The Dual Life Strategy: Split Your Time Between the US and Abroad

Not everyone who dreams of living abroad wants to leave the US entirely. Maybe you have aging parents who need you nearby. Maybe your job requires occasional in-person meetings. Maybe you just love certain things about American life — the national parks, the food scene, the football season — but also crave the slower pace, lower cost, and cultural richness of life in another country. The dual life strategy lets you have both.

The concept is simple: split your time between a home base in the US and an extended stay abroad, typically spending 4–6 months in each location. It is not full emigration. It is not a two-week vacation. It is a deliberate lifestyle design that captures many of the benefits of living abroad while maintaining your American roots. And thanks to remote work, better flight connections, and the explosion of digital nomad infrastructure, it has never been more feasible.

This guide covers the practical framework: tax rules you need to understand, the best countries for dual living, the financial math, healthcare logistics, and the surprisingly tricky question of how to avoid accidentally becoming a tax resident of two countries at once.

What Is the Dual Life Strategy?

The dual life strategy means maintaining a legal residence in the US while spending a significant portion of the year — typically 3 to 6 months — living in another country. You are not an expat in the traditional sense (you have not relocated permanently), and you are not a tourist (you are living and working in another country for months at a time, not just sightseeing for a week).

The people who make this work best tend to fall into a few categories: remote workers with location flexibility, retirees with no fixed schedule, freelancers and business owners who manage their own time, and couples where one or both partners can work from anywhere. The common thread is control over your calendar — if your job requires you to be in a specific US office 48 weeks a year, dual living is not practical.

The appeal goes beyond novelty. Spending part of the year in a lower-cost country stretches your money significantly. A retiree on a $3,000/month Social Security check who spends 5 months per year in Mexico or Portugal can live well abroad on $1,500/month and bank the difference. Over a decade, that is $75,000 in savings — without sacrificing quality of life.

Tax Residency Rules

The tax implications of dual living are the single most important thing to understand, because getting them wrong can trigger unexpected tax obligations in two countries simultaneously.

US federal taxes: As a US citizen, you owe federal income tax on worldwide income regardless of where you spend your time. This does not change whether you spend 12 months in the US or 6 months abroad. The FEIE (Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) is generally not available to dual-life residents because it requires 330 days outside the US in a 12-month period — if you are splitting time roughly evenly, you will not qualify.

State taxes: This is where it gets interesting. US states have their own tax residency rules, and they vary dramatically. If you maintain a home in a state with income tax (California, New York, New Jersey, etc.), that state will consider you a tax resident and tax your worldwide income regardless of how much time you spend abroad. The most effective strategy for dual-life residents is to establish your US base in a state with no income tax:

• Texas: No income tax, major airport hubs, warm climate, moderate cost of living.
• Florida: No income tax, easy residency establishment, strong infrastructure for part-time residents (the snowbird model is well understood here).
• Nevada: No income tax, proximity to the West Coast for flights to Asia and the Pacific.
• Wyoming: No income tax, low cost of living, though limited flight connections.
• Washington: No income tax, Seattle hub for Pacific flights, but high cost of living.
• South Dakota: No income tax, very easy to establish residency, popular with full-time travelers.

Foreign taxes: Most countries consider you a tax resident if you spend 183 days or more there in a calendar year. The dual-life strategy specifically avoids triggering this threshold. By keeping your stays under 183 days (and ideally well under, to provide a safety margin), you remain a visitor for tax purposes in your abroad destination.

The Best Countries for Dual Living

The ideal dual-life destination has several characteristics: easy entry for Americans (visa-free or simple visa process), affordable cost of living, good infrastructure, pleasant climate during the months you plan to visit, and a welcoming attitude toward long-staying visitors. Here are the top options:

Mexico

Mexico is the most natural dual-life destination for Americans. Tourist entry allows stays of up to 180 days — exactly half the year. Flights from most US cities are 2–5 hours and often under $300 round-trip. The cost of living in popular expat areas (Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Mérida, Lake Chapala, Puerto Vallarta) is 40–60% lower than comparable US cities. Mexico uses the same time zones as the US, making remote work seamless. Explore Mexico's full profile.

