There are some banks in the US that allow free wire transfers anywhere. The one I remember was Washington Mutual. Luckily, Citibank has a deal with my employer so I was able to open a private banking account without needing to be "wealthy". They also provide free wires internationally. The thing is the receiving bank will likely charge you something unless it's also Citibank. I also have an HSBC internet banking account which gives you free ATM withdrawals internationally. So I haven't been charged for any of my ATM withdrawals. Citi charges a 1% fee I think for each withdrawal even from Citi's branches overseas.