US-Canada Digital Nomads Abroad - Retirement & Cost-of-Living Insights

Is anyone really concerned about retirement saving or moving back to North America? Hi everyone I'm interested in hearing about the experiences of established digital nomads who have been living abroad long term with their finances, and how they are dealing with preparing for the future. For instance: could you afford to move back to a major Western city without a significant lifestyle downgrade? Are pension or retirement contributions harder to manage? For example, if you are happily managing on a lower income in a poor country, are you concerned about how much you're putting towards Social Security payments? I'm writing a piece for a well known US newspaper that aims to give realistic mix of financial benefits and tradeoffs, rather than extremes like “I’m ballin’ out of control in Thailand” or “I ruined my life and cry myself to sleep from loneliness in my $400 condo.” I’m particularly interested in practical, specific comparisons. For example: has your standard of living improved? How much less are you paying in rent? Are you eating out more because food is cheaper? How has the move affected how much you’re able to save or invest each month? Do you feel you’re missing out on networking or career opportunities—even if you ultimately feel the tradeoff is worth it? Would you describe your decision as a “cheat code,” or more as a lifestyle choice with clear advantages and tradeoffs? This would be best suited to people settled in lower-cost countries—Americans or Canadians living in places like Indonesia or Paraguay, rather than high-cost countries such as Switzerland. We’d especially love to speak with people comfortable sharing concrete details, such as: “I spend 40% less on food and invest $1,000 per month in index funds.”