I have lived in 7 countries, twice at different times in one of them, so I have moved 7 times. Not only am I not shocked by one survey stating people regret moving to a country and another survey stating they're happy about moving to the same country, but I can also tell you from experience you can love the country at one stage in your life and regret moving there at another stage in your life.
yup!!. maybe we ourselves aren't the same in different stages of our lives. Also I have to say that the better way to know is moving and working/living for at least 3 months. The same country may be a totally different experience for two different people and that experience is not the same as a tourist.
@ Top - Very true! Same with chosing profession! When one reaches the age starting "stone collecting," and reflecting much about life, what wouldn't he, or she do to go back and correct his / her choices...
Yes, and that's also bcz times change. As the years & decades pass, I see this in my own country, Australia, too. The ppl I knew in my youth have dispersed or died off and it's all new ppl, young ppl, new migrants, etc. I don't seem to know anyone anymore. I left my home town bcz it's no longer the place & ppl I once knew.
@@bristonknight9315 Yes! Exactly! Though I'm not sure what you mean about stone collecting? You mean as a hobby? I would do anything to go back to my youth, in that same time & place with the same ppl I once knew, but are long gone now. They are irreplaceable. I wouldn't want to be young in today's world. It's not the same beautiful & carefree place it once was. Those simple but FUN FILLED times will never come back. I feel there's nothing much left to live for in this world anymore. There's so much to deal with such as jealousy, spitefulness, malice, competitiveness, you name it. People have become very evil, demonic & insidious. They want what others have. They will kill for it all. They have no soul and I'm often left wondering if they really are alien hybrids as they don't seem human at all, like not from this world. The only thing that can keep us safe is to trust & believe in God. God sees ALL & one day those evil hybrids will get their final and most just punishment.
@@johanna5688 - I used an abriviated version of the saying "There's time to throw stones and there's time to collect them" meaning take decisions with regards to chosing friends, marrying someone, raising family, chosing a profession, whatever and acting accordingly. And then, the time comes for seeing and "enjoying" 😀😥 the results (cause and effects) - that's what it means, I guess in the language of Bible... Usually, it comes with age and acquired wisdom. Frankly speaking, I'm also feeling like I'm not of this world any more... In my time, my friends and I were into trying to put our hands on the best books, reading and discussing them in a friendly atmosphere with a cup of tea or coffee... cookies were a plus! Many of us, insatiable, or ambicious, were attending not one, but two colleges, learning languages, writing poetry... So now it all is replaced with shallow tweets. People don't even dare read a post longer than a couple if sentences... The best time in our modern history, I guess, was the so-called "silver age" in Europe (1840 - 1900), time of literary saloons where refined people were talking about arts, literature, poetry, filosophy, etc... listening to the music of voices and enjoying the light of friends' eyes... Our time is the one of decadence. People need to lose something in order to start to value what was lost.
As someone who's lived in multiple countries including Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, US and now Finland i have to say that although I enjoyed my time in each country, I've never really felt at home or "accepted" enough so every country felt only temporary. Until I moved to Finland, I moved here 4 years ago and feel much more at home, the people feel the most welcoming and accepting despite their general quietness. People value privacy, honesty and personal space but are at the same time the most genuine and down to earth people I've met. If you become friends with a Finn, there's a high chance that you're friends for life, because they're genuine. That honesty and genuinity is something that I was missing in all the other countries. Just the language is a bit difficult 😅🇫🇮
Having lived in Brasil, UK, Portugal and South Africa, for about 10 years each I must say that I felt at home every where and made friends in each country. Maybe it is what we bring with us and maybe it is what we let go every time we move. I have always made a point of leaving my previous culture behind, my language, etc and embraced completely the new culture every time I moved. But I also saw many ghettos of people who moved to a new place but never became part of it and continued to live as if they were still in their home country. I don’t mean to say that is your specific case but it is normal to feel like you did
I think Finland's problem for foreigners (from native's perspective) is that our job market is harsh for English speakers especially outside IT. We speak English, but most jobs list Finnish as requirement as it is the language used in the workplace and documents. There are some talks in politics about trying to make changes to this, but the talks are outshined by populistic stuff and current world situation. Our geopolitical location isn't that great either. Otherwise I can see that Finland would make the list.
