The International Schools Review Forum

Living and working overseas has provided significantly more economic stability to our family than working in our home countries. The cost is that our family has to travel about 25-30 hours and spend about $10K USD on flights every time we want to visit family and friends in our home countries. While our school does cover some of this, by the time we add the flights, the rental car, potential accommodations and general travel expenses for summer months, it really starts to add up.

As a result, even though we are in a great region and at an excellent school that we and are children our happy at, we have wondered about moving closer to home due to this long and expensive annual travel home. If we did move closer to home, this definitely would mean less pay as the schools in these general regions do not cover housing etc.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, and did you decide to stay in the good economic conditions, or move closer to home and give up some of the economic benefits?

Overseas. Holiday for about 1 month a year involving actual travel, whereas living and working for the other 11 months. Why go through all the woes and work for 11 months just to make the 1 month of holiday easier and less coin

@PsyGuy
I assume they mean to be 'overseas' in both scenarios, with 'closer to home' likely meaning a country that is a shorter (and cheaper) flight to their home country.

But @zenteach, please correct me if I'm wrong - it's not 100% clear from your post, although you would have probably written 'back home' instead of 'closer to home' if you meant to move back to your home country. I could be mistaken though. Either way, I would just calculate in which location you would ultimately save more.
I imagine that moving closer to home would would cause you to lose out on more in savings potential than that 10K in travel expenses. Plus you would still spend money on travelling home even if you would move closer, and cost of living might be higher along with the lower salary.

Long flights are indeed a hassle (I know from experience), but it's only once a year (plus return). Also, being in a great region and at an excellent school that you and your children are happy at makes you very, very fortunate, in addition to the economic stability you mentioned. I would count my blessings if I were you, and just accept the hassle of long annual flights. Maybe look into using HomeExchange(.com) to cut down on costs - some homes even include the use of the owner's car.

Yes, "closer home" refers to being in a country with a shorter and cheaper flight. It does not refer to moving back to home country. I do not think that any countries closer to home would pay close to the amount that we receive where we are right now. Though I have not investigated that in a lot of detail.

That is a really good point that the hassle of the travel is just once a year. Happy children are priceless, and I will count my blessings! I think I need to just figure out how to lower the overall cost of the annual trip home.

I was assuming it meant returning to their HOR. As the LW intended to mean OS, than Im in agreement with @Heliotrope. International travel is still international trvel, the difference in flights in marginal if not trivial compared to the other costs of international being about the same, hotels, eating out, entertainment, etc. all have comparable costs regardless of where you go. Saving a few hundred at best per flight doesnt make the metrics of what the LW would be giving up to save 1K in coin which is what 1/30th or 1/50th of salary. Its pence wise pound foolish.

This is a really relatable dilemma, and a lot of international families eventually hit the same crossroads. The financial stability of working overseas can make life feel more secure, but the emotional and logistical cost of being so far from family is very real—especially when flights home take a full day and a huge chunk of the yearly budget.

Some people choose to stay because the long-term financial benefits (savings, retirement, quality of life, school environment) outweigh the travel hurdles. Others eventually move closer to home because the constant distance—both emotional and financial—starts to feel heavier than the economic advantages.

There isn’t a right answer, but a few things to consider:

How often do you need to visit home? Some families shift to visiting less frequently to reduce the cost and stress.

How sustainable is the current setup for your kids as they get older?

Would the lower salary near home still allow for a comfortable life, even if leaner?

Which stress feels bigger: financial strain or distance from family?

People who stayed often say the stability and school quality made it worth it. Those who moved closer to home usually say the emotional relief outweighed the lower salary.

Whatever you choose, it sounds like you’re thinking about it in a healthy, realistic way—and many families have made either option work. If you want, I can help you break down pros and cons based on your specific region.