Thinking About Moving? Consider These Foreign Locations
Many people have the dream of living in another country, for at least some time during their life. And with good reason. There are so many benefits. Moving overseas can dramatically change your life for the better. In fact, there are a whole host of reasons why people decide to move to another country. Living overseas can offer new opportunities, new lifestyles, new careers, and a new direction. Lately, I feel like most of my European friends are considering moving back home just to have a better quality of living. America is the land of the free, but maybe not the financially free. So after much discussion and round table between friends, this is what we have come up with, as far as where they most consider moving to when thinking of foreign locations. Check them out, you might be suprised. I sure was!
Australia
When people think of the “Land Down Under,” they always state how expensive it is. I was surprised to learn that moving to Australia is relatively easy for Americans, especially if you’re between the ages of 18 and 30. Those that fall in this age range qualify for a working holiday visa, which allows you to live and work in Australia for a full year. Who knew? Why aren’t more people doing this? I don’t know! Probably because no one made them aware of this fact! Australia is one of the best countries for Americans to move to short-term with a student visa or a skilled migrant visa. If you love it and want to stay in Australia long term, it’s helpful to be sponsored by a business and then apply for permanent residency, and eventually by citizenship. Check Australia’s Visa Finder tool for more information. You could have a whole new life and also make a kangaroo as a friend!
Canada
I have a lot of Canadian friends. I even have some family on the east coast of Canada. Most people who move to Canada end up in one of its three largest cities: Toronto (Ontario), Montreal (Québec), or Vancouver (British Columbia). Those cities also do tend to have higher costs of living. However, they’re still more affordable than their US counterparts; the average rent for a two-bedroom in the notoriously expensive (for Canada) Toronto is around $2,300, which is still way lower on average than it is in New York or Los Angeles. Meanwhile, both Ottawa and Québec City are currently some of Canada’s most affordable cities. Real estate in Toronto continues to boom, with prices rising the most in almost two years amid dwindling supply. I am definitely considering visiting there in 2020 to check out Montreal and Toronto. Friends say to visit in the Spring warmer months.
Germany
I love Germany. Work-life balance is amazing there. The unemployment rate in Germany is much lower than in other G7 countries. In general, Germans work fewer hours than in the UK and your minimum annual holiday entitlement is typically 30 days. If you decide to start a family, women are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave with 100% pay, and men also have paternity rights. That’s not all. When it comes to medical care, Germany has one of the best reputations in the world. Everyone is required by law to have medical insurance, even if you’re unemployed or unable to work. The cost of living in Germany is very impressive. For example, in Berlin, the cost of living index is 16.27% lower than that of London. Education standards are top-notch and international students also go free. Read that all again. Yes…why aren’t we all moving to Germany? Hmm.
Bahrain
Okay this was my biggest surprised. Perhaps this tiny island-nation in the Arabian Gulf isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of packing up the house for new beginnings, but Bahrain makes a strong showing this year. Bahrain has, over the past few years, positioned itself as a regional financial hub, which translates to the fifth-place spot in HSBC’s economics ranking, displacing noted powerhouse Hong Kong. A full 48 percent of expats said their incomes are at least 50 percent higher than back home, and 80 percent say they’ve been able to save more and pay off outstanding debts because of the move. When it comes to wage growth, Bahrain takes the top spot. Let’s see what happens there in 2020!
More to come as I dream about future travels. Stay tuned!
"I’ve had the most wonderful mentors and I’m super grateful that I had the right people championing me along the way." - Tamela D'Amico-
