'Enjoying life': an American moved to Georgia and chic there for little money - ForumDaily
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'Enjoy life': American moved to Georgia and chic there for little money

In 2020, Mike Swigunsky was among the millions of people in lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. But instead of sitting still, Swigunsky found himself 6000 miles (nearly 10 km) from home alone in a foreign country. How the coronavirus dramatically changed the life of an American and how he ended up in Georgia, the publication said CNBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

Svigunski planned to stay in Georgia for only 30 days. But when Georgia closed its borders in early March to contain the spread of the virus, the Missouri native was forced to extend his stay in the country's capital, Tbilisi.

However, as Swigunsky recalls, he quickly fell in love with Tbilisi's charm, as well as its laid-back culture of good food and warm hospitality. Now 33-year-old Svigunsky lives and works from Tbilisi as a remote entrepreneur, a decision that has helped him live "a higher quality of life for little money."

If he lived in the US, says Swigunsky, "I would have to work a lot more ... now I'm semi-retired."

Tragedy and Wanderlust

Swigunsky had always dreamed of traveling the world, and before graduating from the University of Missouri in 2011, he found himself at a crossroads: take a traditional corporate job or go to Prague, where he was offered to lead a group of students studying abroad.

But a month before graduation, Svigunsky's mother died of breast cancer.

“I was completely devastated,” he says. “I was 22 years old and had no idea which way to go, but I knew that my mother wanted me to follow my dream.”

He decided to follow his dream and booked a one-way ticket to Europe.

Since then, Swigunsky has traveled to more than 100 countries, living and working in different places for months or years: he has been a travel writer in Korea, an advertising manager in Australia, and a marketing and sales manager in New Zealand.

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Four years ago, Swigunsky decided to monetize his remote work and travel experience. His business, Global Career, is an online resource with message boards, workshops, coaching and more where people can learn about entrepreneurship as a digital nomad.

“These services help other people by inspiring them to take a new path or start their own global career,” he explains. “I want to help other people become digital nomads faster.”

Living in Georgia is 'ten times' cheaper than living in the US

Swigunsky's annual income ranges from $250 to $000, and thanks to tax breaks in Georgia, he can keep much more of his income than if he lived in the US.

Georgia has a 1% tax rate for individual small business owners like Svigunsky, while the US has a tax credit that excludes income up to $112 from taxation.

“Running multiple businesses from Georgia is definitely a lot easier than if I were based in the US, and it mostly comes down to cost,” he comments. “If I were trying to replicate the same infrastructure in the US, it would probably be about ten times more expensive.”

Under Georgian law, citizens from 98 countries, including the US, can reside there for one full year without a visa and apply for an extension after that, which is why Svigunsky still lives in Georgia.

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His biggest expenses are rent and utilities, which together add up to about $696 a month. Swigunsky lives in a three-room apartment with his own garden, which he found through a local realtor.

“As soon as I saw this place, I fell in love,” the American admits.

Here is Swigunsky's monthly breakdown of expenses (as of February 2022):

  • Rent and utilities: $696
  • Food: $ 469
  • Transport: $28
  • Phone: $3
  • Subscriptions: $16
  • Medical insurance: $42
  • Travel: $338
  • Total: $ 1592

One aspect of life that Swigunsky dislikes is cooking. So when he moved to Georgia, he hired a private chef who came to his house six days a week and prepared meals for him, which cost about $250 per person.

A private chef may seem like a luxury, but Swigunsky says it actually saved him a lot of money.

“Without the chef, I would eat a lot more and order food,” he says. “But having a chef allows me to eat healthier and save money and time that I can spend on my business instead.”

“I am happier in Tbilisi than anywhere else”

A favorite part of nomadic entrepreneur Swigunsky is that "every day looks different."

Every morning he likes to enjoy a cup of coffee and read a book outdoors in his garden, then meditate and exercise a bit before getting to work.

He usually works from home because that's where he's "most productive," but sometimes he goes to cafes or co-working spaces with friends.

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According to Swigunsky, one of the biggest differences between living in Georgia and the US is that Georgians are "much more relaxed."

“Many places don’t even open until 10:00, and in general Georgians work to live, not live to work,” the entrepreneur sums up.

There is a phrase that describes Georgian hospitality: "A guest is a gift from God." This is also true of Swigunsky, who notes that the people are "very welcoming to foreigners" and, in his experience, "completely wonderful."

But life abroad is not as glamorous as it might seem at first glance.

“It's not for everyone,” Swigunsky says. “There will be many different variables that you cannot replicate from your old life in the US.”

Since Georgia is still a developing country, the American explains, “electricity or water is cut off here a little more often than in other places - this does not happen every day, but a couple of times a year.”

Although Swigunsky sometimes misses his family and friends in the US, he says he is "happier living in Tbilisi than anywhere else in the world" and plans to stay in Tbilisi for the foreseeable future.

“Would I ever live in the USA again? I don’t want to talk about absolutes, I love America,” he says. “But for now, I’m just enjoying my life abroad.”

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