What are the cheapest and most expensive countries to move to?
Many of us aspire to spend a portion of our working lives in a foreign country, giving us the time to fully explore our dream destinations, absorb the local culture, and even learn some of the language. We may even decide to put down roots abroad, having fallen in love with our new home or having met our significant other while away on our adventures.
Whether you plan to move abroad for three months or 30 years, there are many factors that can make or break your experience of living in a foreign country. While good preparation such as learning at least some of the language and doing thorough research on the best place for you to live are surefire ways of making the most of your time abroad, more mundane factors such as living costs and personal finances should never be ignored.
Try our relocation calculator to discover the average cost of moving to your dream destination.
There are many costs associated with moving abroad, such as flights, shipping your belongings, and arranging appropriate international health insurance. On top of this, you’ll be living in another part of the world with its own housing and labour markets which, in addition to the cost of living, will affect the amount of money you’ll have available each month.
Due to the complexity of building a new life abroad and navigating all of these financial issues, it’s important to take your time, do plenty of research, and properly plan your foreign adventure. Some factors to consider include planning what you need to take with you, how much space you’ll need in your new home, and what cities have the best mix of job opportunities, available apartments and things for you to explore.
You should also be sure not to cut corners in the planning process, such as not getting the recommended vaccines or ignoring expat insurance, as these will act as your safety net should something go wrong while you’re living halfway around the world.
With this in mind, we’ve broken down some of the costs associated with moving to another country, and put together a cost of moving calculator to make the planning process just a little bit easier to manage.
The cost of actually moving to another country is often overlooked when thinking about the affordability of living there, but expenses such as plane tickets and shipping your belongings can add up pretty quickly! In this section, we break down these expenses by destination for expats from both the United States and the United Kingdom, combining the cost of a single one-way flight with the cost to ship three 25kg packages.
Combined moving cost:
Canada is the most affordable destination for moving costs when travelling from the US, with the combined cost of flights and shipping your belongings coming to US$658.56. As the United States’ northern neighbour, Canada is one of the most popular destinations for US expats and the relatively short distance makes the process of moving much easier.
Combined moving cost:
The second most affordable destination for US expats is Mexico, the country’s southern neighbour, with the combined cost of flights and shipping coming to US$813.37. Mexico is a popular destination for American holidaymakers and is also attracting many expats who want to enjoy life in the sun with a relatively low cost of living.
Combined moving cost:
The third most affordable destination for moving costs from the United States is the United Kingdom, with the combined cost of flights and shipping sitting at US$839.40. The UK is one of the most popular trans-Atlantic holiday destinations for U.S. tourists, offering thousands of years of rich history, so why it could be an excellent choice for the American expat. The UK offers employees a great work-life balance with a minimum of 20 holiday days each year, and the shared English language largely eliminates the problems of a language barrier, though some differences certainly remain!
Combined moving cost:
The most expensive location for moving costs when travelling from the United States is New Zealand, with the combined cost of flights and shipping reaching a huge US$2,048.16! This very high figure is a result of New Zealand’s remote location, though this remoteness is also one of the country’s most attractive features as it offers a huge expanse of unspoilt nature ready to be explored.
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Combined moving cost:
The most affordable country for moving costs when travelling from the UK is Ireland, as the combined cost of flights and shipping reaches just £95.04. Arguably the closest country to the UK in terms of culture, and the only country with which it shares a land border, there are a large number of UK citizens living and working in Ireland, and vice versa.
Combined moving cost:
Belgium is the second most affordable destination for moving costs when travelling from the UK, with combined expenses of £102.85. Belgium is a popular destination for many UK and European tourists, with large numbers of visitors making their way to the picturesque cities of Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, while many others find the buzz of the capital city Brussels.
Combined moving cost:
Denmark is the country with the third most affordable moving costs for expats from the UK at just £103.37 for flights and shipping. Denmark is the southernmost Scandinavian country and historically has a lot of shared culture with the UK stemming from the migrations of the Viking period. Denmark today has a lot to offer the adventurous expat, from the plethora of sights and attractions in the capital of Copenhagen to the rugged beauty of the coastline and its many islands.
Combined moving cost:
Again, New Zealand takes the top spot as the most expensive country for moving costs. Expats from the UK can expect to pay as much as £1,669.00 for flights and shipping, which is understandable when you’re travelling to the complete opposite side of the world. However, New Zealand remains a popular place for backpackers as its awe-inspiring mountains and vistas are some of the most spectacular natural landscapes you can hope to see.
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While the cost of getting to your destination is an important factor to consider when moving abroad, the cost of actually living there is often considered the most important financial factor. Living expenses and the cost of rent can vary wildly from country to country, making some locations seem extortionate while others appear to be incredibly good value.
However, unless you’re able to work remotely and live the life of a digital nomad, then you may also want to consider the average wages of your country of choice, as this could affect your financial stability more than any other factor.
