Hey there,
I'm a 29 year-old, dual RSA-UK citizen moving back to the UK after living in RSA for the past 5 years or so. I'm planning on moving early next year. One of the challenges I'm facing is deciding where in the UK I want to live. Last time I lived there, I was mostly in the South West around Salisbury, so other than that part, I don't know a huge amount about the UK to make an informed choice on where to live.
I know this is targeted at expats living in Scotland; it doesn't really give a choice to include the whole of the UK, so I'm posting here since Glasgow and Edinburgh are my top choices
I have Several Criteria that I've come up with:
Diverse Entertainment
There needs to be a variety of things to do on the average Friday night or weekend that doesn't necessarily involve getting smashed.
Accessibility
How easy is it to get around without a car?
Job Possibilities
Looking at unemployment and other statistics to help work out how challenging it may be to find an entry level job
Cost of Living
Can I live off 500GBP or less, at least initially. This includes rent, general expenses, etc.
Sociability
How open are the people and what are the chances of me finding and making friends.
At this point in time, I have Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow on my lists. London isn't an option due to it being expensive and way too busy/crowded for my liking.
What are these cities like, and are there any other suggestions that I can look into that you may feel a young adult can enjoy living in?
From RSA to UK
Hi and welcome to the Forum.
To answer your questions; first, check out the Numbeo website, I've created a comparison between Edinburgh and Glasgow; this link will take you straight there. It offers information related to Cost Of Living, Property Prices, Crime, Health Care, Pollution, Traffic, Quality Of Life and Travel.
The killer will be your £500 budget - is that monthly? If so, you may have to rethink as your rent will be more than that. The 2 places you mention are better known as being in the "Central Belt", you may be better off looking around somewhere in between, so be cheaper and may be offering the best of both places. The other issue to contemplate is if you don't have a work contract, you will find it difficult in renting somewhere to live and if you do find somewhere, then they will almost certainly want a substantial deposit up-front; landlords nowadays are reluctant to rent to social benefit recipients.
Hope this helps.
Cynic
Expat Team
Personally, I would not be thinking about it in that way. I would seek a job anywhere and first see what gets offered and then decide if I want to live in that city or town or area or not. If you are very confident that you can just select a couple of cities and easily find a job but if not then be willing to consider anywhere and see what turns up.
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