Is it cheaper to live abroad? Anyone done it?

M0nica thanks for that, it helps to have some different perspective

Thanks everyone for your collective words of wisdom. I recognize all the very valid points here. TBH i feel sometimes as though the UK has become totally divided and people seem obsessed with themselves. I long for a peaceful slower more authentic way of life. Having a small income feeds into my sense of peace as i feel all the changes that are coming here will impoverish those of us with the least ability to pay, the most. For example all the charges and fines for having the privilege to do things we used to take for granted eg driving, going on holidays, even having the ruddy heating on etc. Someone warned a change of government could affect a country and i totally agree. But it's like that here. I think our government, which i used to trust, red or blue, no longer care about us, only themselves. And the bullying tactics they are employing to get us to do their bidding, like with net zero, fills me with a sense of dread. I think posting this has made me realize it's not just money but the way nothing here works any more is making me think about living abroad. I know all countries have their problems but rural life does appeal to me and itv feels unattainable here, mainly due to house prices but basic utilities like council tax water etc eat a huge amount of most ppls income. Our friends who live in Spain pay next to nothing for their utilities. Why is everything so expensive over here?

I think Monica’s right about the grass looking greener.
We have 3 lots of friends who moved overseas and have since returned. The bureaucracy of trying to get even small tasks completed can be a nightmare. The cost of medication meant one couple found it cheaper to fly back to the UK to have prescriptions filled.
And, the police are just as bad in EU countries, favouring their own countrymen over foreigners, especially ones that don’t speak the local language.
We met a retired Belgian couple in Rhodes who now live in Turkey, they told us that their rent has nearly doubled in 2 years, food prices are cheaper than here but their utilities have gone up. They would like to return to Belgium but can’t afford to. They can’t become Turkish nationals easily and there isn’t a benefits system as such. They have to keep going into the bank to prove who they are because of some complicated system the Turkish banks have with overseas payments (their pension). This can leave them short of funds at times, so now they have to keep large amounts in cash in their home.
Brother is selling his place in Cyprus which he built for his retirement as he’s realised that it’s no longer cheaper to live out there.
Until you live somewhere you don’t need to worry about the infrastructure, once there you may learn there isn’t one!

Sodapop thanks. Peaceful and rural is what feels unaffordable in the uk now

DD lives in Belgium and it is certainly not affordable on a modest income.
The only way she can travel freely is by having dual nationality. The house next door to her went up for sale a few months ago, 1.3 million Euro, it was in an appalling state, nothing done to it since the 50s by the look of the interior photos.
DD does praise the health system though, she took ill at work and the paramedics apologised for taking four minutes to reach the office.

Rexdog Police overseas, in fact worldwide are very different to the UK - and not for the better.

In the UK the police are, and always have been, a civilian force quite separate from the military and the majority are unarmed and have a built in remit to be part of the civilian population.

yes, they are going through a very bad patch at the moment and are now more likely to be armed, but this is all very different from other countries, where the police come from the military, are trained and armed as a matter of course and whose primary purpose is to keep order. and also have none too good a reputation for brutality in keeping order.

For the last 30 years we have had a holiday home in France in Normandy. An area where property is vey cheap and you are close to the Channel ferry ports, but even after 30 years we still struggle with aspects of French culture. We spent 3 weeks in France this year, trying to get our phoneline repaired and the internet up and running again. We came home with the job still not done and after 4 visits to the Orange shop because their system would only recognise French mobile numbers. Now we are 80 we have decided with great reluctance to sell up in France as running a home there is just getting too complicated.

Food is more expensive there than in the UK and while we have always been on the best of terms with our neighbours, the French are slow to let you into their homes or into their lives.

Currently to live in France you will both need to have a minimum income of over £15,000, that is over £30,000 a year between you. You will find most European countries will have a minimum income requirement and you will be excluded from much of their social support programme.

When working out you income here you should take into account your entitlement to other benefits like Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Pension Credit. In some countries, probably not Europe, once you leave the country you cease to get increases in your State Pension as well. then there are the social support for older people in the UK: bus passes, social care, day centres. You maay well be excluded from these overseas, even if the country of your choice has such srvices

If you do decide you want to move, find somewhere you like, and rent a house for 6 months - a year and try living there and see how you get on before committing yourself to a permanent move. The sae advice one gives anyone considering a drastic move in the UK.

I think you are suffering from 'grass being greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome. The days when the English retired to Pau or Boulogne to live cheaply and mix with their compatriots went with World War 1. In any other country I think you will find that while some aspects of life may be cheaper - housing, possibly food, - it will be more than outbalanced by social costs, medical insurance, the lack of any kind of social support

However, thousands of retirees emigrate successfully every year, and it is possible - although infuriating, and I would think less fulfilling - to live for many years in some countries without ever learning the language, providing you choose somewhere that English (or any other language you are fluent in) is widely spoken. Generally, that means areas where there is a sizeable British immigrant population.

