Visa rules change all the time. Stay legal by checking requirements for Asia's Travel and Retirement Visas. Updated July 2026.
Introducing Our All-New Video Series at EatRunTravelRetire!
Marcus (60) and Claire (56) have spent their lives building a life in Melbourne, Australia. But in 2026, the numbers don't lie: retiring comfortably in Australia is getting harder. So they're doing something bold — making short exploratory trips across Asia to find out where their retirement money could take them further, slower, and richer in experience.
GEO-ARBITRATE RETIREMENT
8/8/20262 min read
Big news!
If you’ve been following EatRunTravelRetire.com, you know we’re obsessed with asking the tough, honest questions about the second chapter of life: Where do we actually want to live? How much money do we really need? And how do we design a lifestyle that is richer, slower, and far more fulfilling without burning through our savings?
Today, we are taking things to a whole new level.
We are officially launching a brand-new, ongoing video series on YouTube—and this is just the very first piece of a massive content ecosystem we are building right here on the website!
🎬 Episode 1 Is Live: The $7,200/Month Baseline
We aren't starting with vague theory or sugar-coated tourist brochures. We are starting with raw, unapologetic math.
In our premiere video, we break down our real-world baseline living output in Melbourne ($7,200+ AUD / $4,750+ USD per month), why rent spikes and local inflation forced us to re-evaluate everything, and the exact moment a 30-Baht bowl of Khao Soi in Asia changed our financial perspective forever.
👉 WATCH EPISODE 1 NOW: Retire in Australia or Asia? The $7,200/Month Melbourne Math
Why This Is Just the Beginning (And What’s Coming Next)
This isn't just a one-off vlog or a casual travel recap. This is the launch of an entire multi-season roadmap designed to give you a front-row seat to global cost-of-living arbitrage, housing deep-dives, healthcare checks, and lifestyle tests.
Here is a sneak peek at what we are rolling out across the series:
1. The Global City Benchmarks (Season 1)
We’re putting major Asian hubs to the test against our $7,200/month baseline:
Singapore: The World-Class Stepping Stone (Safety, MRT efficiency, $6 Michelin Hawker food, but world-class housing prices).
Vietnam (Danang & Hoi An): The 50% Cost Cut Test (Can you live like royalty on $3,600 AUD / $2,400 USD a month?).
Thailand (Chiang Mai & Beyond): The Expat Sweet Spot for health, community, and daily value.
2. Multi-Perspective Expat Guests & Housing Hunts (Seasons 2 & 3)
We are joining forces with guest couples from around the world to bring you localized real estate perspectives:
Japan (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto): Teaming up with New York expats to inspect $30,000$USD vacant "Akiya" homes, restored townhouses, and suburban bargains.
Malaysia (KL, Penang, Ipoh): Joining UK expats to explore British Malaya colonial architecture, $400/month luxury rentals, world-class medical tourism, and the MM2H long-term visa paths.
How to Follow the Journey
Every single video in this new series will be paired with exclusive downloadable spreadsheets, itemized expense ledgers, housing walkthroughs, and deep-dive articles right here on EatRunTravelRetire.com.
Here’s how to make sure you never miss a update:
📺 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and hit the notification bell so you get alerted the second a new episode drops.
📩 Sign up for our Email Newsletter below to get our private monthly Cost-of-Living Spreadsheets delivered straight to your inbox.
💬 Leave a comment on the video: What destination or budget figure do you want us to test next? We read and reply to every single one!
Buckle up—this is going to be one incredible ride. Welcome to Season 1!
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