I'm Belgian. Yesterday, I watched a TVshow of a Dutch couple that, with the help of some real estate brokers, tried to find a new house for their tiny family (couple with one baby). To find a home, they needed to increase their budget the whole time, and ended up buying a house at 600 000 Euro. Smaller than my house in Belgium, for which I paid 300 000 Euros. Therefore, a lot of Dutch people move to Belgium (house price and taxes). As for Switzerland and Norway, you have to be a very wealthy expat to move there 🙂
@Someone This is a very strange reaction to my post. I only wanted to inform that the house prices in Scandinavia and the Netherlands are much higher than for instance in Belgium. Information I collected from a Dutch website : medium houseprice in NL : 410 000 Euro. In Belgium : 225 000 Euro. That is the only thing I informed about. But the things you drag into this discussion ... NL is more democratic than BE ? Same election system, so a strange remark. Cleaner ? You have a source on that ? One thing I agree upon : according to the statistics, NL is a little safer. However, recently the drugs maffia in NL killed a journalist, and the NL drug maffia tried to kidnap the minister of interior affairs of Belgium.
Having read a lot of comments, I conclude that: - most countries face the same problems (expensive housing/cost of living) - in many cases, it is better to make the most of living in one's own country - if you're ambitious, skilled and/or wealthy enough, most countries offer a good standard of living
There is much in what you say, though some people really do need to move. In some ways I'm sad about leaving Australia, but I was too young to object. Europe is pretty good though, but the nanny state mentality is setting in. Its nations are not, however, as nanny state as Australia or Canada.
We moved from the US to Portugal two years ago & are so happy we did. The reasons listed in the video are most of the highlights, but we also love all the culture, art & architecture, as well as the beautiful blue sky and the amazing variety of landscapes from mountains & forests to beaches & charming little villages. We live in a non-touristy area of Lisbon & walk or take public transit 99% of the time for everything from groceries to concerts. Green space everywhere with parks of all kinds for a break from the over-crowded urban feeling that most cities suffer. Visiting other countries here in Europe is simpler & much less expensive than flying from the US. We live more simply, (buying locally, hanging laundry to dry, walking instead of driving, shopping second-hand) so we are able to do our small part for the planet. I could go on!
My spouse and I are looking to relocate to Portugal in 18 months…Care to share how you started the transition and what to do to get started? Thanks in advance..
I moved to Sweden with my wife and two daughters last year (February 2022-so coming up on one year now) and it’s been truly awesome. The people here are so much more relaxed and happy, while the amenities and infrastructure is amazing. Everything just works! It’s a pleasure to drive here-smooth roads and no potholes. Most intersections are either roundabouts or simply just Yield signs so you almost never need to stop-even the few traffic lights are timed and use sensors to know who gets priority). There are bike paths everywhere. I also love that there are no exposed wires or utility poles. Everything is clean and looks great! There are also clean restrooms everywhere you go! Love the food, love the free education and healthcare, love the 5-weeks of paid vacation (to start) and way more holidays than in the US. I keep telling my wife that I feel like I died and went to heaven. I’ll still go back to the US to visit, but don’t think that I’ll ever want to live there again.
The thing about the Netherlands that makes it very difficult to move there is they have a major housing crisis. There are both foreigners and Dutch citizens there that have been on a wait list for an apartment and property for years because they’re not keeping up with building housing for the growing population. It’s very difficult to find housing in the Netherlands, especially in their big cities.
The Netherlands is a small country with limited space. The practical solution would be for the Dutch to settle in other places and create "New Amsterdams" . . . wait a second. They already tried that centuries ago.
The Netherlands is overpopulated...if they go on like this it's not gonna be a great country anymore. They are too ambitious for such a tiny country. There has to be an end to growth at some point, especially for a tiny country as the Netherlands
Great video, as always. As I mentioned in a comment to the previous video, I've lived in several countries for extended periods of time (Ukraine for 13 years, Japan for six, and Peru for a combined year and a half), and I've visited scores more. I was in Portugal in 2016, and I would move there in a heartbeat. Also, I have family living in the southern (French-speaking) half of Belgium (Wallonia) and it is absolutely gorgeous where they live.
