Which Country Would You Go to Escape The Cost of Living?

BluebirdV on 11/06/2023 - 10:54

If you were to pick a country to live in and still maintain a high standard of living, which one would it be?

Countries like Türkiye or Argentina come to mind. Inflation has eroded both currencies.

India and Nepal are supposed to have a low cost of living. How about the lifestyle? Mountain climbing appeals there as it would in the other countries mentioned.

Also, how about visa considerations?

I guess being a digital nomad one could keep having an income.

Interested to hear different perspectives.

Travel

Comments

  • suchan on 14/06/2023 - 20:14

    I would say Thailand.

  • iSamurai on 14/06/2023 - 20:31
    +6

    I'm an expat in the Netherlands for just under 5 years now, feel free to AMA.

    I'd love to go back to Australia (the weather itself is a USP), but perhaps at least once for a holiday every year. The flight is just too long.

    Cost of living here is high too, but generally food is A LOT cheaper (even cheaper in Spain and Germany). Public transport is cheap. Fuel is expensive. Owning a car (i.e. rego) is expensive. Electronics are more expensive. Housing is about the same as, say, Brisbane. If you're in Amsterdam it's Sydney level of insanity. Work-life balance is second to none (okay, maybe Scandinavian countries edge out by a little).

    I'd say my salary after taxes is a bit better than an equivalent job in Australia, although having said that, my job is quite niche and there aren't many positions available (hence why I'm in Europe).

    You can't do same investment property shenanigans that's going on in Oz (for better or for worse), so you really do pay a lot of tax that can't really be offset. So depending on what you're after, you might be better off in Oz. Having said that, you do get a lot back in terms of benefits. Childcare, education, health, infrastructure etc.

    We actually do have most things pretty well in Australia, believe it or not. Another thing I miss besides the weather is the food in Oz. The variety and the quality of fresh produce is way better than european food (a lot of stuff is shipped/flown here from other continents). We're a multicultural country and we sorta just take the food we have for granted. My friend from europe recently went back to Oz with me and he was shocked to see like those sushi shops and the asian food stalls in the shopping centres. in northern europe people have bread for lunch and it's boring af.

    if you're thinking of staying after 5 years in the netherlands, you can apply for permanent residency and immediately after being granted, citizenship as well. you need to do the dutch language test (currently at an A2 level which is like first year dutch), a society test and pay some money (i think around €200, a fraction of what we charge in Oz). with the permanent residency you're free to travel to any EU/Schengen country, and (don't quote me on this) may be able to convert to another country's resident permit should you decide to say, move to Spain. But with a dutch passport you can skip this step.

    if you're looking for digital nomad visas, spain is offering those (or is about to), there is high speed internet in even the tiniest villages. great weather, great food and i would recommend doing it for a year or two. https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/01/30/always-wanted-to-… I really love spain, it's cheap (though salary is low also). the people are super chill and nice, and the landscape and weather remind me of australia. don't even get me started how amazing it is to cycle (road bike) in spain. i was so bored i entered a few races in spain recently :P

    • BluebirdV on 15/06/2023 - 15:00

      Thanks for the Spain tip. I will check it out. I hear Portugal is also popular. I’m not sure if the digital nomad visa applies to bloggers. It mentions having a contract with a company there.

      • iSamurai on 15/06/2023 - 23:10
        +1

        Portugal to Spain is the same as New Zealand is to Australia. Same goes for Belgium is to The Netherlands. You'll find the cost of living relatively to income a bit higher and the infrastructure a bit more random. it's just really easy to get around in spain, it's convenient, nothing is complicated, people are flexible and everything is chill.

        I think in the article (euronews has put out several of these, find them on google) on the digital nomad visa in spain. i think you can be self employed or actually be employed by a foreign company (i.e. not spain). so i think for blogging it is possible as long as you can demonstrate you have an income that will cover your expenses.

        https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/04/21/want-to-move-to-e…
        https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/01/31/spain-is-launchin…
        https://www.euronews.com/2023/02/14/spains-digital-nomad-vis…

        the canary and balearic islands are really nice. i've been to almost all of them and i highly recommend them.

        and while you're in spain you can travel freely to any other schengen country. in theory it's maximum 90 days out of 180 that you can be out of spain, but in practice no one checks.

