7 Things Americans Overpay For, But Are Shockingly Cheap Abroad!

Why Americans Are Getting Ripped Off on These Everyday Items Abroad!

From healthcare to dining out, life outside the U.S. can be surprisingly affordable.

The Moment I Realized Americans Are Overpaying for Everything

I had my “Americans are getting financially mugged” moment in a café on the Camino de Santiago.

I was sipping on a Café con leche that cost less than a gas station coffee back home.

Talk about a wake-up call!

The night before a group of us “Peregrinos” (pilgrims) had just finished a three-course meal for the price of an appetizer in New York.

My second Americans are getting financially mugged moment came when I moved to Kyiv and my rent for the entire month was less than what my friends in the U.S. were paying for utilities.

Things just weren’t adding up.

Americans love to joke about how expensive everything is: healthcare, rent, college, even basic necessities, but the wildest part? 

They’re right! But, most of them just accept it anyway.

They grumble, pay the bill, and move on, assuming that’s just the price of modern life. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is out here living their best, budget-friendly lives, enjoying $25 doctor visits, affordable housing, and dining out without taking out a loan.

After years of living in places like Georgia, Albania, and Ukraine as well as traveling and spending extended periods of time in France, Spain and other countries, I’ve seen firsthand how much cheaper life can be elsewhere.

And once you realize you don’t have to be financially bled dry for the basics, you start to wonder: why are Americans still putting up with this?

Here are 7 things that cost a fortune in the U.S. but are shockingly cheap abroad, and why moving overseas might just be the smartest financial decision you’ll ever make.

1. Healthcare: The One That Hurts the Most

The first time I went to a doctor in Kyiv, I braced myself for the usual nonsense, filling out 47 forms, waiting for an hour, and then getting a bill so outrageous I’d have to decide between paying it or eating for the next month.

Instead, I walked in, saw the doctor, was diagnosed with a middle ear infection and within 15 minutes, I got a prescription, and paid the equivalent of $15.

I stared at the bill like it was a mistake.

Surely, they had forgotten a zero somewhere.

Meanwhile, my American friends back home were putting off doctor visits because their insurance “might not cover it,” which is code for “will absolutely find a reason to deny it.”

In Ukraine, basic healthcare costs so little that locals don’t even think about it.

Need a cavity filled? That’ll be less than a lunch.

Need an MRI? Yes, they do have MRI’s in Ukraine.

And… it’s cheaper than an Uber to the hospital in the U.S. 

Americans have been brainwashed into thinking healthcare has to be a financial trauma. It doesn’t.

Practical tip: If you move abroad, you’ll spend less on healthcare per year than what most Americans pay per month in insurance premiums.

Let that sink in.

2. Dining Out: You Can Afford More Than Fast Food

Eating out in the U.S. has become a game of financial roulette.

You order a meal, pray that tax and tip don’t push it into your rent budget, and then leave wondering how a plate of spaghetti cost more than your last utility bill.

Then I moved to Albania and discovered that a sit-down, three-course meal could cost the same as a sad, soggy airport sandwich in the U.S.

In Georgia, I once ate a feast of khinkali, shashleek, khachapuri adjarian, and wine for what I used to pay for a single cocktail in New York City.

And in Logroño, Spain? Tapas and a glass of Rioja can cost less than tipping culture demands in America.

Practical tip: If you love eating out but hate feeling like you’re taking out a payday loan for dinner, moving abroad might be the best financial decision of your life.

3. Public Transportation: Actually Designed for Humans

Americans hear “public transport,” and their minds go straight to broken-down subway stations and buses that may or may not arrive within a 45-minute window.

But outside the U.S., things run differently.

In Kyiv, the metro was so efficient that I started to take it for granted.

In Poland, I took a train across the country for what a cab ride in Chicago would cost.

And in Tbilisi, marshrutkas, those tiny, slightly terrifying minibuses, cost less than a dollar and will get you across town faster than any car.

And taxis in both Kyiv and Tbilisi were so cheap and available 24/7, you wondered why anyone would ever own a car.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., if you’re not in a major city, your options are limited to driving yourself or hoping an Uber driver in your area is awake.

And good luck if you live somewhere where gas prices require you to take out a small loan just to fill your tank.

Practical tip: Public transportation abroad isn’t just cheaper, it actually works.

4. Rent: Living Like a King for the Cost of a Closet in NYC

In New York, $3,000 a month gets you a shoebox with a “charming exposed pipe” that drips in the corner.

In San Francisco, that same amount barely covers a closet that legally cannot be called a bedroom.

Then there’s life abroad. In Tbilisi, I had a huge, modern one-bedroom apartment in a high-end neighborhood on the 11th floor of a new high-rise with a panoramic view of the city for $400 a month.

In Albania, my rent is so low I’ve started wondering if my landlords were scamming themselves.

Meanwhile, my friends back in the U.S. are paying more for parking than I am for an entire apartment.

Practical tip: If you’re tired of handing over your entire paycheck just to have a place to sleep, the rest of the world has some options for you.

5. Higher Education: You Shouldn’t Have to Mortgage Your Future

American universities act like they’re selling beachfront property, not an education.

Student loans follow people well into their 40s, with payments so high they might as well be rent.

It’s gotten so bad, they’ve started garnering social security checks from late stage Boomers…

Then I met people from Norway and Germany who were getting free higher education.

In Poland, tuition for an entire year costs less than a single semester at most U.S. schools.

Meanwhile, Americans are walking around with degrees that cost more than a house.

Practical tip: You don’t have to sell your soul for an education.

Other countries figured that out a long time ago.

6. Cell Phone Plans: Yes, Other Countries Have Data Too

In the U.S., cell phone bills are like a second mortgage.

Americans pay $100+ per month for a service that regularly drops calls and gives them the privilege of paying extra for international roaming.

When I got to Greece, I got a SIM card with enough monthly data for all my needs including streaming for, wait for it… $15.

Oh, and because Greece is in the EU, that includes free roaming and unlimited use within the EU.

Meanwhile, my American friends are being price-gouged just to check Google Maps.

Practical tip: If you’re still paying three figures for a phone plan, the joke’s on you.

7. Alcohol: Drinking Without Destroying Your Wallet

The first time I bought a bottle of Saperavi wine in Georgia for under $5, Spain and France for under $10, I had to double-check I wasn’t accidentally buying vinegar.

Turns out, in most of Europe, quality alcohol doesn’t require a second job to afford.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., bar drinks have hit insanity levels.

A cocktail in New York or LA can run you $18, and if you’re at a concert or sporting event?

Forget it. You might as well finance that beer with installments.

Practical tip: If you like a good drink but hate feeling like you’re funding the bartender’s retirement plan, you’ll love drinking abroad.

What Else Are Americans Overpaying For?

Americans have been conditioned to accept absurd prices as just part of life.

Health insurance? That’s just how it is.

Rent? Suck it up.

Dining out? Well, tipping is mandatory, so deal with it. Or face being chased down the street with a machete wielding server…

But spend enough time outside the U.S., and you start to see through the illusion.

You don’t have to move abroad to save money, but once you see these price differences, you just might want to.

What’s something you’ve found shockingly cheap abroad?