The 53 most expensive and cheapest countries to be an expat have been revealed – with an Asian country coming out on top and a ‘crazy expensive’ nation on the North American continent at the bottom.
The table was compiled by a Swiss-based expat guide Internationalbased on an expat survey in which respondents were asked about satisfaction with their financial situation and whether a disposable household income is enough to lead a comfortable life.
Read on for the full results. Where would you most like to move? Go to the comments section.
The most affordable countries
1. Vietnam
Vietnam comes out on top for the third time in a row, with one American expat telling InterNations: ‘The people are very friendly and the cost of living is very low.’
More than four in five expats (86 percent) living in Vietnam are satisfied with the country’s cost of living, while 68 percent say their disposable household income is more than enough to live a comfortable life.
Overall, 65 percent of expats say they are satisfied with their financial situation in Vietnam and this is not just due to the low cost of living. Just under one in five expats in Vietnam say they earn $150,000 (£118,000) a year.
The 53 most expensive and cheapest countries to be an expat have been revealed, with Vietnam ranked as the most affordable in the world. More than four out of five expats living in Vietnam are satisfied with the country’s cost of living. Pictured is Ho Chi Minh City
An expat living in second place Colombia says they enjoy the country’s ‘affordable cost of living’. In the photo is Bogota
Indonesia places third on the list, with just under three quarters of expats satisfied with their financial situation. In the picture is Jakarta
2. Colombia
On the other side of the globe, Colombia is second best for affordability, with one expat from Malta telling InterNations: ‘I enjoy the relaxed way of life and the affordable cost of living.’
Almost nine out of ten expats in Colombia (85 percent) are satisfied with the South American country’s low cost of living, while 91 percent say their disposable income is more than enough to live a comfortable life.
Just under 90 percent of expats (89 percent) say they are satisfied with their financial situation in Colombia.
3. Indonesia
Indonesia places third on the list, with a Canadian expat revealing to InterNations: ‘What do I like about Indonesia? The climate, the safety and tranquility, the friendliness, the clean air and nature and the low cost of living!’
More than two-thirds of expats (69 percent) living in Indonesia are satisfied with the country’s cost of living, while 86 percent said their disposable income is enough to lead a comfortable life.
Just under three-quarters (72 percent) of expats in Indonesia are satisfied with their financial situation.
The least affordable countries
Canada is the world’s least affordable country to be an expat, with one foreign resident describing the country as ‘crazy expensive’. Pictured is Toronto
Finland is second from last on the list, with one in five expats not satisfied with their financial situation. In the picture is Helsinki
The UK lands in the bottom three for durability, with one expat saying they are ‘unable’ to live on their own on their current salary. In the picture is London
53. Canada
The last place out of the 53 countries is Canada, where a Spanish expat reveals to InterNations: ‘The cost of living is crazy expensive. Going out for a meal or drinks feels like a luxury.’
More than half of expats (53 percent) say their disposable income is not enough to live a comfortable life in Canada.
And the country is rated expensive by 66 percent of expats living there, while more than a quarter of foreign residents (26 percent) say their financial situation is ‘very bad’.
52. Finland
In second from last place for affordability is Finland, where one in five expats (20 percent) say they are not at all satisfied with their financial situation.
Just over half (51 percent) are dissatisfied with the Nordic country’s high cost of living and, making the country’s high prices painful, just under seven in ten (69 percent) expats say their annual income in Finland is less than $50 000 (£39,500).
51. UK
The UK lands in the bottom three, with one American expat telling InterNations: ‘I wish our salaries matched the cost of living. I can get by, but ideally I’d like to be able to live on my own and I can’t do that on my current salary.’
More than half of expats (58 per cent) are unhappy with the high cost of living in the UK, while two in five (43 per cent) say their disposable household income is not enough to live a comfortable life.
Overall, 37 percent of expats living in the UK are dissatisfied with their financial situation.