  • MrThing on 14/06/2023 - 21:58

    Thailand

  • T1OOO on 15/06/2023 - 00:54
    +1

    till you get sick and need to use their hospital and health care systems……….

    then ull work out why it costs more here and be grateful to pay 20% more for quality service rather pay cheaper for 20% as much if your lucky and they dont end up killing you with malpractice.

  • virhlpool on 15/06/2023 - 03:32
    +1

    If you like variety of terrains, cultural diversity, amazing vegetarian food (largely), and above all, plenty of jobs and a vibrant (rather fast booming) economy, then India is the place. Life in large cities can be a bit chaotic though unless you choose to live near work. As an economy and job market, India is much bigger and diverse compared to the smaller Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia or Vietnam. Being an IT hub, it's a great place for high end white collar jobs. English literacy is much higher in urban centres and cost of living is manageable. If you WFH, it can be a good idea to live in the second tier cities for a less chaotic lifestyle. Internet connectivity and transportation is great across the country. All parts of the country also have a lot to offer in terms of tourism. Even a year can fall short to visit the whole country nicely.

  • dfg555 on 15/06/2023 - 08:03

    Asian Countries. So cheap and insanely easy to get a wife.

    • shaybisc on 15/06/2023 - 09:02
      +5

      A billion Chinese men disagree.

    • baldur on 15/06/2023 - 09:41
      +1

      she isn't marrying with you if you arent gonna live in Australia.

      • quikchip on 16/06/2023 - 23:02
        +3

        Not true, many would prefer to stay close to their families whilst have a good provider.

    • zealmax on 15/06/2023 - 14:24
      +2

      Asia is pretty big and lots of them have very high cost of living. Like saying Europe is cheap to live in, but it is only the case in some Eastern Europeon countries.

  • thesilverstarman on 15/06/2023 - 10:40
    +3

    I have travelled and had extended stays. I have seen plenty of places that I could live in. I have looked seriously at moving, but every time I come up with reasons to stay here.
    The emotional reasons to live in a different place can be overwhelming. There are plenty of places that look like paradise. Until something goes wrong. It can be health systems, legal systems or even simple things like domestic issues such as plumbing and electricity repairs.
    I spent time in Croatia, on one of the islands. Beautiful weather, food was cheap and we lived well. My son broke his arm one evening, and all medical services had closed for the day. The only way to get to a hospital was to find a local with a boat to go to the mainland. So what happens if you had a heart attack? Simple - you die. I ended up needing an extended stay in the hospital. The staff were all trained in places like Germany and were wonderful. The facilities were not. I was on the 2nd floor and was in a room with no air conditioning. Every day we received a bread roll and a jug of water. If you wanted food, there was a shop nearby, otherwise your family was expected to bring food. My bed had bloodstains, and my family was expected to provide bed linen. There was one shower and toilet on the floor, and when you used the toilet you could watch all the people walking on the street below, who could also watch you. The power socket near my bed was hanging out of the wall with wires exposed. And the walls showed bullet holes from the previous conflict, but the air-raid shelter was still working !! The equipment that I needed to be tested with was not available. The good part was that it cost me about $60 for a 3-week stay. But I had to wait until I got home to get proper testing, medication and treatment. And Croatia is in the EU.
    Legal systems are also not the same, and we often read about people who have been locked up or faced huge fines for breaking laws that wouldn't apply here. Look at some Muslim nations that will lock up a woman who reports rape, because they consider that she has broken the law. Unless you are fluent in the local language, you are unlikely to be aware of the laws that apply. Having to pay "bribe" money to get a plumber, get a licence etc is not unheard of in many places. Not being fluent in the language can also leave you open to being scammed and ripped off.
    Money isn't everything. A comfortable life also means being able to get through emergencies. If you do move, plan for the worst. Don't wait until something happens, like a death, health emergency or getting arrested. Find out beforehand. All of the benefits can be wiped out in an instant.
    If you are in a major capital city here like Sydney, look at moving to a regional area. It will be cheaper to live, and you will still have access to the world with high-speed internet. If you are in Victoria, you can travel on the train to and from Melbourne for around $10 per day capped and can access all health services and legal services. If you are prepared to live a bit further out, there are country towns like Willaura where you can still buy a home for around $150k. Life is what you make it.

