people’s minds.

It doesn’t matter if you’re still figuring out rent, struggling with bills, or eating noodles three times a week. Once you’re “abroad,” the assumption is simple: life is soft, money is flowing, and suffering has ended.

But the truth?

That idea is one of the biggest myths we tell ourselves.

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How the Myth Starts

Back home, we see the highlights.

Pictures in winter jackets. Clean streets. Supermarkets with endless options. A new phone every few years.

No one posts the 3 a.m. shifts.

No one posts the multiple jobs.

No one posts the silence of loneliness or the anxiety of bills.

So the story writes itself: If you’re abroad, you’ve made it.

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What People Don’t See

What people don’t see is that abroad doesn’t mean free money. It means structured struggle.

Rent is paid monthly, not “when money comes.”

Bills don’t care if your salary is late.

Transportation, healthcare, insurance—everything has a cost, and it’s fixed.

There’s no “manage me till next week.”

No friendly landlord.

No NEPA excuse.

You either pay, or there are consequences.

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The Pressure to Look Okay

One of the hardest parts is the 

pressure to appear successful.

You can’t say you’re struggling 

because, in their minds, you already escaped. So you smile. You send small money when you can. You avoid 

conversations that might turn into 

requests.

You learn to say, “I’m managing,” even when you’re exhausted.

And slowly, the myth grows stronger.

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Earning in Dollars, Spending in 

Dollars

Yes, the income might be higher. But so is the cost of living.

Earning in dollars or pounds doesn’t mean you’re rich if everything around you is priced in the same currency. What matters is not what you earn but what’s left after everything else is paid.

Sometimes, what’s left is just enough to survive.

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Loneliness Is the Silent Cost

Back home, there’s noise, people, community even if things are hard. Abroad can be quiet. Too quiet.

No family nearby.

No one to fall back on.

No “just come over.”

You learn independence quickly, but it comes with isolation.

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So, Are People Abroad Rich?

Some are. Many aren’t.

Being abroad doesn’t automatically fix life. It just changes the type of problems you face. The struggle doesn’t disappear. It becomes different, more organized, and often more lonely.

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The Truth

Going abroad is not a magic key.

It’s an opportunity—one that still 

requires sacrifice, patience, and time.

Success abroad is not guaranteed.

And struggling abroad doesn’t mean you failed.

It just means you’re human.

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So the next time someone says, “You’re abroad, so you’re rich,” 

remember this:

You didn’t escape struggle.

You simply chose a different version of it.

And sometimes, that choice is still worth it even if it’s not as glamorous as it looks.