Where expat living is good

[Puffin13]

Where expat living is good
04/09/2008

If you’re looking for the good life, then pack your bags and head for the US, UAE or Singapore.

The most desirable locations for expats are the US, UAE and Singapore, according to a major survey of over two thousand expats.

The least desirable locations include UK, ranked at 14, and France, ranked at 13. Both ranked low for luxury and accommodation. Australia, ranked at 10, scored well on levels of luxury, ability to earn and save and accommodation but low for longevity.

The Netherlands topped the longevity rating with 82 percent of expats now living in the Netherlands having been there for three or more years, followed by Germany (77 percent) and Spain (76 percent).

Ireland and New Zealand have the greatest percentage of global travellers, with more than three quarters of respondents originally from both countries stating that they had been away from home for longer than three years.

If you want to get rich, then move to Hong Kong; expats based here have the highest salaries in the world according to the survey, with 49 percent earning more than BPS 100,000 a year, with the highest paying professions being in finance and management. Other top countries for saving were India and the UAI.

Brazilian, Irish and Australian expats were identified as the wealthiest

Expats found the UK to be the most expensive location for accommodation, with more than three quarters (85 percent) of expats living in the UK saying that their living costs had increased. India was ranked as the cheapest location to live in.

The UK also came out as the least luxurious location, with decreases recorded in nine of the 11 categories of perceived luxuries such as access to private healthcare, access to more than one property, ability to own a pool and to employ staff. The UAE was ranked the most luxurious destination, followed by Singapore and India.

The report entitled Expat Existence is the first in HSBC Bank International Limited’s ‘Expat Explorer Series’. The 2,155 expatriates from across four continents, who took part in the survey the opportunities were questioned about challenges and difficulties that come with a life away from home.

As well as rating living standards, the ability to earn and save, and the level of luxury experienced, expats were asked how easy they found it to integrate, how they viewed the changes in their lifestyle, and their children's experiences in a new country.

View the full league table at www.offshore.hsbc.com/expatsurvey.

Source

[Hoop66]

Singapore?

Get caught smoking a joint there and see what happens...

[geoffk]

What about smoking in the UAE? Yikes! Singapore I've heard is really clean, but you can't spit or chew gum.

[Boner]

I wouldn't of guessed those 3 as the top choices at all.

I have my heart set on Canada, New Zealand and of course The netherlands.

[Hoop66]

Canada for me too. I'm still just about young enough!

And the wife will probably go for it too, she's got cousins out there (BC).

Any BCers on the forum need an AS400 programmer?

[geoffk]

BC is very cool. I've got two BCers that I work with.

[user54321]

I'm off to Thailand at the end of next year to teach English. Once you've got a CELTA working anywhere in the world is just a flight away. Hong Kong/S.Korea are my ultimate destinations though, biiiiiig bucks to be made out there. Thailand is the starting place for most English teachers, I'd like to go work in South America for a while, Buenos Aires, yes please!! Gonna go check out expat life all over and then pick where I'm gonna hang my hat in the next 10 years. There's no way I'm staying in this country just to have my will & money sapped from me.

S.E Asia is the place to be if you want to live like a king, I wont be letting my love for weed get in the way of a massive hike in quality of life, I'm happy to leave the herb behind (or just hop a bus to Cambodia or Laos where it's as good as legal, sold in "Happy Pizza" shops by the coffee jar for 1 USD).

[user54321]

View the full league table at www.offshore.hsbc.com/expatsurvey.

Correct link here.

[Ash333]

Cambodia is where its at, all the advantages of SE Asia, and where most of the "Thai Sticks" actually come from...

[Kermit]

Me and the missus a seriously considering Canada!

[echc1]

i'm ready for the world but the missus won't go...not even outta the town grrrrrrrrrrr

[user54321]

Cambodia is where its at, all the advantages of SE Asia, and where most of the "Thai Sticks" actually come from...

There's alot of disadvantages to living in Cambodia too, I mean ALOT - I've spent hundreds of hours researching and weighing it all up 'cause I'm actually going there in 15 months for the forseeable future & if I'm going to go & live somewhere I'd much rather make the decision based on where the quality of life is better, not where it'd be easiest to score weed. I'd much rather live in Thailand or Malaya and hop a bus to Cambodia or Laos for a day or two and smoke my tits off there - would feel more like a holiday or a weekend break that way.

[OneForTheRoad]

i'm ready for the world but the missus won't go...not even outta the town grrrrrrrrrrr

I hear that...

[user54321]

Yer only here once, best soak up what you can of the world. I know I'd be kicking myself if I didn't go & see what was out there. Get yer missus' told, boys!