    • MS Chris on 15/06/2023 - 11:35
      +3

      Having been to Croatia a couple of times on extended trips and being born in Eastern Europe, I don't agree. Croatia is like paradise on Earth. Sure your hospital experience sounds horrible but surely there were others to choose from that provided a better level of service. I mean for $60 for three weeks what do you expect? I know of Croatians who are very happy living there and holiday at home because there are beautiful places everywhere and most are easily accessible. And many people throughout Europe are now moving/living in Croatia. Out of all my travels around the world, its the one place I could see myself retire apart from Australia, though the cost of living has increased dramatically so its no longer a cheap destination.

    • johnfuller on 15/06/2023 - 14:00

      emergency room waits 8 hours plus ++, might as well travel overseas and get proper care!

  • congo on 15/06/2023 - 16:13
    +2

    If you are retired, I am interested to travel/live across America.
    There are 52 States and hundreds of large cities. You can spend 6 months in each city and take in the different cultures, events and people.
    If you run out of things to do, you can explore Canada and Mexico.

  • kokita on 15/06/2023 - 16:14
    +1

    I still prefer Australia.
    1. I can't live in humid/hot places or I will spend my money on electricity bill for 24 hour AC.
    2. Safety on road while driving and public places. It will affect your stress level.
    3. Clean air and water. Money can't buy.
    4. Fresh produce. The quality in Australia is high standard.

    So, even though it is more expensive in Australia, I will keep myself here.

    • frostman on 16/06/2023 - 22:52
      -1
      1. Safety on road while driving and public places. It will affect your stress level.

      Where do you live, on a Creek?

      NSW has reported 140 Vehicle-related Fatalities from Jan-May 23.
      That's 28 Fatalities / Month in NSW alone, not calculating Injury-Accidents.

      1. Clean air and water. Money can't buy.

      Water filter does wonders

      Fresh produce. The quality in Australia is high standard.

      Yes but you pay through the nose,

      • john71 on 04/07/2023 - 08:32

        What a foolish, ignorant comment.

        Motor vehicle fatality rates in the sort of Third World countries mentioned here are anything up to 20 times higher than NSW’s: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic….

        • frostman on 06/07/2023 - 10:31

          You're on another frequency, come back to earth.
          Comparing 3rd world countries to Australia is unbelievable.
          I can also say, Hey, Australia's water is cleaner than Rwanadas'!

          Australia has an abnormal high number of accidents due to slow reflex people like you

          • john71 on 13/09/2023 - 12:33

            @frostman: Whatever is in your pipe certainly isn't tobacco.

            You seem to have missed the entire point of this discussion.

  • rumblytangara on 15/06/2023 - 17:34
    +1

    India and Nepal are supposed to have a low cost of living. How about the lifestyle? Mountain climbing appeals there as it would in the other countries mentioned.

    This is a country where people still routinely die of dysentery and in mountain regions the primary source of fuel is dried cow dung. Kathmandu is an absolute choking shithole. So you can strike Nepal off the list.

    Lovely people and great mountains. Visit. Do not live there.

    • techno2000 on 16/06/2023 - 08:53
      +4

      And as for India, you can see lots and lots of migrants from India in Australia.
      You think you know something they dont?

      They lived most of their life in India and did not want to live there anymore.What does that tell you?

      • cheapaschips on 16/06/2023 - 21:02

        I would statitistically think it has more to do with India have the largest global population, therefore you see a much higher immigration to all countries as a portion of the population.

        I assume they still have well over a billion people still living in India

        Same reason we see a lot more Chinese people in Australia. Simply as a percentage of the China population the immigration number is much higher.

        I.e 1percent of 1.5 billion is much higher than 1 percent of 20 billion.

