My H was born and raised in a different country. He was surprised to learn so many kids go away to college here in this country, sometimes far away. He said where he grew up, the expectation was kids lived at home and commuted to the nearest university (and in general, did not move out of the parents home until married).
When one of our kids went away to South America on exchange in HS, the host family’s older kids, one in college, one in law school, still lived at home and commuted.
I did point out yes, different cultures, but also H and the host family were living in very large major cities, with universities easily accessible by efficient public transportation systems.
It did take some time for him to get used to the idea of the kids going away, but off they went!