Britain vs The Best Destinations for Expats: How Do They Compare?

An estimated 4.7 million British nationals live abroad as expats - spread wide all over the globe.

Their reasons for doing so are broad: a new job, marriage or family ties, retiring in warmer pastures, or simply seeking out an improved lifestyle. Even more broad is where British expats choose to settle - from a hop across the sea to France, with an estimated 173,000 settling here, to all the way across the world to Australia, where the highest concentration of British expats (1.3 million) are thought to reside.

So, how do these highly-sought after countries measure up to their place of origin? Below, our experts at MoneyTransfers.com have taken the the UK plus the nine other most popular countries for British Expats and compared them to the UK itself, ranking them based on:

• Cost of living

• Accommodation costs

• Hours of sunlight

• Average rainfall

• Crime

• Safety

Ultimately, this comparison will help any aspiring-expats looking to move abroad to weigh up these best places for British expats and decide where in the world makes the most sense for them to settle in.

It’s interesting to note that none of the top 10 countries for British expats share any single central theme: some have low living costs which are certainly a draw for expats looking to stretch their budget further.

Others are on par with costs in the UK but have higher levels of sunshine and less rain, which we all know is a huge temptation for anyone looking for somewhere else to live!

This side by side comparison offers an interesting and unique insight into what each of these popular home-from-home’s for UK expats may offer, helping arm any future British expats with the additional information they might need to make their decision.

Jonathan Merry, travel and expat expert at MoneyTransfers.com

1. Australia

The cost of living is lower in the UK than it is in Australia, which is perhaps unsurprising as Australia is notorious for having higher living costs (as well as higher salaries for workers to mitigate those expenses).

The UK and Australia are relatively similar in terms of crime and safety: each scores 46.9 and 46.7 on the crime index respectively, and 53.1 and 53.3 on the safety index. Of course, where Australia outshines (literally) the UK, is monthly rainfall and sunlight hours.

The sunny coast down under receives almost double the amount of average sunshine hours annually compared to the UK, and an average monthly rainfall of just 52.40mm.

Expats considering a move to Australia may be tempted due to the promise of great weather and a safe, peaceful place to live - but be prepared for your budget to need to stretch further than it would in the UK.

2. USA

The US is predicted to have the highest number of expats from all around the world, so it’s unsurprising it’s also a popular choice with Brits. The US also has a significantly higher cost of living compared to the UK - at an average of £882.80 for living costs plus £1,434.40 to rent a 1-bedroom apartment in a city centre each month. For reference, at £2317.20, that’s £655.47 more than in the UK.

Interestingly, however, the US is cheaper in terms of transport - so an expat may be able to afford to look into living further from a city centre for more affordable accommodation costs. The US also receives more sunlight hours than the UK, but considerably less PTO (11 days on average), plus a higher crime index score.

3. Canada

Canada is a popular choice for the lucky UK expats who can get a visa to live out there. The country has everything you could want, from stunning mountain scenery to vibrant city life, and benefits from a relatively low cost of living compared to some countries featured on this list.

The UK and Canada are almost on par when it comes to monthly cost of living and average monthly rent, with Canada pipping the UK to the post for transport costs. While Canada has more rainfall than the UK, on average, it also benefits from more than 500 more annual sunlight hours, as well as a lower crime score and one of the highest safety scores out of this list.

4. Spain

Spain is another extremely popular British expat destination that frequently makes the top 10, not only because of its sunny weather and easy going culture, but also due to the proximity to the UK.

Spain has a considerably lower cost of living than the UK, at an average of just £571.58 a month. Likewise, rental costs are relatively low, too, with a city centre apartment costing around £641.14 and an outside of city centre flat costing £514.18.

Sunny Spain receives an average of 2833 sunlight hours per year, with an average monthly rainfall of just 35mm - so expats can rest assured that they’ll be moving to much warmer pastures. Spain is also considered a very safe country to live in - ranking top in this list.

4. Ireland

Ireland, just a stone’s throw from the UK, is a popular choice for expats wanting to stay relatively close to family and friends. So, how does it measure up? Ireland is considered a safe and peaceful country, scoring fourth highest on the safety score index and third best for crime.

The cost of living is on the higher side in Ireland - with monthly costs about £80 than in the UK. Likewise, accommodation is more expensive, too. A city centre 1-bed flat costs about £1,232 to rent per month, or £1,052 for an outer city apartment.

Much like the UK, Ireland has one of the lowest amounts of sunlight per year, and a relatively high amount of monthly rainfall (63mm). Brits moving here may notice that their living costs go up slightly but the rest of their lifestyle stays relatively the same!

5. New Zealand

New Zealand appeals to many British expats due to the shared language, stunning scenery, and high quality of living. British expats will be pleased to know that monthly living costs (day-to-day expenses, rent, and transport, are relatively on par to costs in the UK.

However, New Zealand has less crime, is just as safe, has the same amount of annual leave for workers, and far more hours of sunshine.

6. France

France stands out in this ranking for offering the most paid time off for workers out of any other country. French workers get an average of 31 days off per year - that’s 9 days more than the second best country, Spain, at 22 days.

Aside from that, France is relatively on par in terms of cost of living with the UK. Accommodation is less expensive, averaging just £613.53 for a city centre apartment vs £916 in the UK. France does, however, get far more annual sunshine than the UK despite their close proximity.

7. South Africa

South Africa wins across a number of cost-related factors in this ranking: it has the lowest cost of living out of any other country on this list (£418.55), with monthly living expenses excluding rent more than £200 cheaper than in the UK.

Likewise, accommodation in South Africa is significantly more affordable - almost a third of the cost in the UK. Paired with high levels of sunlight (almost 1,000 more hours of sunlight a year compared to the UK) and low rainfall, it’s not hard to see why South Africa is a popular place for expats.

However, one key consideration is the safety aspect of this country. South Africa ranks the highest for crime and the lowest for safety in this rating, and indeed, there are many places in the country that foreigners are advised not to travel to alone. This is something that all expats should be aware of, and security costs should be factored into a move here.

8. Germany

Germany is ranked as the second-safest country in this ranking, and with the second-lowest crime rate (after Spain). Germany also gets the second-most sunlight hours annually, somewhat surprisingly.

In terms of cost, however, Germany is on par with living costs in the UK - although British expats will find that accommodation, both in the city and outside of it, costs a few hundred pounds less than it does in the UK.

9. Italy

Italy is another popular destination for UK expats and is frequently ranked as one of the best, well-rounded countries to move to. Accommodation costs are significantly lower in Italy when compared to the UK, while monthly living costs are slightly less.

Italian workers receive the same number of PTO as UK workers, and the country is ranked about the same as the UK in terms of safety and crime. Overall, UK expats likely would not see a huge change in their lifestyle moving to Italy - aside from a drop in rental costs.

What country is the best for British expats?

Australia is the most popular country for British expats to settle in, with an estimated 1.3 million Brits choosing to settle there. However, other countries are frequently ranked as the best countries for expats all around the globe.

It’s not easy to label any particular country as the best for British expats. While the ten countries featured above all have their benefits (and downsides), ultimately it depends on the expat themselves.

It’s important to consider what’s most important to you: job opportunities, warmer weather, culture, quality of life, cost of living, or a combination of multiple factors.

Data: Best Countries for Expats Compared

Methodology

MoneyTransfers.com collected data on the cost of living, transport costs, accommodation costs, average annual sunlight hours, average monthly rainfall, average PTO, crime index score, and safety score to draw comparisons on the UK and the 10 countries ranked as the best for expats. Sources used:

• numbeo.com

• wikipedia.org

• https://worldweather.wmo.int/