Most people who consider retiring and travelling the world only dream about it.
They read the articles, watch the YouTube channels, and run the numbers on a spreadsheet.
It sounds appealing, but there’s always a nagging uncertainty about whether it will actually work in practice.
Today’s couple don’t have that problem. They’ve already done it.
Over a decade ago they saved up a chunk of money and spent the next 3.5 years travelling the world full-time, visiting 30+ countries – spending less than $100 a day for two people.
Now in their mid-40s, after rebuilding from almost nothing in 2019, they’re ready to do it permanently.
Here’s their story (along with a special update and lots of pictures at the end).
We are a married couple in our early/mid 40s.
We are DINKs currently living in North Queensland. Both work full-time jobs and we both have part-time second jobs.
Since returning to Australia from the UK (where we met) in 2009, we have practiced the principles of FI, but we just didn’t know that there was a whole community until around 2019.
For us it was always about saving enough to allow us to travel more.
Once we knew about the FIRE movement it was actually quite easy for us to put the principles into practice, as we have been living well below our means for a long time.
It was just the initial investing that we had to get our heads around. The saving side of things came easily to us as it was second nature by then.
We met whilst both living in the UK so our first love together was, and still is, travelling. We returned to Sydney in 2009 and over the next 2 years we worked low level jobs but took all of the overtime we could to get ahead.
We also lived in a share house which helped cut down our expenses and we were able to get a sizeable amount of free food from one of our jobs. This, along with making many sacrifices, meant that we were able to save $130k which we then used to travel full time for the next 3.5 years, without having to work.
This opened our eyes to the possibility of slow travel/Geo Arbitrage as a way of life.
Whilst on this 3.5 year adventure, we kept a detailed spreadsheet of our expenses to prove to ourselves, and other doubters, that it was possible to travel the world on less than $100 AUD a day.
In fact, we came in at an average of $78 AUD a day for 2 people. We visited 33 countries; some we spent up to 3 months in and others less than a month. We realised that the AUD allows for a higher quality of living in other parts of the world.
This leads to now, and we are planning to retire by the end of the year.
We will head back to Asia which is one of our favourite regions of the world. The fact that you can spend up to 3 months in a lot of countries in this region without too much hassle makes it an ideal area for slow travel.
Also, the quality of accommodation and food, the weather, and the friendly nature of the local people make this an enjoyable place to be.
Pretty pared back really. We look forward to having more time together and getting back to a more healthy way of life (the last 6 years of all this work has taken a toll).
On a day to day basis its really going to be about keeping active both physically and mentally, and having the time and space to explore things that excite us.
For the first 2 years we foresee most of our time being spent in SE Asia. But the beauty of this lifestyle is the ability to change plans and move on rapidly if that is what is needed/wanted. This is easy when all you have is 2 small backpacks and 1 suitcase.
We feel at home with this type of living (geo fire/slow travel) more than we do with the typical short travel and then returning back home.
We have a real love for the way people live their lives and their general happiness even if they don’t have all of the first world trappings. After our extended travels it was always part of the plan to live this type of lifestyle.
With an Australian passport this would be possible in a lot of countries in the world, depending on your budget.
We have set ourselves a rough budget of $100 AUD a day and we feel that this will be easily doable in several regions of the world, like SE and South Asia, South and Central America and Eastern Europe.
A rough comparison would be in SE Asia you can get quality western style accommodation for less than in South Asia, but the food and activities can generally be cheaper in South Asia than SE Asia.
We have personally been able to put this all together within 6 years.
Our investments are now at a point where they will bring in enough for us to live on $100 AUD a day.
Obviously everyone’s FIRE number will be different and our style of travel/living won’t be for everyone, but it means we can RE at what seems to us still a young age.
The freedom this lifestyle brings.
The food, the different cultures, the people (both locals and other wanderers), the ability to go off exploring new and exciting places.
We personally enjoy living in these regions of the world and understand that things don’t always function the way we are used to. However, this could be quite frustrating if you haven’t experienced it day in day out for any length of time.
This type of lifestyle would suit anybody with an open mind an a thirst for something different.
