Is it cheaper to live abroad? Anyone done it?

A few years ago I met a couple of English ladies in my local
park who had moved to this little town when they were 70 to
be near their son who lived a few kilometres away with his french wife.
Their French never improved past the basic, they lived a quiet
unsociable life, had each other and a bit of family. They are'nt
with us any more and I do miss them but I know they were
very happy that they had made the move.

No if i sold my house i can't see the point of moving around the uk. I am thinking of renting and using the funds to stay a while in southern eu, and hopping over to a non schengen country till it resets. If all fails, come back home. If I'm lucky enough to have the next 10 years then this is my plan. So while not technically living abroad, i wouldn't be living in uk either. I'll work it out.

I could go on but I don’t want to put you off 😄

Same here MerylStreep!

What about a quieter location in the UK, Rexdog?
A small market town or similar?

Australia has become very expensive now and your UK State pensions would remain at the same amount as when you left. We were going to buy a property there 20 years ago with a view to moving there, but personal circumstances dictated otherwise. We've spent part of each year there until Covid but I think, on the whole, we're glad to be in the UK.

The reciprocal arrangements re State Pensions is something to consider. And the fact that, if you decided to return, could you afford to?
We know a couple who went to Spain, wanted to return but couldn't afford to buy another property back here.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'm still thinking about it and I'm sure the right decision will cub come to me in the end

It may work for some people especially if they are fluent in the language but Brexit has messed things up. It's worth talking with those who have done it.

MrsKen, bless you. I know it can be done. I know there are limiting and mitigating factors. But i wouldn't be doing it blind. This forum has kicked up some good advise especially about hidden costs eg funeral planning, wills etc. I wouldn't buy there but at this age i think it will be our last chance to enjoy a lengthy period living elsewhere. Money is a big consideration which is why i asked

Hi There, thanks. I agree with what you say. I have some spanish and am thinking of relocating to a mountainous region where we have friends who have lived there for differing times, up to 20 years. Pre brexit i know. Most of them have at least some spanish ranging to fluent. Although the language varies from north to south so i know we couldn't go to the Catalan region for example. I like the idea of Spain as we know some people there , have been going for many years and i would make it my own mission to become (semi) fluent! I know all countries have their problems but from what i have seen of the Spanish government, they seem to have invested heavily on their infrastructure, and supported their population through covid better than the uk one. Also I believe the tripartite system of policing there seems to keep far better orderv there than in the UK. I think there is a lot to like tbh

Grandtante, i agree the northern eu countries would be as , if not more expensive

Pascal 30 thank you for sharing this. Somewhere i hadn't considered before

Chardy, its a good point and i think that rule still stands

Rexdog12

Nandad, i agree it is a worry to move and burn your bridges. I too know of ppl who cant afford to come back to uk. That is scary. For this reason think would rent uk house and rent somwhere for a while. This way can get feel for different places

Rent or buy a campervan and travel around, 3 months in one country, 3 monhts in another?

M0nica, you do speak wise words. But wherever you live here, the fixed costs feel more and more unaffordable. For example the average council tax bill and water rates alone have become a millstone round a lot of ppls necks. These costs are no matter where you live in the uk but i suppose ppl with decent incomes just absorb them as inevitable

It’s not cheaper to live in New Zealand. It’s more expensive!

Mamie you quote :"We have come to understand that France expects you to be a good citizen, to understand the values of the Republic and in turn you are supported by the system." Exactly you have pinpointed what i feel is wrong with the UK now. No one seems to expect any kind of standards here and the poorer the community the less interest the state has in you

We have a widowed friend, who because she had a very small pension found it nigh on impossible to live in the UK. She moved, on her own, to Turkey and has made friends, locals as well as ex pats. She has a very enviable life noe, although I believe she may be a little homesick as she cannot afford to visit the UK very often

Please stop idolizing Spain

The electricity skyrocketed a while ago and families are struggling to pay for it - forcing them to change their habits to be able to afford laundry, for example

Not saying this is you - Pockets of population who move and refuse to learn Spanish, adapt to the country and living in tight groups of their own people create resentment in the native population - rightly so

The political environment in Spain is not that stable

Don't dream of the grass being greener there

Part of the illusion why it is cheaper to live in Spain is because some items ate partially covered by the taxes paid by Spaniards- and you will benefit without paying a single penny
That's another rightfully source of resentment of natives towards snowbirds retiring in other countries

Be grateful for what you have and prepare for your future where you have a support network

Unless you know the country you would be moving to, moving at any time of life, but perhaps especially at our time of life is risky.

