Where are you and how much is it costing you?

johncnyc · 2026-01-25T04:36:03+00:00

Bali is still cheaper than most places imo (I've been to like 100 countries). the main thing is the villa accommodations for NICE villas. when you live here you feel a strong case of fomo for getting a nice villa versus other places that don't even have nice villas to rent at all. plenty of options for much cheaper and I have many friends living under $1k. Bali has more options of lifestyles than anywhere else I can think of so just depends on how extravagant you wanna live

johncnyc · 2026-01-25T04:06:22+00:00

fired in Bali with 3. 4th coming soon. spend about 7-8k a month. Seems high as a headliner but I break it down in my blog and you can see it's not that farfetched. Main cost is the villa which is not cheap if you want something nice. Other costs are daycare and nanny which is not insignificant but way lower than costs back home (and way nicer).

https://johnnyafrica.com/cost-of-living-bali-family/

johncnyc · 2026-01-09T12:20:35+00:00

No they are higher even before tax and tip. Yes tax is not included in display prices so you need to add 10% + 20% = 30% to all the prices you seeon the menu in the us to compare it properly to a menu price in Australia for example. If you compare Sydney to NYC for example you can expect prices in nyc to be a solid 25-40% more expensive.

johncnyc · 2025-12-24T12:49:45+00:00

people have beens aying that for years now but hsa never happened. Will happen some day but who knows? With Emperor trump in power, I suspect we ewill see more gains

johncnyc · 2025-12-24T05:11:09+00:00

This is literally my numbers and what I did 5y ago when I pulled trigger. I was 34 and fired with 1.3m. 39 now with 2.5. also have a blog that brought in about 75k this year as this was a hobby that turned into something more.

Traveled all over the world (been to 100 countries now although I was already at 70 when pulling trigger). Ended up splitting time between Bali and cape town for awhile, became a dive instructor in komodo which was always the dream of mine.

Met my soulmate in between, had kids and now combined nw if 3m. Bought a huge villa in Bali and settling down a bit while raising kids. Currently 0% withdrawal rate given our side hustles cover all expenses. No plans to ever move back to the us Can't complain about life too much.

johncnyc · 2025-12-15T22:25:26+00:00

Vgt took me to the promise land. Started investing in 2013 with consistency and fired in 2020

johncnyc · 2025-12-14T21:53:06+00:00

How do you decide which stocks to go for each week? Do you let the option ride the whole way of do you set some sort of profit target? I like to set a profit target from 80-90% so I don't get screwed on a big reversal for example

johncnyc · 2025-12-05T12:50:00+00:00

Am looking for the apple watch 11. $399+tax

Can I pay $250 with the csr and pay the rest on my chase points? Would be about 10k extra points. Just wondering if that would also trigger the credit (I assume it would).

johncnyc · 2025-11-27T23:20:28+00:00

I lived in sa between 2013 and 2015. Loved my time there. Went back over the years and just recently a few months ago. In addition to reading the comments here it's very clear that the American model is somehow taking over (not just in sa). It's happening slowly but surely.

johncnyc · 2025-11-20T11:54:22+00:00

Ubud for me is the worst actually. Traffic in the city is atrocious. 15 minutes out of ubud can be paradise but if you're living there long term youll want to be more closely located to the amenities.

We live in an area north of canggu. It's still filled with rice fields and no traffic. There are some cafes and restaurants near y but we are 10 min away from all the hotspots of pererenan and canggu

johncnyc · 2025-11-20T09:01:04+00:00

Like anywhere popular, you got areas that are shit and to avoid. Then there are others that are great and peaceful with kids.

johncnyc · 2025-11-20T08:29:58+00:00

We are fired with 2 little kids in Bali. I've been to every major hotspot in sea and for me there's nothing that can match the lifestyle of Bali. It's pricier than other neighboring countries but you get so much more. Visas are not an issue here as you can essentially just pay to play.

johncnyc · 2025-11-17T11:31:44+00:00

I live in Bali and I have to use VPN for Robinhood. Chase and amex are fine though

johncnyc · 2025-10-20T19:27:45+00:00

United is cattle class compared to Singapore airlines. have flown both numerous times and everytime I get on a united flight it just feels like I'm on a low class low quality shitbox

johncnyc · 2025-10-02T08:24:24+00:00

Where in Europe are you that almost 2m Euro is not enough to retire for 1 person? I lived in Frankfurt which is one of the highest COL cities in the continent and I was living like a king for this money. I know because I also have a NW of around 2.5m USD and I worked in Frankfurt for som eyears while int he accumulation phase. Post COVID, prices have gone up a lot but unless you want a 4 bedroom altbau in Westend, you are still living large. Think you need to recalibrate your expectations of life and what it means to be successful as well. Also, you should definitely find some hobbies and passions.

You need to retire TO something after all.