@@Maya_Pinion Yes and no. If you move to the south (Algarve region) literally everyone speaks english. In Lisbon or Porto you can get by with english but public services may present a challenge (public workers are on average old and know very little english). Everywhere else is a coin toss. It may be easier if you also speak French or better yet, Spanish. If you speak Spanish slowly, a portuguese speaker will understand 90%.
It was my immediate feeling when I went to Australia on holiday, I could live here. Felt immediately at home. Not keen on all the nasty poisonous creatures though.
Have several Swedish friends and they'e told me Sweden and other Nordic countries have had a recent surge in crime due to their open door immigration policy throughout the Syrian refugee crisis. In response they just formed a right-wing coallition government, with the largest party being the Sweden Democrats (far-right)... Seems to be a trend across Europe.
So now Sweden is a fascist country sucking up to the likes of Turkiye and Hungary. Not only a cold autumn, but a cold future. And this new government has already broken a lot of promises made during the election...
Good video, I'm from Lisbon, Portugal moved to the US 13 years ago, lived I'm Missouri, Miami Florida and now in Colorado Springs, still miss home everyday
@@jongallardo8006 of all the places I have lived/visited in the states Colorado was my favorite the only thing missing is the ocean witch I had in Miami but the relentless humid heat amongst other things knocks it down. In portugal you have the mountains, the ocean and great weather year round, but like everything nothing is perfect , word of advice if you plan to move there bring your american income with you
All too expensive for me. I relocated to Athens, Greece two years ago from the UK. Absolutely no regrets. Love the summer, food and the Greek people and culture are amazing. I’m also a sculptor so I’m working with Pentelic Marble what the Parthenon and many of the best sculptures are made from. Horses for courses.
@@Horseluvver Also we have Bears 🐻 in northern Greece in some places that they are in protection to not extinct, but we dont have polar bears , penguins or crocodiles.. XD Fun fact , we are plenty of cats, goats and Cows 🤣 in Peloponnese that i leave i get bored to see cats everywhere, streets,gardens , mountains,stores , Islands there are so many than mice. In addition goats and sheeps 🐏🐏 are much more in the mountains 🏔️😂
Have they done ANY work on the parthenon? I visited in 93 and again in 07 and it seemed the scaffolding hadnt been moved at all. Its like they expected the original builders to come fix it by just putting up the scaffolding and nobody was working on ANYTHING.
@@eurekaelephant2714 It was such a wonderful experience and it also fulfilled a lifelong dream. Also, the people were nice, the weather was wonderful and suffice to say, it was just a nice, entertaining time, plus I made some great friends (this was 25 years ago) and we still are friends. Additionally, my visits there have been better and better and I have been to Oz five times. I would love to retire there, but that probably won't happen.
@@dietpepsivanilla3095 ok thanks for replying. I was just curious. Never say never, maybe you WILL retire here. Glad you enjoyed your visits. Ive got an American friend,.life long now, whom I met when she was visiting here too. Its nice hey. :-)
I absolutely loved The Netherlands when I was sent there twice when I was in the Military. Great country with great people. They are doing a lot of things right.
I'm amazed when people say that crime is so very low in Sweden. I'm from Gothenburg, where there are "american style" gangs, and it's a big problem. My sister complained that at the school where she works, gangsters are recruiting new members by the school's fence. There are gangster shootouts here and there, and civilians have died in them. Malmö also has a LOT of gang and crime issues.
@@DillaryHuff Exactly, all these YT videos that state "rated one of the happiest countries on earth" never get the full picture because so much of it is not ever discussed, it is the scandinavian way to just ignore problems.
@@christinekinzel7850 depends on where in the US. If you are in a relatively white area you're safer than areas in Sweden that have been enriched. It's 6 of one half dozen of the other when talking about northern european communities wherever they are
A lot depends on if you can afford to live in the country. Switzerland has a very high cost of living as do many of the countries mentioned. I know people who have moved to Hungary and Bulgaria and none regret the move. France is another country two friends of mine now live in and they both love France. Like another person said in a post here, a lot of countries are nice if you have enough money to live there comfortably. One of the reasons several of my older friends left the USA for France, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria is that the cost of living had become so high in the USA they could not afford to retire in the USA anymore.
