Thinking of launching a career abroad? Perhaps you’ve been reading our new infographic that features top tips on how to do just that. If you’re really, seriously considering a move abroad, it’s time to get down to practicalities.
If you’ve settled on your dream country in which to start fresh and launch a career, have you thought about how much it is going to cost you once you get there? When moving from one place to another, especially in different countries, it’s crucial to do some research on costs so you can make sure you’ll be able to afford things in the place you want to move.
So, as you set sail and launch your dream of moving to another country, packing your bags with relish to pursue an exciting job opportunity, make sure you set aside some time to do some budgeting. While the cost of living around the world will vary, it is important to know that anyone can take out a short term loan to help them cover the costs of living, all over the world.
How much is it going to cost to rent an apartment in London, Munich or Jeddah? How much will a grocery basket cost you in Manchester, Stockholm or Seoul? Would a pint of beer after a hard week in your new job set you back more in New York or Berlin?
Of course, cities around the world vary in all sorts of ways – culture, geography, living conditions and, indeed, living costs. To go alongside our new infographic looking at the best ways to facilitate a career move abroad, we thought it’d be valuable for our customers to see how much it’d cost for you to go live in one of these places.
Let’s take a look in more detail at the top 10 places to launch a career abroad.
All prices are averages, taken from a major city in each country (i.e. New York) and given in pound sterling. Research was conducted on August 23rd 2016.
How much does it cost to live in China?
Typical monthly starting salary: £907.44
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £5.02
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £797
Basic utilities per month: £36
Internet: £15
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £21
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £20
Pint of beer: 50p
Monthly gym membership: £43
Cinema ticket: £9
Total cost of living in China: £946.52
How much does it cost to live in Germany?
Typical monthly starting salary: £2,242.03
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £3
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £820
Basic utilities per month: £197
Internet: £19
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £54
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £10
Pint of beer: £3
Monthly gym membership: £33
Cinema ticket: £8
Total cost of living in Germany: £1,148
How much does it cost to live in the USA?
Typical monthly starting salary: £2,849.43
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £6
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £2229
Basic utilities per month: £97
Internet: £39
Travel
Fuel: £0.50
Public transport (monthly pass): £89
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £60
Pint of beer: £5
Monthly gym membership: £59
Cinema ticket: £11
Total cost of living in the USA: £2,594.50
How much does it cost to live in the UK?
Typical monthly starting salary: £2,028.34
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £4
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £1,679
Basic utilities per month: £150
Internet: £25
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £130.00
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £54.00
Pint of beer: £4
Monthly gym membership: £48
Cinema ticket: £12.00
Total cost of living in the UK: £2,107
How much does it cost to live in Saudi Arabia?
Typical monthly starting salary: £1,720
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £3
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £356
Basic utilities per month: £25
Internet: £31
Travel
Fuel: £0.14
Public transport (monthly pass): £40
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £20
Pint of non-alcoholic beer: £1
Monthly gym membership: £66
Cinema ticket: £17
Total cost of living in Saudi Arabia: £559.14
How much does it cost to live in Russia?
Typical monthly starting salary: £405.79
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £1.76
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £367
Basic utilities per month: £69
Internet: £4
Travel
Fuel: £0.41 p/l
Public transport (monthly pass): £18
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £23
Pint of beer: £0.77
Monthly gym membership: £25
Cinema ticket: £4
Total cost of living in Russia: £513
How much does it cost to live in Canada?
Typical monthly starting salary: £1,995
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £5
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £888
Basic utilities per month: £73
Internet: £31
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £83
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £41
Pint of beer: £3
Monthly gym membership: £32
Cinema ticket: £8
Total cost of living in Canada: £1,165
How much does it cost to live in Japan?
Typical monthly starting salary: £2,182.71
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £5
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £931
Basic utilities per month: £133
Internet: £29
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £75
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £42
Pint of beer: £3
Monthly gym membership: £74
Cinema ticket: £14
Total cost of living in Japan: £1,406
How much does it cost to live in South Korea?
Typical monthly starting salary: £1,818
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £6
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £775
Basic utilities per month: £137
Internet: £18
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £38
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £27
Pint of beer: £2
Monthly gym membership: £49
Cinema ticket: £7
Total cost of living in South Korea: £1,357
How much does it cost to live in Sweden?
Typical monthly starting salary: £2,070
Essentials
Groceries (milk, bread, eggs): £5
1 Bedroom apartment in city centre, monthly rent: £660
Basic utilities per month: £63
Internet: £21
Travel
Fuel: £1
Public transport (monthly pass): £70
Eating out, keeping fit and entertainment
Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: £62
Pint of beer: £5
Monthly gym membership: £34
Cinema ticket: £11
Total cost of living in Sweden: £914
Cost of living league table
So who comes out on top? Here’s the cities from cheapest to most expensive:
| Country | Cost of living |
| Russia | £513 |
| Saudi Arabia | £559.14 |
| Sweden | £914 |
| China | £946.52 |
| Canada | £1,165 |
| Germany | £1,148 |
| Japan | £1,406 |
| UK | £2,107 |
| USA | £2,594.50 |
Remember though – while Russia and Saudi Arabia are both cheaper, graduate salaries in these countries are typically lower than elsewhere.
All data comes from Numbeo.
Moving abroad for work is a good idea – research shows that:
94% of US business leaders believe travel experience gives candidates a competitive advantage in the workplace.
31% of executives speak two languages. Being bilingual is a skill associated with top performers and earners.
All set for the move abroad? Get four tips for launching a successful career move abroad taken from our new infographic.
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Do your research
Start researching your target market. If you can show an employer you know it inside-out, you’re in with a good chance. Read, use the internet, join LinkedIn groups, peruse online forums and browse foreign magazines to get the inside track on what’s really going on.
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Reach out
Do you have friends who work in recruitment? Or perhaps you know someone who’s made the move abroad too? Reach out to them, tell them your plans and try and learn from their experiences. Speak to recruiters in other countries too – they might be able to put you in touch with people working in the specific location you’re looking to move to.
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Be a global candidate
Moving abroad is about adopting a global mindset – thinking global and acting global, as the saying goes. When speaking to employers, talk about your experience in global work – have you spent a gap year abroad? Been sent overseas on a work project? Even if you haven’t, talk about your passion for travelling.
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Have a philosophy
Why do you want to work abroad? If you can’t answer the question, maybe you don’t really want to. Make sure you have a ‘mission statement’ behind your desire to go somewhere new. People do it for all sorts of reasons – new experiences, better work prospects, learn a new language. Whatever yours is, tell employers your philosophy, your mission statement – it’ll help convince them you’re the one they want.
Generic advice is not a service regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
