How to Start a New Life Abroad in 2026 (Step-by-Step Guide)

“I’m going to drop everything and start a new life!” How many times have you said that? In this article, I share my experience and explain how you can prepare to move abroad and live better.

I’m going to drop everything and start a new life! How many times have you heard or said this sentence? Probably very often. People usually wait for the “right conditions and the courage” to do it.

The ideal conditions don’t simply fall from the sky, and courage alone isn’t the most important factor when you decide to move abroad. On its own, courage won’t help much when you’re dealing with visa issues, paying rent, and handling bills in a foreign country. You’ll need more than that to stay in your new destination despite the challenges, and you’ll also need money. Careful planning is essential.

Living abroad is not like going on a holiday. There are new challenges and difficulties. The new language, the different culture, the distance from home, the climate, the food, and so many other things can easily overwhelm you if you don’t have the right motivations.

If you decide to move abroad, you need the right motivation and very good planning

I did: I left everything behind and moved to Asia. I moved from a small village of 1,500 people to Yunnan, China. That’s why I want to share some of the things I learned from this experience, hoping they will be helpful if you consider moving abroad.

I want to change my life: where should I move?

There is no perfect place to move to, and everyone has to consider their reasons for wanting to change their life. I believe choosing a place that will allow you to improve your quality of life is important. Some of the most important factors you should consider are, in my opinion, these:

• Cost of living: the way I see it, there is no point in moving to a country where you make $5,000 per month but your rent is $4,000 and you have to work full-time just to make ends meet. I’d rather simplify my life and live with less than work more to earn more money (here is the list of the cheapest countries to live in). Alternatively, you could consider becoming a digital nomad (here is an example of how to do it) and earn money working online. Remember to think about it BEFORE moving abroad. In most cases, it takes years to become successful.
• Good healthcare facilities: these are an important aspect to consider when living abroad. In addition, good travel insurance is important. I recommend this one.
• Good quality of life: if, like me, you are not very attracted by the idea of working in an office for 40 hours a week but you are also not interested in moving to a hut in the middle of a jungle, then look for a country where you will be able to find a compromise, i.e., a low cost of living but also the possibility of finding the comforts you need.
• Very low crime rate: It is important to choose a country that can guarantee a minimum level of personal safety. Something bad and unexpected can happen anywhere, but moving to a low-crime country will at least reduce the chances of it happening. Compared to most Italians who expatriate to tropical paradises in the Caribbean or Latin America, I preferred the tropics on the other side of the world: East Asia, which is, generally speaking, much safer.
• Ease of learning the language: the difficulty of learning the language of the country you are moving to is an important factor to consider, though not a fundamental aspect. I have met people who, after spending 10 years in China, didn’t speak much Chinese and others who, after 6 months, spoke the language quite fluently. What matters is the motivation. For many, however, living in a place where the language is difficult to learn can be problematic, so that might be an important factor to consider.

What are the challenges of living abroad?

The aspects I have mentioned are among those to consider when choosing a country to move to, but remember that living abroad will also have its (many) challenges. Saying, “I’m going to drop everything and change my life” is not enough. If you have unresolved issues from your old life, you will carry them into your new one. Choices made in a hurry to run from serious issues will prove wrong in the long run.

Here are some difficulties you may encounter while living abroad:

