Last update: January 19, 2025
THIS WEB SITE COMPILES INFORMATION FROM ACROSS THE INTERNET AND BOOKS ABOUT THE BEST (and worst) PLACES TO MOVE TO.
Settling into the Expat lifestyle: three tips – Money Talks
Retiring outside of the United States: Crete ranked #4
Story at Forbes
Brit expats in Greece complain about areas that stay closed over winter
Story at GB News MSN
The article, despite the headline, actually gives a much more positive picture of living in Greece, and the couple who are the main subjects of the piece are veteran expats of 16 years living on Crete. They give a good overview of some of the things to expect and what things are presently surprising (for example the inexpensive doctor appointment costs and water bills).
Estonia expat: the tech sector is the only reason to move here because of the cost of living, and tech jobs are the field where the higher incomes are – ERR.ee
Americans moved abroad: what's it like? – MSN USA Today
Article discusses what it is like to make such a major change, and what are the practical concerns for moving across an ocean to a new location. In the case of the couple being interviewed, they went to Tangier, Morocco.
You should obviously visit the place that piques your interest before you relocate your life, but the Lyles recommend people stay there for a while to get a real taste of what life could be like. "Go out there for an extended month to test it out..."
The fact that they could always return home if they didn't like it there also gave the Lyles solace. "Remember that nothing is permanent; you can always go to a different country or go back home," Arleevia said. "Hey, if we don't love it, we always have a home base."
An American moves to Greece: why she doesn't expect to move back
Story at Business Insider
She's been living in the country full time since applying for a digital nomad residence permit in May 2022. "The longer that I live here, the happier I am, the more I love it, the more that I feel at home, and the more that I feel really sure that I found the perfect place for me to live right now," O'Donnell said. "...I just don't think that it [USA] has the quality of life that I could find in most other places these days," O'Donnell, who has been to around 30 countries, said. "The lack of sense of community is really what gets me. It's a very isolated society."
Spain expat charity doing Christmas work – Olive Express
American expat experiences British Christmas
Story at Newsweek
This is my first time working in corporate Britain after decades in tech in the States, and it's been an experience. My partner is sober, so I've just not spent much time immersed in the drinking culture. It was a shock," the employee told Newsweek..."
Trump says Expat taxes are too complicated – and he's right – Sun Sentinel
Where in Europe is the "best quality of life" for an expat? – GB News
[Spain] ranked number one in the Quality of Life Index for the third year running in research compiled by InterNations..."
Despite cost increase, Greece's Golden Visa program has actually accelerated
Story at Skai [Greek]
The country from which most applications come:
China 6,521 51.8%
Turkey 1,115 8.9%
Lebanon 717 5.7%
M. Britain 511 4.1%
Iran 509 4%
The article reports (in Greek, use Google translate to change) that reissues/renewals of expiring Golden Visas are up 61% with 4,283 in 2024 compared to 2,659 for 2023. The article also mentions that roughly speaking, approximately 29,390 Golden Visas have been issued in total since the program began.
Page about the Golden Visa of Greece at Athens Greece Now website.
The difficulties facing becoming an expat after the American election – Forbes
The "brain drain" hits the UK as citizens move to foreign countries
Story at IB Times
On being an expat on Cyprus – GB News
... the expat explained you could plan something weeks in advance and know you will have the weather you want. "The weather is consistent and you can do other things, we spend so much more time outside..."
Expat in Dubai: the culture of "splurging" makes saving money harder
Story at Insider
Post American Election stories:
Everyone Is Googling ‘How to Move to Scotland’ – MSN Thrillest
What countries welcome fleeing Americans – Forbes
"Move to Canada" searches spike online – Fox 59
"Moving to Europe" becomes major search term – MSN The Street
Retiring to Greece – MSN Money Talk
Brief (38 second!) video report that explains in a succinct way how $1500 per month makes for a comfortable retirement on some of the Hellenic islands.
Europe's nine best places for expats – AOL News
Article gives a concise overview of costs and other requirements for living in nine European countries. Mentioned are: Crete (Greece), Bordeaux (France), Sofia (Bulgaria), Kenmare (Ireland), Tuscany (Italy), Prague (Czech Republic), Braga (Portugal), The Hague (Netherlands), Valencia (Spain)
How a robbery gang focused on expat victims in Spain – Something
Tax responsibilities for USA expats in Portugal – Portugal News
Election year focus on expat voting
Story at Marketplace
How to get a Golden Visa
Story at UK The Times
The discussed countries: Malta, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Latvia, Cyprus, Turkey, Hungary, Monaco, Caribbean, Thailand and Australia.
Financial planning for expats in Switzerland – BM Magazine
The top cities for transitioning from USA to Mexico
Story at MSN Mexico Solo
Living on $73K in Reykjavik as an expat – NBC New York
Where Americans can obtain legal foreign residency relatively easily
Story at Forbes
Brief overviews of Indonesia, Montenegro, Panama, Portugal, Colombia, Greece and Philippines
How Antigua and Barbuda are attracting expat workers – Forbes
Article emphasizes the role of the UN program "Small Island Developing States."
How Portugal is remaining a favorite expat destination
Story at Invezz
How an American couple searching for a new home found one in Kritsa on Crete
Story at CNN MSN – a main feature of this article is the purchase of the home for $150,000.
Expats flowing back to Australia due to strong jobs market – AFR
With a massive expat community of more than 300,000 people from all around the globe Barcelona is an "expat magnet" – UK Express
The ups and downs of an American expat in Hong Kong – D Journal
Successful expat moving and living tips from a veteran
Story at MSN Money GO Banking Rates
Figuring out how to retire abroad can be a mess, but it’s the dream of so many people. Over 450,000 Social Security recipients live outside of the United States. In a 2024 Monmouth poll, Americans are more interested in settling abroad than fifty years ago..."
One of the suggestions in the article is to find like-minded people already in the location you want to go to by looking at all the Expat groups on Facebook, then after joining the group, to "not be shy about asking questions" of the people who are already there.
The American expat community in Jaco, Costa Rica – The Costa Rica Rews
The promotional-style language of this article is strong, but it still provides an interesting overview of the location and the expat possibilities.
The island of Zakynthos, Greece (also called Zante) - see photo expanded and larger
Expat novel The Anthropologists – Review of the book at MSN The Atlantic
It is the idea of a "complex whole" that characterizes the Turkish writer Aysegul Savas’s latest novel, appropriately titled The Anthropologists. The book follows a young married couple, Asya and Manu, as they drift through an unnamed city, mingle with their fellow expatriates, attend apartment showings, and otherwise indulge in dreams about the arc of their futures. It is a novel that takes as its subject the texture, routines, and rituals of a particular lifestyle—itinerant and youthful, or at least untethered by children—and serves as sort of a field guide to its participants: those who live "without a shared native tongue, without religion, without the web of family and its obligations to keep us in place." As such, Savas has written a book that reads like a fictional ethnography...."
Expat pension risk due to "maze" of regulations – Bloomberg
For the millions of expats who leave pension pots behind as they job-hop through the world’s financial hubs, retrieving that money has become a costly experience fraught with peril..."
Mint's look at best and worst countries for affordability
Story at Live Mint
Mumbai remains most expensive location in India for expats – Zeebiz
AMAZON: The Expert Expat: Your Guide to Successful Relocation Abroad
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