Cost of living - Expat Magazine
Today, travel and tourism play a significant role in the global economy. Some cities, however, are more attractive than others for various reasons including their historical and cultural heritage, availability of opportunities, as well as leisure activities for each and everyone. Mastercard's Global Destinations Index 2018 gives you an insight into the most visited cities around the world according to the number of international arrivals, the duration of stay and the amount spent by visitors. Discover the six most popular cities with Expat.com.
Moving abroad usually means going on an adventure to discover new places, cultures, and lifestyles. Often, expats are tempted to go and explore beyond their host country, especially when travelling is easily accessible. If you're the adventurous type, Expat.com gives you an insight into five of the world's most historically, naturally, and culturally rich countries according to the Intrepid Adventure Index 2018.
If you are a seasoned urbanite, most likely your eyes and personality are trained to find the beauty and unique characteristics in every city you live in. Of course, each place has its positive and negative aspects, but some destinations are closer to our heart. Here, we present five charming and contemporary cities around the world, which are not the capital cities.
Portugal
Coming from Toulouse, Marine is a young wanderer at heart and lifestyle blogger. Following her stay in Dublin, she flies to Southeast Asia for a four months vacation with her husband. As an entrepreneur couple, their quest for new opportunities and a better quality of life lead them to Portugal. She talks to Expat.com about her expat experience and entrepreneurship in Portugal.
Millennials demand flexibility at work, push off marriage until they have established their career and have become financially stable, and are more interested in experiences than homeownership. These digital, entrepreneurial, and well-travelled young people cherish change and are keen to take up the challenge of relocation. But where do Millennials flock to, and what are their criteria for liking a place? Nestpick, a global accommodation website, has ranked 110 cities based on professional opportunities, good quality of life, tolerance, and recreation. Here are the five most popular urban centres among Millennials for this year.
USA
Working parents in the United States are facing daunting hurdles to find high-quality and affordable care for their children due to the country's inadequate childcare system. Each state has a unique setting, but what all states have in common are the high cost of childcare and the difficulty to access a system whose priority is not the welfare of parents, children, and professional carers.
Whether you are a wholehearted urbanite, or you are about to move to a big city, here's a list of the top ten places in the world for a fulfilling city life. Time Out has surveyed 15,000 city-dwellers about the ways they have fun in their city, the cost of living, their lifestyle satisfaction, and the qualities of the people who surround them, and has composed a list of 32 inspiring cities. Expat.com is presenting to you the top ten most exciting cities to live in, where each day can be a new adventure.
A hefty salary doesn't necessarily mean that you can save a ton of money at the end of the month, or that you can afford big expenditure on leisure activities and luxury items. Cost of living has a direct impact on all of the above. Starting with the least expensive, we present to you America's ten most expensive metropolitan areas, where a six-figure annual salary for a family of three isn't enough for a comfortable lifestyle. After paying their taxes, debts, housing, and transportation, a family earning $100,000 a year is still struggling to get by in certain US cities.
Education and schooling will be one of your primary concerns if you're looking to move abroad with your family. Like most concerned parents, you're probably pondering on the benefits of international schooling for your children in your host country. International schooling more often than not, comes with a hefty cost. How far are you willing to invest in your children's education and how convinced are you that they will be able to adapt to the local education system? To help you choose wisely, here is an insight into international school fees around the world according to an ExpatFinder survey.
Argentina
Born in the Fraser Valley, close to Vancouver, Sharilyn spent some 20 years in Calagary where she worked with the Red Cross before setting up her own consultancy company. Six years ago, she chose to move to Argentina where she got the opportunity to develop an eco hotel inside a wildlife reserve. Sharilyn speaks to Expat.com about her daily adventures in Patagonia and everything she likes about the country, from the amazing landscapes to the warm and friendly people.
A lot of money is spent worldwide on purchases which accelerate one's self-confidence, appearance, and sense of superiority and prestige. According to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch report conducted a couple of years ago, vanity capital (or the money spent on beauty products and services) is estimated at about 4.5 trillion American dollars! How much attention does your expat destination pay to new shades of lipstick, anti-ageing creams, health supplements, and youth elixirs?
Spain
Born in Rome, Valeria is an Italian teacher who has been looking for professional experience abroad. Her passion about the Spanish language and culture lead her to Madrid where she set up her own language school with students from all around the world. Valeria talks about her exciting expat experience to Expat.com and everything that makes her feel at home.
Besides career prospects, quality of life, environment, and safety and security, the cost of living is another significant issue to consider when planning your move abroad, whether alone or with your family. Which are the cities where you're likely to spend more regarding rent, food, transportation, and leisure? To help you choose the best destination according to your budget, Expat.com gives you an insight into the world's most expensive cities in 2018 according to the latest Mercer Cost of Living report.
Living in a shared house can be the best solution for solo expats who are keen on socialising, saving money, or both. Sharing accommodation can be as exciting and open-minding as expatriation itself — each of your housemates will probably teach you something about yourself that you didn't know and will introduce you to new experiences and habits (from making pizza dough and separating laundry by their type and colour, to recycling and watching international cinema). Thus, even if you don't live with like-minded people, you can establish harmony with your housemates, as long as there's willingness for respect, tolerance, good communication, and a good sense of humour.
In spite of the fact that families around the world have unique structures and are affected by different socio-economic environments, they are the basic unit of every society. On the United Nations' International Day of Families, Expat.com presents the best countries to raise a family, as revealed by the latest HSBC Expat Explorer survey. Find out where you get high-quality childcare, education, and healthcare to secure a glowing future for your family.
USA
Céline, a French expat in New Orleans, Louisiana, has a rewarding job and leads a full life in this historic city of jazz music and swing. She loves cycling to work, seafood gumbo, and the friendliness of the people. Follow her unique expat story in New Orleans as we unfold it, and learn more about this expat destination from someone who found home away from home in it.
In the past five years, the global cost of living has dropped from 85.5% to 74% — great news expats and expats-to-be, isn't it? How ever, before we cause a stir, we would like to point out that even though during 2017 the world witnessed the fastest economic growth since 2011, the cost of living is fluctuating depending on various indicators; and it's often quite unpredictable. This article looks into the ten most expensive cities for 2018, stemming from the Worldwide Cost of Living report, which has studied 133 cities and the prices of 160 products and services. Money, they say, don't bring happiness. What if, in some cities, they do?
European countries such as Spain, Portugal, and Malta are popular among pensioners, though many are unable to afford to retire there. Greece, however, offers a similar quality of life at a lower cost.
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