We obviously only know it as a couple, but we have met people from all walks of life who enjoy this lifestyle.
We would agree that both of these approaches are possible depending on what suits the individual best.
For us, we look forward to a more pared back lifestyle with less things. You can definitely live a much more luxurious lifestyle in these regions than what the same lifestyle in Australia would cost.
We expect to be living on around $36,500 AUD per year. Now obviously this is just an estimate that we have come up with through past experiences and lots of current research. But we feel very confident going forward for the next couple of years that this is achievable.
Our financial position will allow us to cover our expected annual expenditure, and this will be supplemented further by Superannuation when we reach preservation age.
One of the things that excites us about being able to Geo Arbitrage or Geo FIRE is the time and space it will provide us to explore other opportunities.
While we don’t have any current plans to work, if an opportunity that excites us arises we will be in a position to explore this.
As for returning to Australia, this is not currently on our radar but never say never.
We have invested in ETFs, both Australian and international, we own a property which will provide rental income, and we will have a sizeable rainy day fund.
Between all of these investments we feel comfortable they will produce close to our required annual living expenses.
Our strategy has changed over the years, but we like the mix that we have now because it’s not dependent on just one income stream.
We thought about just holding ETFs, but we thought it better to keep an Australian residence just in case we had to come back for any unforeseen circumstances.
Not really any one financial lesson has led us down this path, more life lessons have led to this way of life/thinking.
Watching loved ones die too young, and not get the time to enjoy their later years/retirement have been a large motivating factor for us.
We want to go and live this lifestyle while we are still young enough and of sound body and mind to enjoy it.
In our investing lives we have made a few mistakes along the way, but we feel that this is a normal part of the course; you don’t know what you don’t know.
Also, we wished that we had started investing earlier. But we are pretty happy with where we have come from to get to where we are in a relatively short amount of time.
Well, we are almost set up to fail from the beginning with little to no financial education in our schooling years.
We think that there is a lot of pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” and this can lead a lot of people to living beyond their means.
You have to want it; it’s not always the easiest path to tread, especially when we live in a time of so much instant gratification. But if more people can see everyday Australians reaching their goals, it might help change some mindsets.
Australians live a very comfortable existence for the most part. The fear of the unknown would be too much for some people.
If you’ve only ever experienced short holidays abroad, you probably don’t realise that it would be possible to live on much smaller amounts in these regions.
Geo FIRE is not a holiday, it’s just living in more cost effective regions. You’re not laying by the pool drinking cocktails in a resort (unless you want to); you are just living your life in a different country.
There are a bunch of people living this way and documenting it on YouTube. This is where we do a lot of our research for cost of living, visas, particular countries and cities that we would like to spend our time in.
If this lifestyle sounds like it could be for you, just know that it is completely attainable. We came back to Australia in 2019 with less than $30k AUD and have been able to put ourselves in this position in that relatively short amount of time. So anything is possible with the right commitment, sacrifice and dreams.
This Q&A was originally completed late last year, but I’ve only just got around to publishing it.
Which makes this even better, because they ended up pulling the trigger at the end of 2025 and are now living out their dream!
Since then, they’ve had a few more thoughts and things they want to share…
Kurt & Keryn:
We keep hearing people say “go to Asia because it’s cheap”, but we just want to clarify that’s not our main motivator. We’ve been returning to SE Asia for the better part of 15 years, with multiple longer stints spent in the region prior to retirement.
We genuinely enjoy everything about SE Asia: the pace and style of life, the people, food and culture. We feel more at home here than anywhere else, and the fact that it’s affordable is just an added bonus, not the driving factor.
If you’re looking to Geo FIRE in a region like SE Asia, we highly recommend spending some time there (not just a 2 week holiday) to see if you can adapt to the lifestyle and actually live there.
As we write this, we are currently in Thailand sitting on a train on our way to Hua Hin. Early retirement is one of the greatest things we have ever done!
P.S. We’ve compressed our detailed daily expenses into a monthly snapshot for our first 6 months of early retirement…
I bet some people are reading this thinking, “Yeah, sounds great in theory, but I bet they’re living on the cheap. Surely $30 a day on accommodation won’t go far, and they’re probably living off low quality food”
Well, take a look for yourself. Below are photos from their recent travels across Malaysia and Vietnam…
By the way, you can read about my own travels here: Malaysia. Vietnam. Thailand.