Apart from the problems of not holding an EU passport, health insurance etc. the cost of living has risen in most European countries due to the war in Ukraine.

You also need to take into consideration that you may well need to re-write your wills if you move, to make sure they are valid both in your new country of residence and where the benificiares live.

Funeral arrangements should be considered too, while we are on the subject of our latter end!

Care homes are not cheap anywhere, so look into that too - hopefully you will never need one, but no-one can promise you that.

In 2016 when I was last in France the prices of food in supermarkets was nearly double that of the prices in Germany or the Netherlands, so if France is your choice the cost of living will be high. On the other hand France and most other European countries has cheap rail fares for those over 60.

Another point: language - unless you speak the language of your chosen country well, or are still able to learn a new language properly, you will be at risk of being very isolated, and need a notary who speaks good English for all and any purchases, tax matters etc. It is a myth that English is understood everywhere - it is certainly spoken, but not always good enough if at all for dealing with doctors, pharmacies, income tax inspectors, bank managers and the like.

I spent a year in South africa, near Cape Town.. it is significantly cheaper, has a lovely climate, the people are lovely and mostly speak english and it has stunning scenery.. I worked and travelled all round the country working with people from every background and did not feel unsafe, though I wouldn't have wanted to live in Johannesburg..

There's a woman in her 90s who moved to Canada on retirement, to live near her daughter. Her pension was fixed at the rate it was when she left UK, some 30 yrs ago. She has organised protests to get that changed.
I think it's only certain countries it applied to, and the rules may have changed - does anyone know?
It always seemed so cruel as obviously she had contributed, but never received, elderly care, both social and health, and I think had contributed to the war or post-war effort.
If she's still alive she must be over 100 now.

the French are slow to let you into their homes or into their lives.

Sorry but we cannot agree : our French neighbours were wonderful, and have actually since visited us in their camper van in Herts, whereas our neighbours here have not even invited us over their doorstep, but keep us standing outside. This after 2 years 3 months of offering them help and giving them produce from our small garden. An Englishman's home is his castle comes to mind.

We have lived in France for eighteen years and I would say that overall we do live more cheaply here, because we live more simply and consume less. French people are sometimes slow to get to know you, but we have found that when you are accepted and welcomed into their homes they become good friends for life.
The administration is hard work and over-complicated, but you get used to keeping massive dossiers going back years. We know very few English people around here and fluent French is essential. The health service is excellent. We have come to understand that France expects you to be a good citizen, to understand the values of the Republic and in turn you are supported by the system.
It has undoubtedly become more difficult for people to come here since Brexit.
We have spent time in southern Spain where our son lives and my impression is that it would be possible (but not desirable) to manage with minimal Spanish in the big British / Scandinavian communities.

Rexdog peace and rural is abundantly available in the UK, but, as everywhere, you really need to go out in the sticks. Rural Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, the Cheviots, Pennines, central Wales, Scotland, all away from tourist areas, much of Lincolnshire and parts of Norfolk, away from the Broads are all cheap for property and will give you rural peace.

But there isa price to pay: a long way from towns, shops,, supermakets, doctors, hospital, difficulty with deliveries.

You are looking for a past world that no onger exists and probably never did. The countryside has always been home to the worst poverty, unemployment and sickness.

Nandad, i agree it is a worry to move and burn your bridges. I too know of ppl who cant afford to come back to uk. That is scary. For this reason think would rent uk house and rent somwhere for a while. This way can get feel for different places

Harrigran, i think the northern eu countries would be too expensive as well