Have lived in NZ (from the USA originally) and can confirm - beautiful, generally laid-back friendly people. But expensive everywhere, not just in Auckland.
Auckland is actually the cheapest place to shop in nz, its just the housing and rents that are expensive, the rest of the country is now not far behind Auckland housing prices
As a Swede who knows a lot of people that have moved here I'd say the biggest gripe they have is the winter darkness, which I agree is much harder to live with than the cold.
@stanleydonnelly Sure, but I have a friend who has moved to Singapore and longed for seasons. I personally don't like it too hot (anything about 25°C), so I wouldn't enjoy a tropical climate.
I'm looking to relocate to southern Brazil in the State of Santa Catarina. It's very European with a high population of Germans and Italians. They have low crime, rich soil, warm weather, beautiful beaches and mountains, and best of all friendly, welcoming people. I'm looking to 'get out of dodge.' The American dream is turning into a nightmare.
@Jota Lhão I agree... Pomerode and Blumenau seem good. I've learned Tubarao, Brusque, and Jaragua do Sul also have low crime rates, along with Lages further inland. I do want to be out in the country but would like to have a decent sized town nearby. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Fun fact, Norway is changing all of their naval ships designations into barcodes. Yup, supposedly it makes it much easier when they come into port. They just aim their little laser reader and Scan-da-navy-in.
Interesting! I am moving away from Sweden, current assumption is I will end up in Spain. Sweden is too dark in the winter. It gets quite depressing and now that I retired from work, I need the daylight even more. And I do enjoy the temperature! If Spain doesn’t end up my dream, Portugal is next on my list to try out.
If I didn’t have a damaged spine and so many chronic pain conditions I could handle the colder weather but it makes me very depressed too. I’d have to try light therapy or figure out a way to be happy during winter.
@@truth_hunter Ystad, Sölvesborg, Karlshamn are all rather ok temps wise. Very little snow in comparison to the rest of Sweden… light therapy is good for those winter blues
I was surprised to not see the Philippines. I moved to the Philippines in 2010. every day I wake up in tropical paradise (you do have to like hot weather) beautiful scenery, a little money by American standards goes a long way. But especially the people. The Filipino people are the sweetest, friendliest, most hospitable people I have ever met. And, if Miss Universe contest REALLY knew beauty the Philippines would win EVERY year. I found my wife here and the Philippines is HOME for me now. Never want to go back to the USA.
I just want to add the fact that Switzerland is outrageously expensive. It is ranked worlds most expensive place to live if you ignore Bermuda. I have been to Switzerland a few times and it is incredibly beautiful. But you really have to be a (multi) millionaire if you want to find a decent place in Switzerland.
Switzerland is expensive for visitors because you do things visitors do like stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and drink in bars....if you lived there you would buy regular food in supermarkets (where prices arent much higher than in other European countries) and live in an apartment in a suburb where again prices aren't hugely higher than other European cities and you wouldn't eat out every day or go to the pub that often.
Thank you for informing me about Bermuda. Bermuda is never talked about so I had no idea that it was the most expensive place to live. I was there many years ago & loved it so much that my friends and I wanted to quit our jobs and move there . But reality set in and we went back to our hum drum jobs. I always regretted not moving there, but I was young at the time ( 19 ) & probably might have gotten bored with such a small island after a while.
Immigrants play a key role making Canada's economy strong, so the government helps a lot. If you are a newcomer, they help you to find a job, you can take different courses for free and you can learn English for free, if you need it. However, if you want to be a newcomer without any connection, you may have a hard time, because the paperwork is very difficult and Canada is a wonderful country,but very expensive compared to Europe. My fiance is a hungarian-canadian guy, we use to live in Hungary, before we moved to Canada. So, my case was easy, my partner was my connection and I got my paper in couple of months.