Looks like they’re living pretty good to me! And keep in mind, most locals live on far less than what Kurt and Keryn are spending, so this would basically be considered luxury living (or at the very least, upper class living).
It’s hard to wrap our Aussie minds around it because the dollar amounts are so different. That makes us assume, often unwittingly, that quality of life must be taking a dramatic hit. And clearly that’s not the case.
By the way, I feature reader stories like this from time to time, along with the principles and lessons which make FI happen. If you want more inspiration, sign up below:
What an amazing story and outcome! Here’s what stands out to me the most…
— You can build a lot in a short time
They’ve built enough to live off forever… in only six years. Even in Australia it would be enough to semi-retire. That’s impressive in itself. It never ceases to amaze me what an intense burst of focused effort can do. Your entire life can change in less than a decade.
— The usefulness of a trial run
Before committing to this lifestyle permanently, they’d already lived it before. So it wasn’t just an idea – they already knew what it would be like, how much it would cost, and which places they enjoy the most. That makes it way easier when it comes time to pull the trigger. So with whatever strategy you’re considering – mini-retirement, semi-FI, or anything else – see if you can test a smaller version first to see how you like it.
— Having the bravery to be unconventional
They lived in share houses, worked longer hours than they needed to, and deliberately minimised expenses so they could test drive slow travel. Not many people would save up a six figure amount then spend it all in a few years. So even from the beginning they’ve been willing to operate unconventionally, focusing on what mattered to them. The willingness to ignore what everyone else is doing is an underrated financial strategy.
— Don’t wait too long to enjoy your life
Seeing loved ones pass away instilled in them the driving force to make the most of their time. It’s a reminder that money is only going to take you so far – sacrificing health and time in the quests for more could be something you regret later. Sometimes things like this can actually help force us awake, as painful as they are.
— Geo-FIRE is a powerful hack for the right people
What I’ve learned as I experience other countries and speak to people living overseas is that it’s only partly about the money. Sure, you can live a lot nicer for a lot less. But people are genuinely enjoying the different way of life…
How interesting the places and cultures are. The amazing food. The lovely, welcoming people. And the sense of peace and freedom they get. The financial benefit becomes the giant cherry on top.
Thank you to Kurt and Keryn for sharing their story so openly, and huge congratulations to them for hitting their goal! If you’re considering a similar path, hopefully this gives you both the inspiration and the practical confidence that it’s genuinely doable.
Would you consider retiring overseas? Do you have any questions for Kurt & Keryn? Drop your thoughts in the comments. With any luck, they might pop in to answer them!
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You lost me at DINKS.
Dual Income No Kids 🙂
What they mean is it doesn’t match their situation so they immediately are not interested in the rest of the story…
If you didn’t believe the idea was possible for your situation, why would you read the article in the first place? And if you did believe it was possible before realising they were ‘DINKS’, then you can always just take any piece of information and figure out how to best apply it to your own situation, acknowledging the differences.
Just because the example is of someone with different circumstances from you, doesn’t mean you can’t learn something, nor does it invalidate the idea or mean people in situations like yours are not able to do it.
If you’re not DINKS, your budget may be a little more, depending on your situation but everything is possible.
If you have a fully paid house in Australia, that rental income alone can go a long way in many countries in Asia.
This sounds fantastic! Does the $78 per day include cost of airfares?
I’m guessing yes, as there’s a ‘flights’ section in their spending, which is built into the ‘daily avg’. Flights around Asia are extremely cheap too, often just $100 each, sometimes less
Yes, Vince, it does include all airfares. As Dave says, the airfares in Asia can be quite cheap compared to back home. We predominantly fly with low cost carriers as the flights are generally only a couple of hours and we’re happy with the service we receive. We also only travel with one large checked bag between us so that also helps keep the cost down a bit.
I dunno if you use Air Asia a lot? But I found them to be fantastic for a low cost carrier. Food is great and staff are usually incredibly nice.
