Today the world is so much more assessable than ever before and you will find an increasing number of people seizing the opportunity to move abroad and discover a new lifestyle – here are some popular places people move to…
Australia
From surf and sun to exotic wildlife and amazing nature, the reasons why so many people dream of moving to Australia are many.
But the reason that makes you want to stay, is the relaxed vibe and atmosphere of the people.
Even Sydney, which is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country, has a laid back vibe and the people are extremely friendly and open minded.
You have the exotic nature with western culture and English language, making it an easy place to move to – while New Zealand also is an attractive place to move to, the salaries are significantly higher in Australia.
Costa Rica
The crystal clear waters with amazing diving, the vibrant people, some of the most ideal climates in the world, and the cheaper costs of living makes Costa Rica one of the most popular places to move to, especially for Americans.
The country is known for its high quality of living (Costa Ricans have one of the highest life spans in the world), and if you’re looking for an easy life and a simpler lifestyle, Costa Rica is it.
With stunning beaches, great surfing, and exciting nature, there is plenty to explore in this little country.
Colombia is also becoming more and more popular, but Costa Rica is still in the lead.
Singapore
Singapore is a fascinating place, and I was surprised to see just how mixed the population was.
Singapore is truly a melting pot of people from different ethnics, cultures and religions from all over the world, living in harmony together.
With places like Chinatown and Little India, you can step into a “different world” every day, and as English is the official business language in Singapore many people are completely fluent which makes it very easy as a foreigner.
Singapore is also one of the safest countries in the world, and everywhere you go the streets are immaculately clean.
But all of this has a price, and it is a high one – if you get a job in Singapore, you will most definitely be able to pay the bills, and there are plenty of jobs to find in Singapore – in fact they have an extremely low unemployment rate – if you need affordable hotels in Singapore to stay while you look for a permanent place, you can use Expedia …
Spain
Spain has long been a favorite country for northern Europeans to relocate to, and while the economic crisis surely has affected the number of people moving there at the moment, there are a lot of Brits, Germans and Scandinavians who have been living there for decades, madly in love ever since they went on their first Costa del Sol holidays.
I would say that it’s not a wise decision to move there if you need to find a job (they’re hard to find and the wages are low), but if you’re a freelancer and can work anywhere you like, or retired – Spain still has the sun and Sangrias, and those two reasons alone are often enough for a lot of people to pack their bags and find a home.
Thailand
Life in Thailand is easy – it’s comfortable, cheap and very well connected both internationally as well as within the country, to make traveling easy.
Whether you want to find an apartment for a month or a year, it’s really easy to do in Thailand, without binding yourself too much.
Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi province are popular places to settle down in Thailand – and they all have their perks.
Thailand is a beautiful country with exotic flora and fauna, beaches in the south and hill tribes in the north.
Before you move
Before selling your house, packing your bags and chase your dream in foreign lands, go there for a shorter trip first to see how you like it – visit the country and stay there for a couple of months preferably, to really get an idea of what life is like there.
Buy a one-way ticket from a website like Directline-holidays, travel around the country and meet others who are living there to find out what they think of it.
Where in the world would you like to live?
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I love this list! Awesome and I am inspired.
Glad to hear we inspired you!
I would add Vietnam and Indonesia to that list. A lot of Australian’s are moving to Bali and Lombok particularly to retire. So much cheaper than Australia.
Yes Indonesia is a lot cheaper than Australia, and very close too. I could definitely imagine living there, if I could just find a way to avoid the Bali belly!
Thanks for adding your favorites to the list.
Great list! I’m in process of picking a country right now … I’d love to hear more details about Thailand and Spain in particular. I’d like to write and swim daily, eat well, be safe and healthy, and not spend too much money. Too much to ask?
With that criteria you have plenty of places to choose from, and both Thailand and Spain would be great!
While both countries have beaches, good food and are relatively safe places, it’s difficult to compare the two as they are just so different.
The cultures, people and vibes are completely different, so it all comes down to what you want.
If money plays a big role, then Thailand is cheaper.
I would suggest visiting both countries first before deciding on anything long term, you don’t want to commit to something before knowing what it is that you’re committing yourself to.
Good luck!
Good choices guys! I think I could live in all 5 of them, with Singapore at the last place.
Thanks! Yeah they all have their own perks, I could also see myself living in these places for a little while, although not forever
A lot of people like Singapore…it’s squeaky clean, but Costa Rica surprises me. I would also venture to say Italy and Hong Kong too, simply because of the lifestyle, and ample job opportunities (HK).
Yeah, everyone we met in Singapore who had moved there absolutely loved it.
Italy is a beautiful country, although I’d prefer going there on a visit as a tourist than actually living there..
Well I have lived in several countries but none on this list: Sweden, Canada and the UK.
Newt dream countries would probably be Argentina, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany and Canada again
I take it that Canada has been your favorite so far?
I could see myself living in Canada too, in one of the ski resorts.
What did you think of living in Sweden? I’m curious, as I’m Swedish myself.
Sweden should be number 1!
If you ask me, I think it actually is the best place I have ever lived (US, UK, and Ukraine are the others). It’s very clean, you get a lot of benefits as a resident like health care and free Swedish language classes and almost everyone speaks English which makes things so much easier if you haven’t mastered the language before coming. Great nature, beautiful cities..
Very interesting about Singapore. I never imagined it to have such a mixture of cultures. Need to get there!
That is so nice to hear! Yes there are a lot of benefits for people living in Sweden, things that once I started traveling I realized I had been taking for granted.
Which city in Sweden do you live in?
Malmö and I love it. Just applied for an extension to my residence permit so fingers crossed I will be here at least another year!
Oh that’s a great city. We were actually considering moving there, but other things came up so we never did.
Good luck on the extension permit, I’m sure you’ll get it!
If you are thinking about Australia, here is a quick rundown on the personality of each city, in comparison to Seinfeld characters.
Sydney – Jerry. The star of the show, has it all happening.
Melbourne – Elaine. Bold, brash and always going places.
Brisbane – Kramer. Unpredictable and unforgettable.
Adelaide – Frank Costanza – Full of personality. Just make sure that you do not make him take his shoes off in your house.
Hobart- George. Quirky, intriguing and you can not look away.
As you can see I am biased.
If Australia was a series then it would be called – Sydney.
Haha this is hilarious, wonderful way to describe these cities!
I adore Singapore; I’ve never been in so cosmopolitan a city in my life, and I grew up outside New York!
That said, we’ve been living in Panama City, Panama, for almost two years, and love it. Think Costa Rica with a more urban vibe and lower prices. It’s become a banking hub and has the canal, plus it had 100 years of U.S. influence so its infrastructure is good. Plus there are plenty of expats around, so it’s easy to make friends.
I’ve also heard that Uruguay is underrated.
Yes Singapore is one of the most cosmopolitan cities we’ve been to as well, an exciting place to be.
Great to hear you enjoy Panama, sounds like a really nice place to live.
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I should add the Island Country Sri Lanka to the list, such an amazing country to visit and stay . For me it’s like being in many countries. If you need sunny from cool climate in the same day, both are just few hours drive away from each other. It has good health care sevices and other infrastructure as well. If you really need to be calm and get rid of hectic city life, Sri Lanka is the ideal place to live.