Shave Years Off Your Retirement Timeline

Geo-arbitrage is taking advantage of the difference in cost of living between different geographic locations. By earning money in a strong economy or saving a portfolio in a strong currency, and spending it in a country where the cost of living is much lower, you can drastically reduce the amount of capital needed to retire.

Moving abroad isn't purely about buying cheaper groceries. Expats face distinct costs like international health insurance, visa fees, annual flights back home, and potential foreign expat taxes. Our "Expat Tax & Travel Premium" slider allows you to add a flat annual overhead to your target budget to cover these items.

If you are in the pre-retirement phase and plan to move *now* while working remotely, your savings rate will skyrocket because your expenses will drop immediately. If you plan to move *only at retirement*, your savings rate during your working years stays the same, but you reach your target much earlier because the target itself is much lower. This calculator models the latter scenario.

The primary risks are currency fluctuation (if the local currency strengthens against your retirement currency), inflation spikes in the destination country, changes in visa policies, and tax changes. That is why having a buffer and using NovaPlan's Expat Premium settings are highly recommended.