I paid $45,000 upfront to rent this Bali home for 10 years. Here’s what it cost me to retire there.
An American retiree shares her experience of moving to Bali to achieve a more affordable and simpler lifestyle. By paying for a long-term housing lease upfront, she significantly reduced her annual living expenses compared to her previous life in Los Angeles.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing trend of 'geo-arbitrage' among retirees seeking to maximize their savings in lower-cost international locations.
Debbie Welsch, 57, an American who retired to Bali with her 82-year-old mother. Business Insider Debbie Welsch moved from Los Angeles to Bali for a simpler, more affordable retirement life. Welsh's Bali home costs $8,000 annually, drastically reducing her living expenses. In Bali, Welsch lives on $1,300 monthly, funded by savings and a $550,000 retirement investment. This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation for our Cost of Living video series with Debbie Welsch, 57, an American who retired to Bali with her 82-year-old mother. It has been edited for length and clarity. My 10-year lease for my 1,100-square-foot house in Bali is $4,500 a year — that is $375 a month in rent. The one caveat: I had to pay my landlord the $45,000 upfront. I also had to budget around $3,500 a year for renovation costs, totaling $35,000 over 10 years.
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