conversions, international transfers, and bad exchange rates don’t really feel like much in the moment. You just accept them and move on. But when you add everything up over months, it becomes a noticeable amount of money.
This becomes even more important if you are freelancing or running an online business. Payments usually move through different platforms and banks, and each step can take a small cut without you really noticing.
After a while, I started paying closer attention to this and decided to simplify my setup. That is when I started using Airwallex.
One important thing to mention is that Airwallex is built for businesses, not personal banking. So it really only makes sense if you are freelancing, working online, creating content, or running a registered company.
What I like about it is that it removes a lot of the usual friction when you deal with money across different countries. You can open accounts in multiple currencies and get local bank details, like a US account or a European IBAN, without needing to open separate bank accounts in each country.
Instead of constantly converting money back and forth, you can just receive payments in the original currency and decide later when to convert it. Over time, this alone helps reduce a lot of unnecessary fees.
It also keeps everything in one place, including payments, balances, and expenses. That makes it much easier when you are working from different countries and trying to stay organised without juggling multiple apps or banks.
For international transfers, it uses local payment networks in many regions, which usually makes transfers faster and cheaper compared to traditional banking systems.
One thing to keep in mind is that it is not designed for ATM withdrawals, so I still use a separate setup for cash when I need it.
Overall, it just removes a lot of small frustrations that normally come with managing money across borders and makes the whole process feel more straightforward.
My nomad insurance
Insurance is something I honestly didn’t think too much about when I first started living abroad. It felt like one of those things you just deal with later.
But over time, I realised how important it actually is.
Even in cheaper countries, healthcare is usually fine for small things like doctor visits or basic treatment. I’ve had situations where everything was quick, easy, and very affordable. But the reality is that you never really know when something more serious could happen, and that is where costs can suddenly get high anywhere in the world.
That’s why I always keep insurance in place now, no matter where I am.
At the moment, I use SafetyWing, which is very common among digital nomads and people who travel long term.
What I like about it is that it is flexible and simple. You can start it while already abroad, pay on a monthly basis, and cancel it whenever you want. There is no long process or complicated setup, which makes it easy to just keep it running in the background.
They also have a more complete plan for people staying abroad long term, which includes broader health coverage beyond just emergencies.
It is not something you think about every day, but it is one of those things that makes living abroad feel a lot more stable in the background. You hope you never need it, but you are glad it is there if you do.
VPN and staying secure online
When you travel a lot, you end up relying on public Wi-Fi more than you think. Cafés, airports, hotels, coworking spaces. It becomes part of your daily routine.
Most of the time it works fine, but I still try to be a bit more careful when I log into important accounts or handle anything related to money.
That is why I sometimes use a VPN, especially when I am on public networks.
It is not something I run all the time, but I turn it on when it makes sense. It adds an extra layer of safety when I am working from places I don’t fully control.
I also use it for access reasons. In some countries, certain websites, tools, or services are restricted or don’t work properly. In those situations, having a VPN just makes work more consistent and predictable.
At the moment, I use NordVPN. It is simple, runs in the background, and I don’t really have to think about it, which is exactly what I want from tools like this.
My website and blog setup
At some point, I felt like I needed a simple place where I could write more detailed guides about the places I visit.
YouTube works well for sharing experiences, but it is not always the best format when I want to go deeper into things like costs, neighbourhoods, or practical details.
That is why I decided to build a basic website.
I used Bluehost with WordPress, and honestly, it was much easier than I expected. Just registered a domain, followed the setup steps, and had a working site in a short time.
I did not really overthink it or try to build something complex. The goal was simply to have a clean space where I could write.
Now I use it as a place to expand on my videos, add more context, and share more detailed travel and location breakdowns that don’t always fit into a YouTube format.
How I pack for long-term travel
One of the biggest changes I made over the years was switching to travelling with just a 28L backpack.
If I’m going somewhere warm, especially in Southeast Asia, I don’t use checked luggage at all anymore.
Instead, I just pack as if I’m going for one week and then repeat that cycle. I do laundry wherever I stay, which is usually easy and cheap in most places.
At first, it felt a bit limiting, but over time it actually made life much simpler.
Moving between cities became easier. No waiting at baggage claim, no worrying about lost luggage, and no dragging heavy bags through airports or long walks.
It also makes day-to-day travel smoother. Even small things like taking a motorbike ride or hopping on a bus feel easier when you are not carrying extra weight.
The less I carry, the more flexible everything becomes.
Staying connected while moving between countries
Internet and connectivity is usually one of the first things I sort out when I arrive in a new country.
For a long time, I mainly relied on local SIM cards. In places like Thailand or Vietnam, this still works really well. It is cheap, easy to set up, and you usually get a local number, which can be useful for deliveries, apps, or just day-to-day life.
But things start to get more complicated when you move often.
Every country has its own SIM registration rules, pricing, and setup process. In some places it is quick and simple, but in others it can take time, paperwork, or extra steps you do not really want to deal with when you just arrived.
Recently, I started using an eSIM from Mozillion for shorter stays and more frequent travel. It works across multiple countries, so I do not have to constantly buy and set up a new SIM every time I cross a border.
For longer stays, I still sometimes switch back to a local SIM, especially when I want better rates or a local number. It really depends on how long I plan to stay in one place.
Overall, it just makes moving between countries feel more flexible and less repetitive.
Final thoughts
That’s my current setup for living abroad.
It’s not complicated on purpose. The goal is to keep things simple enough so I can focus on work and experience the places I stay in.
If you’re planning to move abroad or already doing it, hopefully this gives you a few practical ideas you can apply.