• Getting homesick: it doesn’t matter whether you live in a nearby country or a faraway one. Sooner or later, you will miss your former home, family, and friends. It’s just a matter of time, and it’s perfectly normal. Even those who run away because they hate their lives will sooner or later face these issues. The important thing is to focus on what you have, not what you don’t. When it happens, I find it helpful to spend some time alone in a place that vaguely reminds me of home, whether a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a beach. I recommend finding your place and spending time there whenever you feel homesick. That said, some people get over this stage pretty quickly. Others, however, never do and eventually have to return home (or continue living abroad, but with a very negative attitude). Everyone is different, so I will never get tired of saying that having the right motivation is crucial to living abroad for a long time. Remember that even if you move because your country “sucks”, there is no perfect place, and sooner or later, you’ll find out that your new home also has serious issues.
• Cultural shock: this is a problem everyone who moves abroad has to deal with. One thing people don’t often consider, though, is that if you live abroad for many years, you will face the same problem when returning home!
• Communication difficulties: a big problem when moving abroad is the language. Especially in places like Asia, it can be frustrating not to be able to communicate even the simplest things. However, communication issues go beyond the inability to express even basic concepts in a language you don’t understand. Language is a medium, but even if you can use it correctly, people born and raised in a different context than yours think differently. It will happen more than once that you understand a joke but do not grasp its meaning, and you see all your friends laugh while you wonder what’s so funny. But the opposite will also happen: you will make jokes that no one understands and quote songs or movies that no one has ever heard of. These are the situations that I have found most difficult to deal with in the long run because they will make you realize that few people understand you and your culture.
• Getting used to the weather: for some people weather is extremely important, while for others, it doesn’t matter. I have friends who have moved abroad and left after a short time, precisely because of the weather. Don’t underestimate it because, in my experience, it’s one of the main factors that will affect your quality of life, making you want to stay or leave. This was precisely one of the factors that made me move to Yunnan. Another important factor is the levels of pollution. Here you can find a list of the most polluted cities in the world.
• Difficulties related to Visas and residence permits: for those moving from Europe to other places, these can be new problems you have never faced. Despite several issues in today’s Europe, the old continent has one huge advantage: you can move and work anywhere you want with little trouble. In the rest of the world, things are not so simple, and I recommend that you do a lot of research before deciding where to live and work abroad.

These are just some things you must consider before moving, but they are a good start.

What is the best country in the world to move to?

Ultimately, there is no perfect place. It depends on what you are looking for and how willing you are to adapt. Everyone has to find their own dream place. Your destination may be the worst place in the world for some people, but the perfect place for you if you find what you want.

I have learned that finding the right country to move to is the hardest part. Once you make the choice, things get easier.

An important tip: once you have chosen your destination, go there first on holiday and try to live like a local. Moving to a new place without ever setting foot there is like buying an expensive suit without first trying it on. It can be perfect, or you will risk wasting money and time; at the end of the day, money is your time.

For example, I tried living in China by doing a study vacation. If you want to try the same experience, I recommend this school (which has campuses all across China): [email protected]. If you mention my name (FABIO), they’ll also give you a small discount.

How to choose your destination

You can find several helpful tools online to research where to move. Usually, every country has an official government website with information on each country and the specific risks in real time. You can also look for expat groups on Facebook in the city where you plan to live.

A very interesting website for estimating the cost of living with real-time data is Numbeo. This website contains a vast database where anyone can add up-to-date prices for everyday products, rent, gasoline, clothes, etc. You can also consider other factors, such as crime rate, health care quality, and cost of living. A very interesting option is comparing the cost of living between cities.

Of course, quality of life and the cost of living are not the only deciding factors; otherwise, you would have to move to countries such as Afghanistan or Iran. A key aspect when comparing different options is local purchasing power, which is the value of a currency expressed in terms of the number of goods or services that one unit of money can buy.

Also, remember that if you decide to move to countries where the government blocks many websites and apps, you will need a very good VPN to continue accessing Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks, which might affect your work (if you are a digital nomad).

Final Considerations

Moving abroad is a life-changing experience, but it can be much easier than you might think. The key is good preparation.

Many people have asked me where they can move without having any money. For me, those who ask these questions are starting on the wrong foot (unless you are fleeing a war-torn country or other unpredictable and catastrophic situations). You’ll need initial capital. You will have to pay your first rent and deal with other unforeseen expenses that may arise at any time. So you’ll need money.

The secret to living a successful life abroad is to remember the reasons why you made this choice in the first place and focus on its positive aspects. There are bound to be difficult times, and homesickness will sometimes be hard to deal with, but living abroad for a while is the best way, in my opinion, to live your life to the fullest.