When it comes to moving abroad, there is a lot to consider, most importantly, where are
you going to live.
For some people, the choice is obvious, but if you're still on the fence, then keep watching
this video because you're going to get seven of the best countries for ex-pats in 2020
to help you make your decision.
For the best advice about moving abroad, subscribe to my channel and hit the bell to be notified
when I post a new video every Thursday.
First up is Portugal.
Now, I visited Portugal a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with this country.
I could totally see myself living here and many digital nomads and retirees agree.
People love the affordable cost of living and the easy travel to the rest of Europe.
Of course, if you move to Portugal, you might not want to spend a lot of time traveling
to other parts of the continent, because there's so much to enjoy in your new home country.
The two biggest cities are Lisbon and Porto, and both have significant startup and digital
nomad cultures there.
While the primary language that's spoken in a Portugal is Portuguese, you can also get
by there just speaking English.
Of course, when you speak the primary language of a country, there are more opportunities
to connect with the people that are living there and just to get a general deeper understanding
of the country.
So I always encourage ex-pats people living abroad for a significant amount of time, to
make the effort to learn the primary language that is spoken in their new country.
Next up is Taiwan.
I have never been to Asia, but I think that is going to have to change based on the high
quality of life, affordable cost of living and work opportunities in Taiwan.
A company called Inter Nations recently released its annual ex-pat insiders survey, which takes
results for more than 20,000 ex-pats living all over the world and Taiwan ranked number
one of all the countries.
People especially love Taipei, which is a modern, yet affordable city, has awesome nightlife,
a great food scene, proximity to beaches and quality, public transport.
Number three, Columbia.
If you are into nature and hiking, then Columbia is right up your alley.
It's actually the second most biodiverse country in the world.
[inaudible 00:02:33] is super, super popular with a digital nomads who can't get enough
of the affordable cost of living.
In addition to being a good place to be a digital nomad, Columbia has a fairly easy
process for obtaining a retirement visa.
If you're an American, an added bonus is that there are affordable flights from Columbia
back to the United States, which makes travel a lot easier.
Many ex-pats like to talk about the welcoming nature of people in Columbia, and as someone
who has lived abroad in several different countries, it's really nice to be welcomed
into a community, and to know that you're a part of something, not just an outsider
looking in.
Country number four, Estonia.
The capital city, Tallinn has an incredible startup and coworking culture.
And as if that weren't enough to be a digital nomad in Estonia, this country is actually
in the works of rolling out a digital nomad visa, which would allow you to work remotely
while living in Estonia for up to a year, and there's even talks that, that might include
health insurance.
I was familiar with the digital nomad visa in Estonia, but in the process of researching
this video, I learned that Estonia is one of the most digitally advanced societies in
the world.
Seriously, they do absolutely everything online, including registering births, registering
marriage licenses, and even voting.
Would a country offering a digital nomad visa, make it more attractive to you?
If so, comment yes below.
And we are sticking in Europe for country number five, Spain.
When I decided way back in 2014 that I wanted to move abroad, I was open to pretty much
living anywhere in Europe.
I just happened to land in Spain and I am so glad that I did.
Spain is an amazing country for ex-pats and Madrid, I think it will forever be one of
my favorite cities in the world.
When I first went to Spain, I was working as an all pair with a family in a small village
outside of Madrid.
I did that for about three months, and during that time I knew I had to find a way to legally
live and work in Spain.
Through some research, I found the North American language assistance program or the [Foreign
Language 00:05:03].
This program allowed me to have a work visa, well, it was more of a student visa, and my
salary was considered a stipend, because it really is an exchange program where you work
as an assistant to a English teacher in the public schools, in the bilingual public schools
in Spain, and in return, you are exposed to Spain and to everything that is great about
living there.
In that program, I earned about 1000 euros per month and was working around 16 hours
per week.
With that 1000 euros salary, I had an apartment in the city center, I was able to go out with
my friends for wine and tapas whenever I wanted to, and I traveled regularly.
With that 16 hour work week, I had a three day weekend, which was great for traveling.
If you are interested in the [Foreign Language 00:06:06] program in teaching English in Spain,
then head to the link in the description.
I will leave the link for a blog post that I wrote all about the program.
Next up is Singapore HSBC Global Financial Services sends out an annual ex-pat Explorer
survey to 22,000 ex-pats living all over the world, and Singapore ranked number one for
job security and wage growth.
That, coupled with the fact that Singapore has an excellent education system for children,
makes this country really seem like a place where you could build an excellent life for
you and your family.
Rounding up the list at number seven is Mexico.
In my mind, there is no better country for ex-pats than Mexico.
I have called this country my home since 2017, and I am absolutely in love with my life here.
I know I talked about affordable cost of living in other countries, but really none of those
locations even compare to Mexico.
It is possible to have a great life on a very limited budget here.
You really do get a lot of bang for your buck.
For example, I live in a two bedroom, two bathroom house that has a large kitchen, large
dining room, large office/workout area in the Centro Historico, the historic center
of [inaudible 00:07:37] Mexico.
And I pay a little more than a $480 USD per month.
I also really enjoy this country for the friendly people, the incredible cuisine and all the
opportunities to travel.
The Mexico city airport is the largest airport in Latin America, so it can really fit all
of your travel needs.
But don't go running off to other countries all of the time.
When I moved to Mexico, I really thought that I would be going to sell the America a lot
more.
However, I am just so in love with this country.
It has an incredible history, is very biodiverse, beaches and mountains and everything in between
Mexico really does have everything that you could want in a country, and I consider it
a traveler's paradise.
Another thing that makes Mexico really unique is the 180 day tourist visa.
That is six months.
And that tourist visa is granted to people coming from the US, from Canada, from the
EU, from other countries as well.
And this six month stay allows you to try out living in Mexico to see if it's for you,
before going the visa process.
If Mexico sounds like the country for you, and I sure hope that it does, then head to
the link in the description and grab my move to Mexico quick start guide.
I would love to know which of these countries you are most interested in calling home.
Let me know in the comments.
If there's a country that I left out, something you think I should have included, then let
me know that too, and tell me why.
I am always interested in learning about new places.
And since my living abroad journey is far from over, who knows, maybe I could call it
home one day.
I'm Alex from backpackingbrunette.com.
Thanks for watching.
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