Income after living expenses:
Switzerland is the country where, on average, you’ll be left with the most money after paying for rent and the monthly cost of living, which could be much as US$4,499.18. Switzerland is one of the wealthiest countries per capita on the planet and has very high wages in all sectors of the economy.
Income after living expenses:
Iceland has the second highest level of available income after rent and living expenses, leaving the average Icelander with US$4,298.90. Iceland is a small country in a remote part of the world, meaning that prices in the country can be quite high. However, this is compensated for with high salaries and safe and welcoming society, and the small nation’s remoteness means that expats can play an important role in filling skills gaps in the local economy.
Income after living expenses:
The United States is the country with the third highest disposable income after rent and living expenses, ay US$3,568.09 per month. The United States is a high-wage economy, but due to the size of the country wages and the cost of living can vary dramatically depending on the state or city. Some of the highest-earning areas include New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Boston.
As the country has a privatised healthcare system, it is especially important that foreign residents have appropriate health insurance for expats to avoid being subject to expensive medical bills.
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The cost of moving to another country, and the cost of actually living there, are two separate financial factors. However, you will have to deal with both of these in the first month of your adventure abroad. In this section, we will combine our data to reveal the countries that are the most and least affordable during the initial month of your stay.
Combined cost of 1st month:
Mexico is the most affordable destination when considering both moving and living expenses, with the combined cost of your first month abroad coming to US$1,756.56. For US expats, Mexico offers the perfect combination of low travel costs and low living costs, which can be hard to find when there are few neighbouring countries on your continent.
Being so close to home, you can experience living in another country with a rich and vibrant culture, without having to miss big family events, and you’ll even be able to make it home for Thanksgiving without too much hassle.
Combined cost of 1st month:
The eastern European nation of Hungary is the second most affordable destination for your trip’s first month, with combined travel and living costs coming to US$2,085.43. The capital city of Budapest is famous for its mineral baths and striking architecture, which can be seen in the many old fortresses, bathhouses and government buildings. As the largest city in the country, the majority of expats will gravitate towards Budapest, both for job opportunities and cultural attractions.
Combined cost of 1st month:
Greece is the third most affordable destination for American expats in their first month away from the United States, with combined moving costs of US$2,234.70. Steeped in ancient history and brought to life with a vibrant modern culture, there really is something for everyone in Greece. The capital city of Athens is where you’ll find the majority of expat jobs, along with ancient wonders like the famous Acropolis, while further afield you can enjoy the tranquillity of the Greek islands, which are ideal if you can work remotely.
Combined cost of 1st month::
The most expensive country for the first month of expat life is Switzerland, with combined moving and living costs of US$4,224.80. Despite the high prices, Switzerland offers expats an amazing experience, with stunning mountain vistas, excellent local cuisine and rich history of fierce independence dating back to the days of the Roman Empire.
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Combined cost of 1st month:
The most affordable country for the first month’s combined cost of living and moving when travelling from the UK is Hungary, where it stands at £891.04. Hungary is a popular destination for UK tourists, with many thousands of holidaymakers flocking to Budapest every year, so why not make it an extended stay and explore some of the lesser-known attractions this country has to offer?
Combined cost of 1st month:
Poland is the second most affordable country for UK expats when combining the cost of moving and living, with the first month’s expenditure coming to £1,106.77. Poland’s location in central Europe has given it a unique culture, with a rich history to explore and some excellent local cuisine.
Combined cost of 1st month:
Latvia is the third most affordable country for British expats in their first month abroad, with combined expenses of £1,119.99. One of Eastern Europe’s Baltic States, Latvia is nestled between Estonia and Lithuania to the North and South while bordering Russia to the East. The country itself has a fast-growing economy and offers expats many great job opportunities, many of which can be found in the beautiful capital city of Riga.
Combined cost of 1st month::
The most expensive country for British expats to move to is Australia, with the combined cost of their first month abroad coming to a whopping £3,460.12. Despite this, Australia is an incredibly popular destination, both for holidays and longer stays. Australia has many bustling modern cities with plenty of work opportunities, while also offering fantastic beaches, unspoilt wilderness and a great work-life balance. Younger travellers can also take advantage of the country’s Working Holiday Visa scheme, which allows backpackers to travel on a budget and work in many short-term roles to help fund their adventures.
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We wanted to reveal the countries that are the most affordable for expats to move to from both the United States and the United Kingdom. To do this, we looked at the cost of moving to each OECD country, as well as the monthly cost of living there.
For each country, we used data from Numbeo for the cost of living and the cost of rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in the city centre. We also used OECD data for average wages in each country to calculate how affordable it is to live in each country.
For the costs of moving, we used data from MyUS.com for the cost of shipping a 25kg parcel from one country to another, while we used data from Skyscanner for the cost of a plane ticket to each destination. All UK flights were calculated as departing from London Heathrow, while flights from the US were calculated using either JFK Airport or Los Angeles International, whichever was cheaper. Flight prices were calculated for travel on 01/09/23.
When converting currencies from original data to USD, GBP or EUR, we used conversion rates collected from XE.com on 03/10/22.
