As much as I want it to be that easy, picking a country to live in is everything but easy. I want to think that it’s just hopping on a plane, getting there, settling in your new home and starting to explore all the beauties the place has to offer. In a fantasy world, that would be as stress-free as it can possibly be and more importantly, cheap. Very, very cheap. In reality however, the countries that are most attractive to live in, are also the most expensive ones, as various researches have shown. Starting from buying a house, up to everyday expenses, there are a lot of things to be considered when planning to move into a new country.
Aussies love Australia, and Australia is one of the countries that are really attractive to live in, but for obvious reasons, many people are magnetically drawn to other expensive corners of the world, such as the USA, Japan, Canada, and some European countries. Here’s the list.
5USA
United States or commonly known as the “land of opportunity”, can easily be referred as the centre of all events, which is the main reason why people from all around the world want to live there. However, when searching for houses for sale USA is the leader of high prices and extremely complex process of integration regarding payments, taxes, mortgages and similar. Among the most expensive cities where you can search for houses for sale USA situated are New York, Washington DC and San Francisco where the average price for a small house ranges between $500 000 to $1 000 000. Plus, everyday expenses are also high: a coffee can cost you up to $7 here, and renting a home can cost you from $3000-$5000 a month. So, if you want to move to this amazing country, make sure you hire an agency to help you find housing upfront; the Internet can be quite the friend here.
4Switzerland
Who doesn’t want to live in a neighbourhood that looks something like the Shire from the famous “Lord of the Rings” movie? All green, designed to perfection, with everyone constantly being on-time, and the home to some of the most heavenly delicious chocolate producing companies in the world! Not to talk about the luxurious brands of jewellery and watches and the fact that Switzerland is the banking centre of the world. Naturally, all this comes with a price. Everything is expensive here; the high minimum wages lead to higher costs of living, and consequently, very high rents, which may be even harder to cope with than the process of searching houses for sale in USA for example.
3Sweden
Their language is very hard to understand (and learn, for that matter) and their climate may not be very welcoming especially for people who are used to living in very hot environments, like Aussies. However, as one of Europe’s top 5 richest countries, Sweden is not just a cold country; even though IKEA can offer you some really cheap furniture elements, the housing in Stockholm and its surrounding area will cost you about 30% of your monthly income. Food and clothing are also expensive, and the alcohol is sold by a government-run monopoly, which basically means off-limits for people with limited budget.
2Norway
Norway is not just a cold country surrounded with fjords and high mountains with a lot of snow – it has oil sources, and therefore it has a very high living standard, which is especially visible in the sky-rocketed prices of the basic goods. Prepare to start a diet if you decide to move in there.
1Japan
On the eastern side of the world, Japan holds the number one spot of expensive places to live in. The fact that this country is extremely crowded, with 127 million people living on an area smaller than California, implies high housing prices. Moreover, costs of everyday goods like bread for example, are very high – nearly $10 for a loaf of bread.