In my opinion, if anyone learns the language (or learns a way to communicate with locals) it will be easier for him or her to live in any country and to feel like home .
Been living in Turkey for over a year and I feel safer here than when I was in USA. The food is healthier and I lost over 40 pounds so far. If I was in USA I probably would have gained 20 or more pounds. People walk here a lot and use public transportation as needed. The only downfall is I don’t speak Turkish and it’s difficult to read menus and things online. But I can understand some of it now.
European here, was visiting Florida for a month and now am going to California - i did not see many fat people in Florida, food was awesome, i loved alaskan king crab legs and chowder and lobster bisk the most. Nobody is forcing u to stuff your face with unhealthy food - YOU choose what to eat
@@Zett76 we were driving in a convertible from nature park in Florida around Miami late, it was all dark, husband decided he MUST tank the car at some gas station at a very questionable neighborhood - nothing bad happened to us, so can not say anything bad about safety in usa
@@bambinaforever1402 I don’t stuff my face…don’t you know that food made in USA has more sugar in it? Even foods that aren’t considered junk do? There’s a report on how much sugar is ate by the average American. Plus, being on disability I cannot always afford to buy all the vegetables I want to eat. So poor people have to eat food that’s not as healthy because it’s cheap. And, I’m disabled for a horrible accident I was in. My whole spine is damaged and I’m in pain 24/7 without any relief. I had to learn to sit, stand, and walk again. But I can fall easily and need help walking up and downstairs. I was thin and muscular working nearly everyday and a vegetarian before the accident. So the only stupid one here is You! You inconsiderate witch! Watch what you say to people because you will get it back one day and no one will pity you or care because you deserve it.
Can confirm the language fact about Belgium, two of my best friends live there and both speak English, French, Dutch, and their native languages (Hindi + Greek) on a daily basis
What about Flemish ? I talked to some people from Belgium when I was in Italy and they told me Flemish is the language. My grandmother was from Belgium and spoke French.
@@jeffbguarino Belgium is divided into 2 halves based on linguistic and cultural divide. The southern part speaks French and the northern part speaks Flemish. From what I understand the main thing separating Dutch and Flemish are the accents, like American vs British English.
My friends live in Wallonia, the French-speaking part, but on the border with Flanders, so they are taught French and Dutch in school, alongside English. Technically they are taught “Dutch” in schools, but Flemish and Dutch are used interchangeably where they live
@@grahammellon3064 Thanks for that. I just know these people told me they spoke Flemish from where they came from. My Great grandfather came from Cerfontaine Belgium, which is about 100 miles from Paris and my grandmother who was born in Canada told me she spoke Parisian French. Manitoba French is different from what they spoke, so there was two varieties of French in Manitoba.
I would definitely move back to Sweden if given the chance. I loved living there while I studied for a semester, and enjoyed visiting there each time I have gone too. The weather never bothered me. The winters actually made me appreciate the warm weather more, but it was also better for my skin too being in a cooler climate
Couldn't argue with that list. I live in Australia, but have visited most of the countries on your list. My favourite country of the ones that I visited was Switzerland.
When I was younger I dreamt of living abroad like USA, Canada, United Kingdom or Australia. And I have been to those countries and also all countries in the list or in the video except Sweden, Norway and Denmark, because all my friends who have been there said those Scandinavian countries are very expensive to visit or lived. Now that I am 71 years old in my early old age, I am happy living here in Philippines my country of birth, where I grew up and educated. I just realised that now when I am in my Autumn going to Winter stage of my life, the best life is living in a country of your culture, tradition, language, foods like sinigang, adobo, tinola and local vegetables and fish, local entertainment, vacation places like beach, hot or sunny weather and most especially the reselient people as your fellowmen and neighbour’s make the Philippines as my best home and sanctuary.
Great post. In my 50s and early 60s, I considered leveraging my retirement to a cheaper country than US. Considered the Philippines primarily because I am Catholic. However, as a white female, I will always be an easy target for crime. As it turns out, I live with my daughter and her husband, so no travel for me. As you said, there are advantages to having your "home turf."