Portugal

Portugal allows visa-free stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period (Schengen area rules). For dual-life residents, this means spending up to 3 months at a time in Portugal, then rotating elsewhere or back to the US. The Algarve in winter and Lisbon or Porto in spring are particularly appealing. Cost of living is among the lowest in Western Europe, and the expat community is massive. See Portugal's data.

Costa Rica

Americans get 90 days visa-free, and the “border run” tradition (leaving for 72 hours and re-entering for another 90 days) is well-established, though it operates in a legal gray area. The country is 2–5 hours from most US cities, uses US dollars alongside the colón (reducing currency hassle), and offers world-class nature and a genuine outdoor lifestyle. The Central Valley provides year-round spring weather. View Costa Rica's profile.

Thailand

Thailand offers 60-day tourist entries (extendable by 30 days at a local immigration office), and multiple-entry tourist visas allow stays of up to 6 months with re-entries. The cost of living is dramatically low — $1,200–$2,000 per month covers a comfortable lifestyle in Chiang Mai, and $2,000–$3,500 in Bangkok. The time zone difference (12–14 hours from the US East Coast) is the biggest challenge for remote workers, but it works well for retirees or people with asynchronous work. Explore Thailand's data.

Colombia

Americans receive 90 days visa-free, extendable to 180 days. Medellín's “eternal spring” climate has made it one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads and part-time residents. Cost of living is very low ($1,200–$2,000 per month for a comfortable lifestyle), flights from Miami are 3 hours, and the country shares US East Coast time zones. The food, culture, and warmth of Colombian people are consistently cited as highlights by dual-life residents. See Colombia's profile.

The Financial Math

The dual life works financially because of the cost differential between the US and your abroad destination. Here is a worked example for someone splitting time between Florida and Mexico:

US base costs (6 months in Florida):

• Rent (1-bedroom apartment, mid-size Florida city): $1,400/month × 6 = $8,400
• Utilities, internet, phone: $250/month × 6 = $1,500
• Food and groceries: $600/month × 6 = $3,600
• Health insurance (ACA plan): $400/month × 12 = $4,800 (year-round)
• Car costs (insurance, gas, maintenance): $400/month × 6 = $2,400
• US subtotal: $20,700

Mexico costs (6 months in Mérida):

• Furnished apartment: $700/month × 6 = $4,200
• Utilities, internet, phone: $100/month × 6 = $600
• Food and groceries: $400/month × 6 = $2,400
• Travel insurance: $150/month × 6 = $900
• Round-trip flights (2 per year): $600
• Mexico subtotal: $8,700

Dual-life total: $29,400/year. Compare this to spending the full year in Florida at roughly $40,800. The dual-life approach saves about $11,400 per year while giving you six months in a different culture with a dramatically different pace of life. The savings are even more dramatic if your US base is in a higher-cost city. Use our dual life calculator to model the numbers for your specific situation.

Healthcare in Two Countries

Healthcare is the trickiest logistical element of dual living. Your US health insurance (whether employer-provided, ACA marketplace, or Medicare) generally does not cover you abroad, except for limited emergency care in some plans. You need a separate strategy for your time overseas.

The most common approaches:

• Travel medical insurance: Companies like SafetyWing, World Nomads, and IMG offer policies designed for extended travelers. SafetyWing starts at around $45/month and covers medical emergencies, hospital stays, and medical evacuation. These are not comprehensive health plans — they are emergency coverage — but they are adequate for healthy people spending a few months abroad.
• Pay-as-you-go: In many low-cost countries, routine medical care is cheap enough to pay out of pocket. A doctor's visit in Mexico runs $30–$60. A dental cleaning in Thailand costs $20–$40. Some dual-life residents carry travel insurance for catastrophic events and pay cash for everything else.
• Annual health insurance with worldwide coverage: Companies like Cigna Global and Allianz Care offer plans that cover you in both the US and abroad. These are the most comprehensive option but also the most expensive ($300–$600/month depending on age and coverage level).