Sorry, something is missing here. Information too shallow.
What would you like to know more of? I’ll ask Kurt & Keryn to share if possible
Very motivating thanks Dave. I’d like to know which specific cities in SE Asia they would recommend for longer stays, for someone looking to stay in each place longer. I’d also be interested in the name & location of the hotels in the pics. Cheers 🙏
Hi Lynne, it really depends what you are after. We prefer coastal cities as being in or around the ocean is something we really enjoy. We did stay in Kuala Lumpur for the first 3 months and enjoyed our time there, but moving forward it will be predominantly coastal towns/cities for us. So places like Vung Tau and Da Nang in Vietnam tick most boxes, also Hua Hin in Thailand and islands like Koh Lanta, Thailand or Langkawi, Malaysia. In the not too distant future we will be staying in Southern Sri Lanka and Goa, India. If beach towns or cities aren’t your thing then maybe look at places like Da Lat, Vietnam or Siem Riep, Cambodia or Chiang Mai, Thailand. There are plenty more but it really depends on what suits you best. As for the accommodation, we predominantly book through Airbnb as these tend to have better amenities for long-term stays. If we are doing side trips or shorter stays we just use booking apps for hotels as we don’t need all of the amenities for those short stays.
KS, what else would you like to know?
Great to hear stories like this. Any chance of getting some families that are doing Geo-arbitrage?
I’d love to hear examples like that. Hopefully some reach out to me after this! I can only share what the community does, so I’m totally reliant on people being open + willing to do it (as well as knowing about this blog rather than just going about their lives lol)
Great article. Would love to know where they find accomodation so cheaply?
Hi Mick, we predominantly use Airbnb for the long stays of over a month. You generally get better deals the longer you stay. We are currently in Hua Hin and have a very cost effective studio apartment which we couldn’t believe it was the price being offered when we found it. As we cycle back through these places over the years we might deal with agents or owners themselves as we build up relationships in the places we stay.
That sounds like a good strategy! Now I’m curious to know how much this studio in Hua Hin is….?
Hi Dave,
Would you mind asking them how they organise their accommodation as it looks like they get great deals.
I am retired and living in Thailand and travel around quite a bit through South east Asia.
Hi Robert, we predominantly use Airbnb for longer stays to get the deals that make this so affordable. We are currently in Hua Hin, Thailand. First time here and already it’s a place that we know we will come back to many more times.
Robert,
We did explore this before Covid change our plans. Some Airbnb provider will give a large discount usually for stays beyond 4 weeks or so.
Kurt though are staying in each country for a few months at a time, likely to coincide with long term tourist visas.
I love this story. Reading how other people create alternative paths is fascinating and inspiring. Also a great conversation starter with my husband to share new ideas.
Really glad you enjoyed it Marty!
What did they do regarding travel insurance and health/medical insurance? Surely, that needs to be included in anyone’s budget.
Great question. It looks like they probably have coverage – their daily cost for ‘insurance’ is $4.66 over 6 months, nor about $140 a month. I don’t think they’d have income protection or house/contents or car insurance over there so it’s most likely health related.
Great to hear how it all is working out for you after meeting you in Cairns. I’m currently in Zanzibar and have met others living long term very cheaply here.
Do you have a way of fitting in sight seeing into your regular life or have you already seen everything you want to see in these places?
I would love to know what Kurt and Keryn do on a daily basis – is it just sight seeing or do they actually get involved in ‘real life’ in the places they visit?
One of the reasons that I struggle to see myself doing this (Ive been retired 4 years) although I love the idea, is that I have a strong need to do something ‘useful’ with my time and contribute somehow – volunteer work or being involved in the local community. (I have 4 volunteer jobs at the moment in Perth where I live)
I have done 5 x 3-month trips around the US, Canada and UK and have discovered that I get sick of sightseing around the 11 week point. ‘ShalI we go walk up that amazing mountain’ – no Im sick of mountains. ‘What about visiting that waterfall and having a swim’ – no I’m sick of waterfalls, seen hundreds in the last couple of months’ – etc etc. First world problems I know….