        • JohnHowardsEyebrows on 16/06/2023 - 21:53
          +4

          Nah. Doesn't account for why the middle classes of both countries are so keen to leave to Western countries. PRC is for those who are happy to have zero personal freedoms (except to spend money, if they're the lucky minority that have money), India is clearly not a land of great opportunity for the middle classes. Perhaps those retiring can do it easily in India, though I'm not sure where you'd need to live to avoid pollution, congestion and the like, short of moving to the Himalayas.

  • AS2035 on 15/06/2023 - 21:27

    It's expensive everywhere.

    We would have loved a small house in Tuscany, a place to grow our food in the back yard. I already bake Sourdough at home. .. so only eggs/butter / fish and meat to be purchased.. a dream.

  • ass3ts on 15/06/2023 - 22:19

    Your mentality wouldn't miraculously change just because you moved places, so you may end up struggling again after a while but with even lower standards.

  • Kayrhcp on 15/06/2023 - 23:37

    I would have to risk the safety component, but it’d absolutely be mexico. The food is incredible and stuff is cheap.

    • techno2000 on 16/06/2023 - 08:46
      +1

      Problem is life is cheap literally with heads lined up by the side of the road and hundreds of bodies being found every now and then.

      I think not.

  • frostman on 16/06/2023 - 22:40
    +6

    TBH, unless you're into pubs/clubs/bingo/RSLs/ - the entertainment/tourism section of Australia is extremely bland and expensive.
    Most places close by 4pm, and you're left with the above mentioned areas.

    Check out the campsites in the US. Montana alone has 13 campsites, all to see the elegant Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Elk, White-Tailed Deer, or even a Wolf - you name it - I've been there.

    In NSW, you travel out West, 3hrs towards Dubbo (past Mudgee), vast land, all private owned and locked gates,
    Even if you're lucky to find a plot of Federal-owned Camp sites, you'd be lucky to see a Kangaroo or a Wild boar.
    A group of friends I know travel 4hrs past Dubbo to hunt vermin, and at times even with dogs, they struggle to get a pig or 2, last time they shot a goat.
    Bear in mind, this is via paying someone to access their private land. You get some hillbilly jo-blow owning 500 Acres of Land and locking his gates.

    What chance do you have at seeing any wildlife except being bitten by some spider or snake?

    The reason why most of the comments here are "If you don't like it, leave" - these are generally low-energy sheep, content in a little house with a big-ass mortgage of 40yrs+
    Their weekends involve mowing the grass and going to Bunnings for DIY - DEADBEAT LIFE. If they're lucky they'll squeeze a little getaway to Surfers Paradise and call it a day.

    These people have not lived until they've travelled to the US, Spain, Morocco, and Bahrain. Seeing the buzz, food stalls open till midnight, history, and things to do.

    When I arrived in Syd last summer, I asked 50 different places where I can rent a Jetski, it doesn't exist.
    They showed me a business in Goldcoast where you rent it for some insane price, but it's limited to like 9 knots and you need to travel in a line, baahahahah
    Yes 9 knots, Michael Phelps can swim faster.

    • JohnHowardsEyebrows on 16/06/2023 - 22:56
      +2

      Mostly true, though inner Melbourne certainly holds its own for entertainment. The RSL/Bingo thing is true of most suburban and regional parts of Australia, as well as most of Sydney.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/06/2023 - 23:05

      last time they shot a goat.

      Hey … enough with the harming of goats on here!

  • quikchip on 16/06/2023 - 23:05
    +1

    Greece, Albania, Serbia or Caucasus.
    Somewhere with structure, but not too many laws. I prefer smaller countries with plenty social life.

  • peterw1 on 17/06/2023 - 11:29

    the price of freedom is the cost of living. If you don't like it, offend and go to prison - no one there complaining of the cost of living.

  • Superbad on 19/06/2023 - 15:46
    +2

    how do you escape the cost of living anywhere in the world that cost close to nothing if you don't have enough savings to last you the rest of your life and no skills to work in another country? Not to mention minimum wage in a country where things cost close to nothing is also close to nothing.

  • AS2035 on 10/07/2023 - 20:04

    Italy has this incentive, you move there, buy a house for next to nothing and you pay to renovate it.