If you are on Medicare: Medicare does not cover care outside the US in almost all circumstances. You need supplemental coverage for your time abroad. Some Medigap plans (Plan C, Plan D, Plan F, Plan G) offer limited foreign travel emergency coverage, but it is minimal.

Practical Logistics

The nuts and bolts of maintaining a life in two places:

Housing abroad: Long-term furnished rentals (1–6 month stays) are the sweet spot. They are significantly cheaper than Airbnb and come with the space and kitchen facilities you need for actual living, not vacationing. Facebook groups for expats in your destination city are the best source for deals — landlords post directly, cutting out platform fees. If you return to the same place each year, many landlords will hold your dates at a discount.

US housing: If you own your US home, consider renting it out during your months abroad. Short-term rental platforms (Airbnb, Furnished Finder) can generate income that partially or fully offsets your housing costs abroad. If you rent in the US, a flexible lease or subletting arrangement gives you the freedom to leave without paying for an empty apartment.

Mail and documents: Use a virtual mailbox service (Traveling Mailbox, Earth Class Mail, or PostScanMail) that scans your mail and forwards packages. This gives you a permanent US address for banking, insurance, and government correspondence while letting you access everything digitally from abroad.

Banking: The same setup recommended for full expats works here: a US bank that tolerates international usage (Schwab, Capital One), a Wise account for currency conversion, and a local debit card if you plan to stay in one country long enough to open a local account. For more detail, see our expat banking guide.

The 183-Day Tax Trap

This deserves its own section because it is the single biggest risk of the dual-life strategy. Most countries establish tax residency at 183 days of presence in a calendar year. If you trigger this threshold, you may owe income tax to that country on your worldwide income — on top of your US tax obligations.

Key rules to follow:

• Track your days meticulously. Use a spreadsheet, a day-counting app, or even a simple calendar. Count the days you are physically present in each country, including arrival and departure days (rules vary by country on whether partial days count).
• Build in a buffer. Do not cut it to 182 days. Aim for 150 or fewer. Flight cancellations, medical emergencies, or COVID-style travel disruptions can strand you past the threshold with no recourse. A 30-day buffer protects you from the unexpected.
• Understand country-specific rules. Some countries use a rolling 12-month period instead of a calendar year. Others have additional criteria beyond physical presence (center of vital interests, permanent home, economic ties) that can establish tax residency even under 183 days. The UK, Australia, and Canada have particularly complex residency tests.
• Be careful with Schengen area countries. The Schengen zone counts your days across all 27 member countries combined. If you spend 60 days in Portugal, 40 in Spain, and 30 in France, that is 130 Schengen days — approaching the 90-day tourist visa limit that resets every 180 days.

Use our tax comparison tool to understand the tax rates in your target destination so you know exactly what is at stake if you accidentally trigger residency.

Getting Started

The dual-life strategy is the lowest-risk way to experience living abroad. You do not have to sell your house, quit your job, or commit to a permanent move. You are testing the waters with a safety net — your US base is still there, your bank accounts are intact, your credit score is maintained, and you can pull back at any time if it does not work.

Start small. Pick one destination and spend one or two months there before committing to a full season. Treat it as a trial run: can you work effectively from here? Do you enjoy the daily rhythm? Is the cost savings real, or are you spending more than expected on dining out and experiences? The answers will tell you whether dual living is a good fit for you.

If the trial goes well and you find yourself wanting to spend even more time abroad, our guide to leaving the US covers the full commitment — visas, residency, permanent relocation. And if you are still choosing a destination, the country matching quiz analyzes 95 countries against your priorities to find the best fits. The best dual-life destinations are often different from the best full-move destinations — proximity, flight costs, and visa-free stay limits matter more when you are traveling back and forth.

For the financial modeling side, our dual life calculator lets you plug in your specific income, costs, and destination to see exactly what the numbers look like. And for more on the emotional and practical realities of spending time abroad, see our article on what nobody tells you about moving abroad.