Moving abroad where life is cheaper than Switzerland

If you are considering an international relocation from Switzerland to another destination abroad, it could be interesting to know the local costs of living for expats in your future home country. Moving internationally does not have to be a privilege for wealthy people.
The popular social expat network InterNations has published in its latest Expat Insider report the most affordable moving destinations worldwide. 14000 expatriates from 200 countries were asked to rate the cost of living in their host country. And in fact, Switzerland is a country with extremely high cost of living for expats, according to the survey results it was ranked 5th most expensive country.

A big surprise of the survey was: Ecuador has been rated the cheapest international moving destination. And not only this, the Latin American country is also considered the most popular place for international expats. That means not only the costs of living in Ecuador are considered the lowest worldwide, but also 26% of the expats living in Ecuador are completely satisfied with their financial situation – with a gross household income of less than 25000 USD. In the worldwide average, only 15% of the expatriates are happy with their financial situation.

Another interesting finding was the attractiveness of Central Europe: Poland has been voted second cheapest country for expatriates to live, as it has a high rating for affordable housing options. It is followed by the Czech Republic, which is also very much appreciated for its good housing prices. These two central European countries are very popular among British and US expats ranking high in the quality of life index.

The survey also revealed those countries that have a high cost of living – and Switzerland was not on top position: The most expensive country for expats to live is Mozambique, followed by Nigeria and Brazil. Housing and security measures played an important role in the overall ratings, as the typical expats neighbourhoods do require more security measures and more premium equipment. Furthermore, food prices have an impact, as those ingredients that are typical of Western or Asian cuisines and that are highly requested have to be imported and naturally cost more. Despite the high living costs, expatriates in these countries seem to feel that they have enough disposable income: 12 % of the expats in Nigeria stated that they have a yearly income of more than 250000 USD. And not to forget, 38% of the expats who moved to Nigeria were fully reimbursed the international relocation costs.