Rexdog
Here’s one for you.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138243839#/?channel=OVERSEAS.
We have spent a little time in Macedonia in our travels through Europe.
You will fall in love with the beautiful view. What you won’t be told is that there are probably plans for development on that land.
If you like your telly, forget that. Be prepared on constant cut off on water, electricity. You will have no warning of this and you’ll never know when it’s coming back on.
I could go on but I don’t want to put you off 😄

It isn't possible to just decide to live in an EU country post Brexit as there are a lot of new rules about becoming a resident there.

You COULD live much more cheaply in India or many other developing countries but if you wanted the same standards and lifestyle, living in a similar neighborhood you would pay more. Many countries I have visited look attractive on the surface, dig a little deeper and the real costs become less appealing, not to mention the local restrictions on expat residents.

A couple of separate points.

When people ask about which country may be better, I see Poland and Portugal mentioned quite frequently.

The other point to maybe consider is disabilities.
Is the country disabled friendly?

About 3 years ago, I looked into some countries myself.
Decided to stay put in the Uk.
Apart from points above, will they let you in? Many countries have many rules about age, wealth transfer etc.
Also consider, what would a new country be like if change of government?

Rexdog12

I feel like crime is bad here also. And our police not policing very much?!

The country I am talking about, could not be compared to the UK I dont think.
People live in family groups if they can.
Windows barricaded.
Outer gate, hurriedly opened and shut to let a car[often more than 1 person in it] go out and back in again.

What happens if one of you dies, UK, not a patch on what it was, it’s been ruined, however there’s no place like home, knowing the language, the system. I love my country and dislike what’s been done to it, but to me it’s home and I am not even bothered about holidays abroad anymore, been where I wanted to and enjoyed them but always glad to get back, there's so much of the UK I haven’t seen, so I’m ticking them off my list as I do them. Think very hard before you decide.

Whatver the cost of living on a day-to-day basis, you do need to look very carefully at health, social care and benefit entitlements, bearing in mind:
terms have different meanings in different countries, so even an accurate translation may not mean exactly what you think
you may lose certain entitlements if you live abroad
what can sound like a huge amount in health insurance can actually disappear very quickly, and is usually time-limited.

MeylStreep & M0nica are right about speaking the language. Even speaking a language well may not enable you to deal with bureacracy. Some countries have an easy use of English among much of the population - but even in these, it can vary from region to region.

You say that you have savings. I personally think that it is not difficult to lead a pleasant, modest life in the UK on a small income. Housing is the biggest factor, but there are places that are pleasant and less expensive.
We live in a relatively cheap area of the country, there are still a lot of inexpensive community activities. Amateur theatre and local music nights provide decent entertainment.
Many of our friends volunteer with the National Trust, at 'good' theatres / concert halls etc. and get discount on tickets.

I don't know if that appeals, or fills you with horror!

We live in France and the cost of living here has been rising for some time. I agree with Hithere it's not a good idea to move to another country just for financial reasons only. We are well settled here but did a lot of research and several trips before making a decision. We love the peaceful rural life but it's not for everyone. There have been post Brexit difficulties as well. Think very carefully before taking irrevocable steps Rexdog12

M0nica, fair point

I feel like crime is bad here also. And our police not policing very much?!

Halfpint, i am already more than half way with this idea

Hi there. Completely agree. But the uk feels like a very unwelcoming place to live. The attitude of the police and the nhs and the public institutions all seem to be working against us it seems to me. Like as if they hold us, the public in contempt

Great idea. I recognize language will be an issue

Thanks Countess. I'm guessing most northern european countries will be the same. I was thinking more of either non eu or southern europe. We have friends who live in spain who say they couldn't afford to live in uk now unless one of them worked at least pt. And they have a reasonable income

Lol b thanks siope i get the drift

Do not forget that you will have to pay for health insurance, that standards of care in hospitals may be different to what you are used to in the UK and that unless you speak fluently the language of the country you are moving to, you are at an immense disadvantage. Other European countries do not povide leaflets in foereign languages and access to interrepretors the way we do in the UK.

When you get to this mythical country, cultural norms will be very different - even in somwhere like France, you will not know anyone and their may be no expat organisations in your area. You will not know how to socialise and getto know your neighbours. You will be a long way from family or friends in an emergency.

Several members of my family had long working careers overseas; in France, Switzerland and the USA, but all of them as they reached their 80s, sold up and moved back to the UK to be closer to family members and if necessary go into English care homes.

Read an article recently of a couple, or was it family, who moved to Bulgaria.
Not my cup of tea at all. But was a lot cheaper apparently.

There are any number of countries[know one where everything is 1/4 the price of here], Health care good and you dont pay much for it.[non EU].
Would I want to live there? No.
And crime is bad there.

It is an extremely short sighted idea to move to another country just for financial reasons

Those who emigrated know how long hard is to get used to a new way of life, building a new supporting network, immigration issues, language and nationality barriers