I now intersperse travel and sightseeing with volunteer work and love it. I cant imagine how I could do this in countries were I don’t speak the language, and so would love some insights on how it could be done if they have any. I’m currently agonizing over a trip around Europe – obviously it will take several years travel to see Europe properly as it so huge and diverse, could I manage doing it for 12/18/24 months straight, or would I need to do it over several years for 3 months at a time…
Hi Kee, we do have travel insurance. It’s covered in the insurance column of the spread sheet. We decided in the beginning of the trip that we would self insure as we were finding it very difficult to find an insurance company that would be happy to insure us year after year without returning to Australia. But after further research we have found such company and have long-term full travel insurance.
Hi Josie, really good question and one we get asked regularly from friends and family. We worked extremely hard to get here and for now we are just enjoying being back in countries and places that we know. Our day to day is pretty similar to back home when we both got time off together which was a rarity in the last 6 years of work. We wake up when we feel like it, do some form of exercise then cook breakfast together. Relax for a bit then watch some YouTube for more travel ideas. We will then go to the beach or the pool or read a book or go out exploring or whatever we feel like. We are just enjoying the slower pace of life together. We have looked at volunteering and it is something we have done before on our travels and I’m sure we will do it again when it’s something we feel drawn to. For now we are just happy to be back in this part of the world.
Hi SMA community,
We (couple in our mid-40s) are also on our journey to FIRE and we are toying with the idea to move to Europe (ESP, POR – I am an EU citizen) due to lower cost of living abroad and the huge property costs here in Oz requiring a higher fire number.
I have a few questions to Kurt and Keryn:
– I understand by residing more than 6 months overseas per FY, you are ceasing to be Australian resident for tax purposes. Have you considered this in your FIRE calcs? How are you planning to remain Australian resident for tax purposes? – I have read that as soon as you become a tax resident of another country, you won’t be eligible for franking credits, and your normal dividends will incur a WTH tax – that might be different for property. Would love to hear your strategy here.
– Once you switch your super fund to retirement mode, how is your super taxed when becoming a tax resident of another country? Many countries do not recognise its tax sheltered/tax-free arrangement super enjoys in Australia.
Cheers,
chuchu
Hi Chuchu. Even if you live overseas you can and often are still declared a tax resident of Australia. It’s actually fairly difficult to leave the Aus tax system. The rules are quite complex around this – we’ll be doing an Aussie FIRE podcast episode with an expert on this soon 🙂
You’re right about the franking credits + witholding tax, that’s my understanding also. Property remains forever taxed in Australia, regardless of if you become a tax resident elsewhere.
Loved this article, thank you Kurt, Keryn and Dave. I read the story to my partner and it made for some inspiring conversation. We are in a relatable position and are taking next year off (which we’ve done before) but have never considered geo-fire in this context. Likely because of our dog.. but thank you for introducing some new future ideas!
Great to hear that Del, thanks for reading!
Hi Kurt,
Thanks for putting your story out there! This was super inspiring and gets my even more excited about geo-fire.
Personally I’m working fully remote and I’m heading ti Chiang Mai in a month to test what living there is like.
I personally got my Airbnb for like $800, and it comes with a super luxurious pool, gym and 3 minute walk to the shopping centre.
Again, thanks for posting this Dave and good on you Kurt and Keryn.
I look forward to hearing how your geo FIRE experiment goes James!
Same here man! Only a few weeks away now. Just thinking about it is getting me pumped up!!
Nice one!
One of the key issues is… taxes 🙂 It would be interesting to specify how the tax residency works for them and what are the costs involved on a yearly basis.
I’m guessing they are still likely to be considered Oz tax residents for a while as they still own Aussie based assets and have no permanent home outside Oz. But I’m actually having someone on our Aussie FIRE podcast soon to talk about exactly this type of thing, since it gets pretty grey/complex.
This story sounds very intriguing – thanks a lot for sharing, Kurt & Keryn! May I ask what you use as your official address for purposes back in Australia (think banking, insurance, passport etc.). Do you use your overseas address and update it as you travel, or the address of your rented out property in Australia? If it’s the latter does your tenant forward physical mail to you?