Favorite Expat Destinations

[johnw100]

Not sure about SIngapore but I'll bet a lot of things are cheaper in Bahrain and NZ. For sure petrol is cheaper in Bahrain. I don't think there are any income or import taxes there.

Singapore is very expensive for property and alcholol. But they have an M&S and soon John lewis, which is always desirable for the British expat and its as cheap to eat out as it is to buy from the supermarket. Its on my list of retirement choices.

 

[sergio]

I had the impression that Signapore was expensive for tourism too. What about taxation?

 

[Johnny]

i am in Turkey, now. Last month, I visited Oslo, Norway.A can of Coke with a straw can cost US$5.00. In Riga, Latvia, a can of Coke with a straw and a meal can cost US$5.00.
Best places to live IMO - Chiang Mai, Thailand, Valencia, Spain, Kula Lumpur,Malaysia, Cartagena, Colombia.
And the winner is TIRANA, ALBANIA !!

Nice work Fred ! Drop us a report on Turkey if you will. I was in Thailand for two years and spent two months in Chiang Mai. Nice town though a little small for me (plus Thailand's military coup has likely impacted Chiang Mai more than other areas of the country). At any rate, reports of your travels most welcome.

 

[Joe]

i am in Turkey, now. Last month, I visited Oslo, Norway.A can of Coke with a straw can cost US$5.00. In Riga, Latvia, a can of Coke with a straw and a meal can cost US$5.00.
Best places to live IMO - Chiang Mai, Thailand, Valencia, Spain, Kula Lumpur,Malaysia, Cartagena, Colombia.
And the winner is TIRANA, ALBANIA !!

How much is the coke without the straw?

Most of your destinations are hot and steamy 365 days a year.

 

[Noruega]

How much is the coke without the straw?

Oh Joe, you have been missed! SO glad you are back! As the resident Norwegian: yes, Norway is very expensive. But the NOK has fallen against the dollar after the fall of the oil price, so things are slightly less expensive for foreign tourists now. The exchange rate was hovering around NOK 5.50 or 6 to the USD for years, but is now around NOK 8 to the USD. So Norway should be about 33% cheaper right now than a year ago, for dollar and euro tourists. And, they might even throw in the straw for free! Still expensive, but a little better.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

We spent a couple weeks in Norway and Sweden last year, when the dollar was weaker, but found them not quite so expensive as we had feared. We simply readjusted our standards, splurging on rare occasion, and enjoyed the novelty they offered us. Of course, it helped to have relatives.

 

[garryl]

i am in Turkey, now. Last month, I visited Oslo, Norway.A can of Coke with a straw can cost US$5.00. In Riga, Latvia, a can of Coke with a straw and a meal can cost US$5.00.
Best places to live IMO - Chiang Mai, Thailand, Valencia, Spain, Kula Lumpur,Malaysia, Cartagena, Colombia.
And the winner is TIRANA, ALBANIA !!

Albania is dirt poor, is it safe to live there, many have AK-47. I do not know why Singapore is the place ? 1-2 million dollars for an apartment, hot like hell, as small as Palermo in Buenos Aires, homely chicas.

 

[garryl]

Nice work Fred ! Drop us a report on Turkey if you will. I was in Thailand for two years and spent two months in Chiang Mai. Nice town though a little small for me (plus Thailand's military coup has likely impacted Chiang Mai more than other areas of the country). At any rate, reports of your travels most welcome.

Chiang Mai's winter is still too hot for me, but it's probably the best place for expat, it's small, but the second largest city in Thailand. There are so many retired older males in Chiang Mai, you see them in the massage/beer bar all the time, I was told many of them can live on their social security, but it's quite a boring place, Buenos Aires offers way more things to do. You can not find a single pretty street (the one like you see in Recoleta) in Bankok or Chiang Mai.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Albania is dirt poor, is it safe to live there, many have AK-47. I do not know why Singapore is the place ? 1-2 million dollars for an apartment, hot like hell, as small as Palermo in Buenos Aires, homely chicas.

So, the public safety solution is to provide AK-47s for everyone in Buenos Aires? I can't imagine that could ever go wrong.

 

[Johnny]

Chiang Mai's winter is still too hot for me, but it's probably the best place for expat, it's small, but the second largest city in Thailand. There are so many retired older males in Chiang Mai, you see them in the massage/beer bar all the time, I was told many of them can live on their social security, but it's quite a boring place, Buenos Aires offers way more things to do. You can not find a single pretty street (the one like you see in Recoleta) in Bankok or Chiang Mai.

I agree. Too small and a bit boring, but I didn't dislike it. Indeed, a big bar scene for retired men with little better to do than booze it up daily. Nice city for what it is though. December and January are much less hot but then March to May it is extremely hot and with bad pollution from the farmers burning their fields.