the true cost of being an expatriate is the 'opportunity cost' (any economists out there??)

i.e. the cost of what you are doing / proposing, as measured against the alternative.

The real cost of becoming an expatriate is what you give up - home, family, etc.

Essentially, it seems to me (after 10 years in KSA, and 1 year in Big Q) that you 'put your real life on hold' for the (undoubted) benefits of saving a lot of money, having good holidays, enjoying the sun, making new friends, being part of new cultures, being safer than at home, generally having less stress - oh, hang on, maybe it is not that bad after all!!