First off, think how much is saved when turning off the following for five months a year: automobile insurance and maintenance costs, electricity and water bills, as well as Internet and TV subscriptions! These add up to more than the upfront costs of airfare and visas. Moreover, it's almost always more economical to live in the countries to which we travel. We, of course, eat much more healthily in the tropics for much less.
For example, in several weeks we'll be leaving for Bali, Indonesia. Spending our initial couple of months in such a lauded location sounds as though it might be very expensive. However, take a look at the information provided by numeo.com. The chart above compares the cost of living in Vancouver, Canada and Bali, Indonesia collected today. Click the graphic for more details on the website itself.