Do you really know the costs of living abroad?

Are you in the midst of planning to move abroad, and not sure if your budget will cover your expenses in the destination country. Consider the following:

• There are comparison services that estimate the cost of living in different countries, but they are not sufficient to capture the variations and nuances of prices at a local level.

• Estimating the cost of living depends on factors such as location, type and quality of housing, transport, food, healthcare, leisure, and lifestyle.

• To get an accurate idea of the cost of living abroad, you should research each category of expenditure (energy, food, housing, etc.) and assess your spending habits.

• Take into account the subsidies you receive and the costs you can reduce when moving abroad.

• Consider intangible costs and benefits, such as location, noise, transport, and well-being.

• Avoid comparing everything in your country’s home currency and adopt a local perspective.

• You need to recognize that the cost of living varies within the same country and between different cities.

Published on 2023-11-26 on Expat.com. 

Excerpt from the article "Expatriation: faut-il choisir le solo ou le duo pour optimiser son budget?"