What’s So Good About Living Abroad?

If you’re not an expatriate and you’re not even necessarily planning on moving to live abroad, have you ever wondered what’s so good about living abroad?

Well, just for you Alliance and Leicester International has conducted a survey of expatriate Britons who have moved abroad to live, to work or to retire to determine what it really is that makes them so content with their new lives overseas.

The survey reveals some fascinating facts – such as typical ones about the better weather abroad – to the fact that actually, don’t move to Canada if you want better food!  In this article we take a look at the findings so that you can see why many of us now prefer our new lives living outside of the UK.

The overriding factor that makes us Britons happy about where we live abroad is the weather!  Whether we’re living in Spain or even New Zealand, better weather abroad is a key factor keeping us in our place as expatriates!  Spain came out on top with all groups surveyed – so whether you’re an expatriate worker or business owner, a Briton retired to Spain or just someone enjoying the highlife on the Spanish coast, 92% of expat Brits in Spain rate the weather as being a good reason to remain in Spain and not return to the UK.

Relatively unsurprisingly, only 25% of those surveyed who live in Canada rated the weather there as being better than the UK and a factor keeping them living overseas, and Brits in Canada also failed to rate the food as being particularly better than British food – on the other hand, 75% of those living in France who were surveyed said that the food there was oh so much better thank in Britain!  The standard of living was a far more important factor to most people than food though - which is again, fairly unsurprising.  For standard of living Australia came out on top.

Of those questioned by Alliance and Leicester International, 80% said that the standard of living was far and away superior Down Under and was a main factor keeping them there – despite this, over 80% also said that they have had to make a fairly big compromise because living in Australia they miss their families so much because they are physically so far away.

So, the country that provided the very best balance between fine weather and fine food, a good quality of life and standard of living was Spain – which is very accessible to the UK too.  Of course, with the pound currently languishing so low against the euro it is now more expensive than ever to live in Spain – but for those now thinking that perhaps starting a new life abroad could suit them and their families too, the time is maybe right to start saving for a move to Spain once the British economy is in better health and the British currency is strong again.  Mind you, when that day finally comes perhaps fewer of us will be so keen to leave the United Kingdom after all?  Although, that draw of better weather is not to be overlooked!