Expat vs. Digital Nomad: Which Lifestyle is Best for You?

From how to become an expat to the pros and cons of the digital nomad lifestyle, don’t move abroad until you’ve read this guide.

You know want you to live abroad, that much is certain. But, you’re less sure of how to go about doing it.

Expat vs. digital nomad: Which lifestyle is best for you?

Chances are you’ve heard of both (the latter has gotten a lot of buzz in recent years), but please don’t feel bad if you have no idea 1) what exactly they mean and 2) which one is the best fit for you.

I’m not ashamed to admit that even after more than five years of living abroad, I didn’t know which category I personally fell into.

Well, I thought I did…but, in the course of researching and writing this post, I changed my mind.

More on that later.

Now, let’s take a look at what the heck an expat and a digital nomad are exactly. For a second opinion, I talked to my good friend Dia Jin from Here With Dia.

After this post, you will know:

• The definition of expat & digital nomad
• What the key differences between the two are
• Where the two ways of living overlap
• The type of person that is the best fit for each lifestyle

Expat vs. Digital Nomad: What Do They Have in Common?

Before we dive into the differences, let’s take a look at how these two lifestyles are the same.

Above all, people who adopt either of these lifestyles have a strong desire to combine work and travel.

Their reasons for living abroad might be different, but at some point, both sets of people decided that two weeks of vacation a year just isn’t enough and organized their life so that seeing a different part of the world was at the center of it.

If you’re thinking about living abroad, both the expat lifestyle and digital nomad lifestyle are worth your consideration.

What is an Expat?

This is as simple as I can make it: An expat is a person who picked a place to call home that isn’t their home country.

While an expat likely values travel, they also value having roots. Their move abroad isn’t something temporary, and because they plan to stay put, they take steps to assimilate.

Expats frequently work in the country where they’ve settled. Many meet their partner and start a family.

An expat might be from somewhere else, but for all intents and purposes, the country they’ve decided to live in is their home.

While there are some illegal expats, it’s common for people to pursue permanent residency and, perhaps down the road, even citizenship.

Expat Pros

• Stability & community
• A place/space to call your own
• Rich social life & meaningful friendships
• Deep cultural immersion
• Near-native language skills

Expat Cons

• Fewer travel opportunities
• Risk of monotony/boredom
• Less freedom

How to Become an Expat

There are lots of different pathways to becoming an expat.

Some people start their expat journey as students while other take up life in another country for love. Check out the expat origin stories of seven different women plus their tips for how to move abroad and start over.

In 2015, I moved to Madrid and taught English in bilingual public schools as an auxiliar de conversación (language assistant). The program allowed me to live and work in Spain legally.

If you’re looking for a way to live and work in Europe, I can’t recommend this program enough. The salary is more than livable, and the schedule leaves plenty of time to travel.

Check out these posts to learn more about this expat opportunity:

• What It’s Really Like to Teach English in Spain
• A Day in the Life of an Auxiliar de Conversación
• A(nother) Day in the Life of an Auxiliar de Conversación

There’s also a large contingent of people who dream of becoming an expat upon retiring.

Although very much still working myself, I won’t deny that Mexico is a popular place for retiree expats. Near to where I live in Mexico, the city of San Miguel de Allende is one of the most well-known expat enclaves in the country.

Other popular expat cities in Mexico, according to International Living, are Puerto Vallarta, Mérida, Lake Chapala, Tulum, Huatulco and Ensenada.

If you’re thinking about becoming an expat in Mexico, don’t miss these posts:

• Things to Know Before Moving to Mexico
• An Expat’s Guide for Living in Querétaro, Mexico
• How Much Does Rent Cost in Mexico?

Of course, Mexico isn’t just for retirees.

The affordable cost of living in Mexico makes it a great spot for young people working toward financial stability. You can work less and save more all while enjoying a high quality of life.

Since moving here, I’ve been able to transition from teaching English online to freelance writing full-time.

What is a Digital Nomad?

While expats seek to put down roots, digital nomads are the complete opposite.

As their name suggests, digital nomads are always on the move. Even if they stay in a place for an extended period of time, they do so with the mentality of a visitor.

In the back of her mind, a digital nomad is always thinking that she wants to see more of the world.

So, we know digital nomads are always on the move, but what’s the deal with that first part: digital?

If you’re a true digital nomad, then 100% of the work you do is remote and online.

Where the expat way of life has been around for years, the digital nomad movement is relatively new. With more and more work moving online, there’s greater potential for location independence.

According to Forbes, 7.3 million Americans call themselves digital nomads.

Where some remote workers are content working out of their local coffee shop, digital nomads aim to make the most of location independence, moving on every few weeks to few months.

Digital Nomad Pros

• More freedom
• Travel is the only constant
• Opportunities to be spontaneous
• Experiencing more countries and cities

Digital Nomad Cons

• Living out of a backpack
• Only getting to know a place on its surface
• Difficult to make friends

What It’s Really Like to Be a Digital Nomad

On this blog, I’ve written extensively about my expat experience. When I decided to compare the two lifestyles, I knew I had to talk to a digital nomad.

At first, Dia was a little reluctant to call herself a “digital nomad.” In true millennial fashion (I say that with all the ? in the world), she doesn’t like labels.

But, for lack of a better term, Dia acknowledged that she is, in fact, a digital nomad. While on a working visa in New Zealand, she even took a course to learn how to become one.

What Do Digital Nomads Do?

It’s important to note here that being a “digital nomad” isn’t a job.

Some digital nomads are remote employees. Others are freelancers. Dia, who runs a YouTube channel and podcast in addition to her blog, is her own boss.

