You can’t move to a new country on hope. You need money. Not a lot by Western standards, but enough that you’re not panicking two months in wondering how you’re going to pay rent. Here’s what actually needs to happen before you leave.
Know Your Number
First, figure out what you actually need to live where you’re going. In Albania, you can live on less than a thousand a month if you’re disciplined. But that’s bare minimum. Most people want more than bare minimum, better apartment, ability to travel, money for emergencies, space for guests. The real cost of living numbers for Albania are worth reading before you set your target.
My number is twenty-four hundred a month Canadian. That covers a two- or three-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood, food, utilities, internet, transportation, going out occasionally, and a cushion for unexpected costs. In Albania that’s more than comfortable. In Thailand it works. In smaller cities in Georgia or Bosnia that’s a solid middle-class income.
Your number will be different. Maybe it’s fifteen hundred. Maybe it’s three thousand. Figure it out based on your actual lifestyle, not fantasies about living on five hundred a month.
Client-Based Income: What You Need
If your income comes from clients, freelancing, consulting, proposal writing, whatever, you need multiple clients locked in before you leave. Not one. Multiple. When a client disappears, you need to keep earning.
I’m aiming for enough clients that I’m saying no to some work. Not because I’m arrogant, but because that means my pipeline is full. I have more work available than I can take. That’s the position you want to be in before you relocate.
How many clients? That depends on project size and duration. If you have three retainer clients paying five hundred each, you’re at fifteen hundred a month. Add two more and you’re at twenty-five hundred. That’s stable. That’s safe.
Before you leave, you need to prove this works. Not just land the clients, but work with them long enough to know they’re reliable. Three months minimum. Six months better. You need to know they’re real, they pay on time, and they’re not going to disappear next month.
Also worth knowing: Albania’s digital nomad visa route requires proof of at least 450 euros per month in remote income. That’s not a high bar, but you need documented invoices or a contract to back it up.
Cash Buffer
If you’re client-based, you also need cash in the bank. At least three months of living expenses. More if you can manage it. Clients sometimes disappear. Projects end. Money slows down. You need to survive that without panicking and taking terrible work just to pay rent.
Three months of twenty-four hundred is seventy-two hundred dollars. That’s not nothing. But it’s the difference between leaving confidently and leaving on a prayer.
You’ll also want that cash accessible from abroad without massive fees. Set up Wise before you leave. It’s the easiest way to hold Canadian dollars and convert them to local currency when you need to, at mid-market rates with transparent fees. Most Canadian banks charge CA$5 per foreign ATM withdrawal plus poor exchange rates. Wise costs a fraction of that.
Website or Product Income: Different Timeline
If your income comes from a website or product, like this one, the timeline is longer. Websites take time to generate meaningful revenue. Most take eighteen months to two years before they’re earning enough to count on.
My timeline for Roam50 generating real income is two to three years before it’s contributing meaningfully to my twenty-four hundred target. I can’t count on it to justify leaving. It’s a bonus, not a plan.
If you’re building website income as your exit strategy, be realistic about the timeline. You’re looking at a year minimum before you see real money, two years before it’s reliable. Plan accordingly.
The Hybrid Approach
The smartest approach is probably hybrid. Lock in enough client work to cover your monthly needs, build a website or content business on the side, and have cash saved as a buffer. That way you’re not dependent on any single income stream.
For me that’s the plan. Steady clients covering twenty-four hundred, Roam50 and other content projects building long-term, and enough saved to survive a few months if things slow down. Once you’re in Albania, setting up how your money actually moves is the next practical step.
Before You Leave
Don’t leave until this is real. Not theoretical. Not “I think I can land clients.” Actually landed. Actually paid. Actually recurring every month for at least three months.
For someone starting from zero with client work, you’re looking at three to six months to land clients and prove they’re stable. For someone building website income, it’s eighteen months to two years. For someone who already has clients, it’s however long it takes to lock in enough recurring work to feel safe.
There’s no magic number. There’s only the point where you’ve done the work, proven it works, and you’re confident enough to bet your life on it. Don’t leave before that point. Everything else, visa, apartment, community, those you can figure out. But money? Money you need to know before you go.