What to Look for if You Want to Live Abroad

Want to live abroad? Traveling is one of the best things in life, and you are blessed if you are able to travel abroad. It gets you out of your comfort zone, lets you explore different cultures and really get a sense for what life is like in other parts of the world.

Some people enjoy traveling so much that they get to a point where they think it’s time to actually move abroad. Perhaps you’ve visited a country a few times, and you just absolutely love what it has to offer. Or, maybe you just want to pack up your family belongings and go somewhere else to live for a portion of your life. It can be a great idea, but only if you make a calm and careful decision. Speaking of which, here are some of the crucial things to look for when you’re planning to live abroad:

Family safety

For me, the number one priority needs to be family safety. What’s the point in moving overseas if you’re just going to be living in fear the whole time? Ideally, you should be moving somewhere that’s a lot safer than where you currently reside.

To help you out, here are some of the safest places you can live:

Iceland

Iceland regularly tops the ‘safest countries in the world’ charts, which is probably down to the small and friendly population! Regardless, this country is one of the best places to live if you’re looking for somewhere with low crime rates.

New Zealand

All of the way on the other side of the world, New Zealand is a small nation that’s very proud of its heritage. Here, you have a country with low crime rates and some of the safest towns and cities on earth. It’s developing into a very popular country to emigrate to, with many people choosing to move here instead of their larger neighbor Australia.

Austria
One of the giants of Europe, Austria offers a high degree of safety for everyone living there. It can also boast something unique in that you get lots of snow during the winter – in the mountainous regions – and a beautiful Mediterranean climate during the summer months. With plenty to see and easy access to other European countries, it’s a trendy place to live.

Other countries that deserve mentions are Denmark, Portugal, and Singapore. My advice is to put safety right at the top of your priorities when narrowing down your search for a new home.

Property availability & affordability

What will you desperately need when moving abroad? Somewhere to call home! As a result, you need to look for a destination where property is readily available and affordable. Does it really make sense to go through all the effort of moving abroad when you can’t find an affordable place to live? Of course not, you put your family and finances under pressure right away.

Instead, you need to think about countries where property is cheap, easy to access, and still of good quality. To help you out, here are a few countries where property is very affordable and still incredibly impressive:

Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, and it’s also a very good place if you’re looking for affordable properties. The exchange rate is heavily in favor of the US dollar, meaning you can get loads of luxury properties in Malaysia for a fraction of the price that they’d be worth here. What’s more, there are always housing developments going on in busy city areas, which means you get affordable homes in peak locations.

Ireland/Northern Ireland

The island of Ireland is one of the most confusing places on earth. It’s technically split into two countries. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland – the latter being in the UK, with the other being a separate entity. Anyway, both of these places offer affordable housing that’s pretty incredible in quality. Especially when compared to their neighbors in mainland UK, where house prices are often through the roof.

Portugal

Properties in Portugal have long been lauded for their affordability. You can get some pretty amazing villas and apartments in prime locations, without needing to break the bank. If you like a luxury Mediterranean life, then this could be one of the best places for you.

There are plenty of other countries out there that offer this combination of affordability and availability. These selections are just some of the most prominent examples from all over the world. Just keep properties in mind when you’re searching for somewhere to live, along with the other things as well.

Job market

Understandably, you don’t want to move somewhere that doesn’t offer very positive job opportunities for you and your partner. You need to know that there will be chances to get a good job, which means you and your family can live comfortably. Keeping that in mind, here are a few countries offering the best job markets:

Denmark

In general, the Scandinavian region is one of the best for jobs. I could include Sweden and Norway here as well; they’re all fantastic for delivering a great work/life balance. Combine this with plenty of job opportunities, good salaries, and friendly working environments, and you’ve got some pretty brilliant places to work.

New Zealand

For the second time in this article, New Zealand makes it onto a list! The job opportunities here are continually growing and getting better and better. When you combine this with the country’s safety, then you have a charming place to raise a family.

Bahrain

Bit of a curveball here, but Bahrain is a fantastic place with regards to the job market. Not only are there plenty of them up for offer, but the salaries here are usually quite ridiculous. You’ve got a broad range of jobs as well so it could be perfect if you’re specifically looking to move for work.

Things to do!

Lastly, you need to think about all the things to do in the country you choose to live in. Realistically, one of the reasons you’re moving is probably because you’re bored with where you currently live. You’ve done and seen everything in your area, so it’s nice when you have a new place with loads of new things to explore as well.

I’m not really going to make a list for this one, as there are so many countries offering amazing things to do on a daily basis. What I will say is that you should think about where the country is. I mentioned places like Austria earlier on, which is situated right in central Europe, meaning it’s close to a lot of other places. This is something that we don’t really get living in the US. Sure, we can travel around the country, but we never get to go and explore other countries with ease. In a place like Europe, you have every country around you within a few hours by plane – and you can even get trains or drive to some as well. The same goes for countries in Asia – you have a lot of things to do in neighboring places.

What I’m trying to say is; consider how exciting your life will be when you move to a new country abroad. Don’t go somewhere that can’t offer anything to do, or you’ll get bored very quickly!

So, these are the main things to look for if you want to travel abroad and start a new life in a new country. Consider the safety, property market, job opportunities, and general things to do. As you do your research, you’ll slowly narrow things down to a few countries offering the perfect blend of all these things.

A Collaborative Post.

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