Moving from Spain to a low cost country

In case you have plans to move from Spain to another country, you might be interested in the costs of living in your international moving destination. An international relocation does not necessarily need to be a privilege for wealthy people. And in fact, the social expat network InterNations has identified in its latest Expat Insider report the most affordable moving destinations around the world. Over 14000 expats from close to 200 countries were asked to rate the cost of living in their new home abroad. Although Spain is already regarded a relatively low living cost country for expatriates – being on position 21 in the survey – there seem to be some cheaper destinations for expats to live. Moving from Spain to a low cost country

An interesting outcome of the survey: Ecuador has been rated on first place - not only for being the cheapest international moving destination, but also as the most popular country for international expats. The costs of living in Ecuador have been rated the lowest worldwide, but also 26% of the expats there are completely satisfied with their financial situation – with a gross household income of less than 25000 USD. Worldwide, there are just 15% of the expatriates happy with their financial situation.

Poland is considered the second cheapest country for expatriates to live, in particular it has a high rating for affordable housing options. It is followed by Czech Republic, which is also appreciated for its good housing market. These two central European countries are very popular among expats from the USA and from the UK, as these destinations also score high in the quality of life index.

The survey certainly revealed also those countries with a high cost of living: The most expensive country to live as an expat is Mozambique, followed by Nigeria and Brazil. In these places housing and security measures play an important role in the rating, as the neighbourhoods where expats live usually require more security and more premium equipment. In addition, food that is typical of Western or Asian cuisines and are highly requested have to be imported, thus they cost more. Despite the high living costs, expats in these countries seem to have enough disposable income. For example 12 % of the expatriates in Nigeria stated that they have a yearly income of more than 250000 USD. Furthermore, 38% of the expats who moved to Nigeria were fully reimbursed the international relocation costs.