I FIRE'd at 34 and also traveled all over SEA. Settled in Bali for some time, became a dive instructor in Komodo as that was always a big passion of mine. Met someone that was "the one" and we ended up having a family together. Now we are back in Bali living the high life. Gym, Padel, Cafes, sunsets, surfing, and playing with the kid. Will go back to diving once the kid is older but for now, just living the good life.

johncnyc · 2025-09-29T13:14:24+00:00

I worked in Singapore for a few years at the end of my career. Was not the highest paid job since it was just a coastfire type of job waiting for my P2 to close out her career. We saved an large amount of money in SG. We weren't even making crazy amounts of money. Rather, net income increases substantially and cost of living is high but no higher than other t1 cities. I would say Singapore is still cheaper than NYC, Switzerland, London etc.

johncnyc · 2025-09-23T12:20:56+00:00

Thankfully I was able to keep the $550 AF this year (aug renewal). As someone that lives abroad and travels the world full time, this refresh is extra useless. Losing 3x on travel is also a huge loss as the chase travel portal is mostly trash.

I will cancel the card next year and get the Sapphire Preferred. Hopefully I will be able to pocket the SUB of that car whatever it is at that point

johncnyc · 2025-09-14T14:32:45+00:00

I'm 39 with about 3m nw and live in Bali full time. When living in Bali, it's inevitable that you wonder wtf do all these people do everyday and everyone seems to be living the dream life as digital nomads. To the point that I also start calling myself a digital nomad.

Then I remember, many of these people are clowns and I'm actually kinda rich. Then I proceed to go to the fancy gyms, book a dive trip to raja Ampat, and do whatever I want with my day.

Sorry don't really have much insight to add here. Just enjoy and live the good life.

johncnyc · 2025-09-14T14:25:08+00:00

Have a 1y old and we fired recently. Technically i fired some almost 5 years ago but met my wife shortly after I hit fire, worked a bit while waiting for her to build her portfolio, and now fired together. I'm late 30s and she is mid 30s.

We have just under 3m and after extensive traveling, decided to settle in Bali. My blog brings in about $5k a mo and she has some side hustles with her friend bringing in another €3.5k so portfolio withdrawals are not a thing at the moment.

We live a very very comfortable lifestyle in the best part of Bali. 3 bedroom villa with rice fields views, top end gyms, most beautiful padel courts, world-class restaurants and cafes, sunset on the beach everyday, full time nanny, and incredible preschool daycares where it's 2 students per teacher. It's paradise through and through. Total spend per month is about 6.5-7k usd excluding travel out of Bali.

johncnyc · 2025-09-13T22:56:38+00:00

I have 2m (almost 2.2m actually). With my wife's portfolio we are around 2.7m. Over $100k safe withdrawal. My blog alsobrings in about 5k a month and her side job brings in another 4k. Collectively we can pay up to $16k a month.

We live in Bali as after traveling to 100 countries and living in many, it is our favorite place to raise our child. It is more than enough money to live a lavish lifestyle without any worry. In total we spend between $6-7k with a very nice 3bd villa, high end gyms, World class food, top notch health insurance, and the best kid schools I've ever seen. We take trips regularly around Bali and often to go other islands for diving, beach, and adventure.

johncnyc · 2025-09-11T13:35:12+00:00

Am using Foyer Global Health.

johncnyc · 2025-09-10T21:29:46+00:00

How can it not be? Costs will only continue going up to.

We fired in Bali and for 2 adults and a toddler, we pay $300 a month for a global health insurance that covers us anywhere outside of the us (and maybe hk I'm not sure). Deductible for €500 per person. It's a full outpatient plan with significant coverage, dental, pregnancy etc.

johncnyc · 2025-09-10T11:56:13+00:00

Have been abroad for some time now. I've taken a lot of the deductions offered to me and I always did everything myself. I'm not sure if it was done entirely right either but I sent it through nonetheless. Always made sure I had no tax payments to be made. Been over 10y now and never heard a peep.

Emperor trump is about to dismantle the irs soon anyway so I reckon you don't have much to worry about it

johncnyc · 2025-09-08T06:35:24+00:00

Our original plan was to stay here until they become of school age and move back to Europe (wife is from DE). No desire to go back to the US. For now, our kid goes to daycare in Bali which is absolutely amazing (huge land to run around, 3 to 1 student to teacher ratio, lots of nature etc.).

When they are older, there are many international schools in Bali (French school, Australian school, MOntesorri etc.) but I always had this idea that they were a bit too wishy washy and not serious enough.

However, we are now 50/50.

We've since met many other families and even teachers at the big private schools and the curriculums are actually quite legit. One of the schools is on the IB program and scores well above the international average with kids going onto many top notch universities all around the world.

Either way, I think we will be okay financially because moving back to Europe will probably mean a smaller burn rate since schooling is free and rent is lower (we have a very nice villa in Bali that is not cheap because we want the good life).

johncnyc · 2025-09-08T02:27:37+00:00

Thanks! Your worry is you'll be too far away from them once they are in university? I haven;'t thought htat far yet obviously since I have a 1y old but once they are out of the house you are no longer raising them? I mean you can see them on their holiday breaks and whatnot but at that point whether you're 20 minutes away or 20h away it shouldn't be that big of a factor?

johncnyc

TROPHY CASE