  • blackmoresbioc on 19/07/2023 - 01:53

    This depends on a million things which are personal to you:

    In no particular order:
    - Level of discomfort you are willing to tolerate
    - How much you earn
    - Remote job vs onsite
    - Financial goals
    - Age
    - Relationship goals
    - How much savings you have
    - Friends/family in australia
    - Type of food you like (this is a big one people dont really consider)
    - Whether you can speak the local language or not (being able to speak the local language increases your enjoyment by orders of magnitude)
    - Duration of the move
    - Are you looking to get a residency/passport
    - Are you looking for tax benefits
    - Sports/hobbies/activities you are interested in

    Most people never think these things through but they will learn when they make the move. Ideally you travel to the countries you are interested in before making any decisions.

    https://nomadlist.com/ is good for ideas of the usual areas people relocate to as a digital nomad.

    If you can work remotely and earn aud/usd and spend in say thai baht then your cost of living will be low vs your income.

    Theres no perfect country (australia near perfect tho) and its all about optimizing for the things you care about and the things you are willing to compromise on.

    South east asian countries such as thailand, vietnam are common choices for australians as its relatively close and amongst the cheapest good choices in the world. Alternatively it'll be the south american countries which are a lot further away. Eastern europe far away as well and isn't really that cheap compared to south east asia.

    Food is a big part lots of people dont think about. If you like asian food and choose to move to eastern europe then you'll be frustrated from the food options there. Dont forget we have to eat 3x a day and if the food isnt to your liking you'll gravitate towards fast food.

    In my opinion if you are young <30yo then just be a nomad and travel and try a variety of things and discover what you like.
    If you are 35+ you probably don't want to jump around as much and might choose a spot long term. As always depends on your goals.

  • heysoph9 on 18/09/2023 - 14:32
    +2

    Just came back from a year living in Argentina - was absolutely living the dream on an Australian income. You want to be earning in any currency that's not the Argentinan Peso though. Inflation was 107% in the year I was there but as things got more expensive, the blue dollar went higher, so I think it didn't change much how things cost when converting currency anyway.

    • BluebirdV on 19/09/2023 - 09:07

      Sounds great. Is it easy to rent an apartment there? Did you use public transport or have a car? What is the best strategy to change money there?

      • heysoph9 on 19/09/2023 - 20:37
        +1

        I rented through an (international) serviced apartment company which made it easier when I first arrived and for ongoing support (in english). I toured properties with a few different companies. Surely not cheaper but it was through my work.
        I would used the FordGo to rent a car on a daily rate when I needed it (similar to GoGet-type company) but you can get around BA very easily by walking, city bikes, bus, underground, train or uber/taxi/cabify - all very cheap, ie the bus/train is 30 pesos (~10 cents), you really don't need a car at all.
        I used two ways for money, 1- I had a stack of USD (crisp $100s only) I took over from Aus, good for emergencies, and changed to pesos at the local cambio. 2- Sent myself money from my Aus bank account via Western Union weekly and picked up from my local cambio. and adding a third- the tarjeta rate was introduced in Dec last year, so you can now use international cards at a good exchange rate (not as good as blue rate but makes online purchases much simplier).

        • BluebirdV on 20/09/2023 - 09:09

          Thanks. Can you recommend any apartment companies to rent through? Do they have a 6 month/12 month lease, bond, etc. Will they be able to speak English?

          • heysoph9 on 20/09/2023 - 11:50
            +1

            @BluebirdV: Companies I looked at properties with were: RentinBA, Toprentals, Switchplace, OasisCollections. They all speak English. I had a very flexible month-to-month arrangement, I think there might be a minimum on some of the properties or companies.
            I lived in Palermo Soho (highly recommend) but Palermo Hollywood is also great.

            edit: I had spoken with these companies before arriving via email, but didn't pick somewhere to live until arriving and touring with the agents.

  • FujiFruit on 21/09/2023 - 14:07

    Sorry if i missed any information on how to move to different countries and live there? Don't the countries now allow unless you apply for work visa? Which countries can u just move there? EG if i decide to move to thailand can i?

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