Hahaha, you got me.... about Amsterdam... my thought... what????? Due to my work I have traveled to a great number of countries in almost every corner of the world. To me there were three countries on my list of where I wanted to move to after retirement and it became Thailand. So far I didn't regret it. I live here for ten years now. I'm married to a Thai woman and we are happy here.
In picking a place to live, the most universal factors are living costs and weather. Both of these were virtually skipped over by the folks who contributed. Maybe they were independently wealthy and spent life indoors?? The damp, wet, cloudy weather of northwest Europe doesn't bother them?? The high VAT taxes and expensive costs of every one of these, except maybe Portugal, aren't a deterrent?? Maybe they were all dedicated urbanites, and loved old buildings and restaurants but not having a garden or swimming pool?? I worked with a skilled Dutch technician who was assigned to Cleveland, Ohio. He was terrified that he might be sent back to the Netherlands. He said in Netherlands what he would pay to rent a 800 sq ft apartment with no parking space cost the same as a 2000 sq ft house on three acres near Cleveland, Ohio. He especially didn't miss how crowded the Netherlands was everywhere. One last thought: Scandinavian crime, especially Sweden, has risen greatly after border gates were opened to diverse immigration. Now many northern and central European citizens have become intolerant, and politics changing accordingly.
Interesting to find the three Scandinavian countries on top. As a Swede living in Texas I do appreciate Scandinavia, in the summer. That's why I love having a summer home in Sweden and a year around home in Dallas. Of the places I have lived I wouldn't mind retiring in Rome.
But it gets dreadfully hot in Rome. You'd need your Swedish holiday home to escape to in summer. Also you wouldn't want to move anywhere in Australia. The heat IS unbearable. You die in the street & nights are too hot to sleep during the summer months. Last year in Perth, we had one week when it was over 40°C. It was hell. 40°C+ is normal anywhere in Australia EVERY summer. Up North, it's closer to 50°C. If it's humid parts of the country, then you'd be living in a nightmare HELL. Think all of the East Coast, and the top half of Australia. Adelaide & Perth are drier but think of very high temps. My favourite country is Hungary. I just love it. What's there not to love about it? Friendly ppl, great food, lovely weather & a beautiful country.
Loved Switzerland - lived there as a foreign exchange student with a Swiss family. As much as I would love to relocate, it is SO EXPENSIVE - consumer purchasing cost in the US is 37% lower! And their laws for emigrating are some of the most onerous in the world, with having a certain minimum of money just for starters.
The Swiss earn more than a lot of other countries, our currency 💴 s string and has a high buying power. We are not a cheap country, we have great services and we pay for them. We have a well-run country, wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I lived in Sydney, Australia for quite a few years but moved back to Switzerland in 2008, don’t regret doing that for one minute. You also have to temember that America has a much bigger population to sell to so things should technically be cheaper, in the EU some things are cheaper too than Switzerland but they also have a lot more people to sell to and a lot of people in the EU earn less than the Swiss. Our VAT/Goods and Services Tax is much lower than the EU countries. When you look at a country, youhave to look at the whole picture, what people earn how high are taxes, what services etc do you get, how good is the currency, how stable is the government & more.
@@anneofgreengables1619 that's great for u. I was there in 1995.. I just recall it seemed to be expensive like Sweden & Norway & Iceland were. I liked Finland.. was in Helsinki.
@@Eddie-ud4bb The 90's was when Finland had one of the worst, if not THE worst, economic crisis in our history so that probably had an effect on prices.
I was in Sweden in 95 for several months and it is indeed a fine place to be. The winter was weird since it was so dark all the time. But the snow is fantastic (if you like snow…). I liked the public transportation and many people walk and ride bikes. People seem pretty fit and the food is excellent. And Swedish really isn’t terribly difficult to grasp, although it is a language to study and learn to get good at, the vocabulary isn’t quite as big as English.
@@marknewton6984 - It’s not the snow, but the darkness. The memories of the Christmas I spent at my grandmothers house in Stockholm are almost all night-time memories as in pitch dark at 3PM. Conversely, the summers are utterly glorious with evenings that go on for hours and hours with light that is utterly magical.