“‘What do you do?’ is such an outdated question,” she said. “{I tell people} ‘I make enough money to live a life I want to live.'”

Dia said her biggest takeaway from the digital nomad course was that there are many different ways (more than she ever realized) to make money online.

When she started working online while slow traveling around Southeast Asia, her mindset shifted:

“I don’t want to be defined by how I make money, but I know I never want to work for someone else,” Dia said. “I will never work a job I hate again because I’ve seen the possibilities.”

Who is a Good Fit for the Digital Nomad Lifestyle?

We discussed the pooh-poohing that frequently accompanies any mention of the digital nomad lifestyle. I myself have been known to put air quotes around it.

Until our conversation, the only image I could conjure up of a digital nomad was a bro tapping away on his Macbook while sipping a matcha latte in some hipster cafe in Chang Mai.

Dia set me straight:

“People are haters because of their own limiting beliefs,” she said. “You can be the person making $6,000 or $7,000 a month online. It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not.”

All that being said, Dia admitted that being a digital nomad isn’t right for everyone.

According to her, it’s not a good fit for people who aren’t self-disciplined. With no set hours, she said she’s never really off the clock and is constantly thinking about work.

However, thanks to passive income streams, Dia told me she earned the most money when she was at her least productive.

https://youtu.be/qixUHBccPdM

Digital Nomad Tips

If setting your own schedule, being your own boss and not being tied to a single place sounds like the life for you, Dia said you should “take the leap.”

“{The digital nomad lifestyle} is expansive for your own worth and belief in yourself,” she said.

Dia also had some advice for wannabe digital nomads.

Travel first

Before committing to the digital nomad lifestyle, Dia said it’s imperative that you travel first. Bonus points if you do some work while on the road.

The constant unfamiliarity isn’t for everyone, and you need to know if living out of a backpack is something you’re actually comfortable doing.

Utilize free & paid resources

The paid course Dia referenced was a blogging bootcamp from Adventure in You.

But, she said that there are also lots of free resources available to help you get stated as a digital nomad. As always, Google is your friend.

Understand what you’re up against

While traveling full-time likely sounds idyllic to many people, Dia acknowledged that living abroad without a work visa is more difficult than you might think.

Countries limit how long you can stay on just a tourist visa. Generally, that amount of time is three months.

Visa runs and border-hopping are part of the deal when you decide to become a digital nomad.

Know it might be unstable…at first

Dia said people shouldn’t be surprised if the digital nomad lifestyle is unstable at the beginning but wants you to know it won’t always be that way.

It will take time to adjust and find your groove.

“If you’re brave enough or fed up enough, you can open a lot of doors for yourself,” Dia said.

Customizing the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Even if, after giving it a shot, you decide the digital nomad lifestyle isn’t right for you, Dia said that it’s not something you ever have to transition out of completely.

While you might stop traveling constantly, the skill set you developed to go remote will still be highly marketable. In fact, as more work moves online, Dia predicts that the term “digital nomad” might not even exist in 20 years.

As for her own future, Dia said she’s realized that she likes having structure and wants a place to call her own. Ideally, she would like to have an established home base somewhere abroad while still having the financial freedom to travel as much as she wants.

To keep up with Dia’s journey, check out her blog, Here With Dia, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

She also recently launched a podcast called “Paths Back to You” where she shares tips and stories on personal growth, manifestation, wellness and spirituality. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Expat vs. Digital Nomad vs. Immigrant

It’s important to acknowledge that the main reason Dia and I are able to wax philosophical about the expat and digital nomad lifestyles is the fact that we both have passport privilege.

Thanks to our U.S.-issued passports, we can travel and live (at least for a little while) pretty much anywhere in the world.

If your passport isn’t from the United States, Great Britain or the European Union, you probably don’t have the luxury of deciding to call yourself an “expat” or “digital nomad.”

The world will just go ahead and label you an immigrant.

Yeah, food for thought…

More Posts Like Expat vs. Digital Nomad

• 6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming an Expat
• 5 Things No One Tells You About Moving Abroad
• Ultimate Moving Abroad Checklist: A Complete Guide

Am I an Expat or a Digital Nomad?

Prior to researching and writing this blog post, I considered myself an expat, but now, I’m not so sure.

I value deep cultural immersion and love having a place to call my own, but do I want to live in Mexico forever?

I’m not sure. There’s still so much of the world I want to see.

On the other hand, even though I work 100% online, I have a hard time imagining myself moving every few weeks or months. The “nomad” bit really gives me pause.

Dia said it best when she made the observation that, although you have to call yourself something sometimes, these labels are more like spectrums.

Mexico’s 180-day tourist visa, which only requires you to leave the country for a single day to renew, is incredibly unique. I’ve been able to establish a home base here without needing to apply for residency.

I have set down unofficial roots.

So, what am I?

I’m a location-independent freelancer based in Mexico.

Yeah, it’s not as cute or concise as digital nomad or expat, but hey, it’s the best I can come up with.

Final Thoughts on Expat vs. Digital Nomad

Whether you decide to become an expat or purse the digital nomad lifestyle, there’s something you need to know about moving abroad:

Simply changing your location won’t change you.

Over the years, I’ve met and talked to many people who moved abroad because they were running away from problems back home.

While a change of scenery can definitely provide new perspective and a fresh start (if you’re willing to work at it), a new country alone won’t transform you.

Bad habits and old anxieties can board planes too.

When you touchdown in another country, you are still you.

But, if you adopt a proactive approach, the experiences you have while living abroad will help you become the best version of yourself.

Expat vs. Digital Nomad: Which Lifestyle is Best for You?