@@marknewton6984 As Sweden stretches far in the north-south direction there is a huge difference depending where you live. In the most southern parts you hardly get any snow at all. If you live in the largest cities, Stockholm or Gothenburg you will get a bit of snow, and might find it mostly annoying as you get a lot of snow melt and mush. If you go further north or more inland you will get more snow and dryer snow. This is the amazing beautiful and fluffy stuff, and you will learn to like it a lot. The short days in the winter is a bit of a bummer 😞.
I have a friend who emigrated form Switzerland to Canada. She said Switzerland sucks, or at least the people do. Also she said it is very crowded there and in Europe in general. I have not been there so I can't tell. She likes it here and in this area it is NOT crowded, there are about 10 square kilometres of country PER PERSON! So far she is happy. But it is very hard to get residency status.
@@mathlover4994 My Swiss friend has very little money. Local people found her a house to rent (they are difficult to find), and fixed it up for her all gratis. We also provided her with many furnishings and help with her older vehicle. She is astounded by the support.
I keep hearing how Portugal is one of the best countries to move to (or retire) as it has a relatively lower cost of living but you have all the advantages of the infrastructure and health care of Western Europe. BTW - Denmark technically doesn't border Sweden. (You can get from Denmark to Sweden by bridge or ferry.)
I have 2 friends that have moved to Mexico and love it. Also have relatives that have moved to Singapore and Taiwan. Again, both love it. Great video, thanks✌️
Notice a pattern forming...? Notice that the USA Government never brings this up- That people could actually like living elsewhere and prosper doing so...? ..?
@@PerfectionInMotion69 i'm saying - we are indoctrinated (nice way of saying brainwashed) at a very early age that we are lucky to live in USA and it's a privilege and it's all the USA can do to keep us from being overrun with all that want to live here.
@@christinely3522 I've spent a few weeks in Taiwan (almost 40 years apart}, and I didn't really want to go back to the US. It's a beautiful, friendly country.
Funny, I deal with various American colleagues every day. I love them all but as an Aussie, the things that drives me nuts IS the grey area. Most have a tendency to skirt around or sugar coat hard conversations or over articulate their intentions when they could be expressed in two or thee sentences. Get to the point!
I've been to all 10. My personal favorites would be New Zealand, then Netherlands, then Norway, then Sweden, though I don't think the Swedes particularly like people to move to their country. They're all nice places.
Swedish here, we don't mind people moving here. However, we've had a few decades now where we've experienced a lot of welfare leeches, and people who genuinely wants to change our way of life. We're not too fond of that, that's the problem. If you move here and become one of us instead of actively trying to make us become one of you then we're going to get along absolutely fine.
When it comes to Sweden, it sadly depends on the color of your skin and your religion. A lot of people don't like refugees that flee war and famine, calling them welfare leeches, and have especially problems with Muslims. They also want people moving here to abandon their heritage and only talk Swedish and dress Swedish, and they want that change to happen fast. But even when they do, it's often not good enough. It's a lot of paranoia that has sadly led to us having a far-right government right now. People complain and act like our country is one of the worst in the world and blame it all on refugees and people who want to help refugees. Note that they only have problems with refugees from places like Africa and Muslim countries while no problem with refugees from the Ukraine. It all sounds horrible but it's mostly a very loud minority who feels this way. 70-80% aren't that way but we Swedish people are really bad at talking about what is good and usually only speak up if we need to complain about something, meaning the people complaining about Sweden and things like refugees are the ones you hear most.
Born in USA. Lived in America, Ireland, Canada and now Switzerland. Love love love Switzerland. Will never leave. Great people Great culture. Great beauty. Great wine. You cannot rank popularity by tallying votes. It is very hard to immigrate to Switzerland, so the numbers will be low. Also the country is very small.
Dont forget the long winters in Scandinavia, it is quite up in the north, not everyones favorite places in terms of the weather. Also, in recent years the low crime rates in Sweden and Denmark are rising with no-go areas not known there earlier.
Fun fact if you’re tight on money I recommend choosing a different city than Copenhagen. Even just staying in the wider region around it so you get the easy transport into and around the city makes a crazy difference. It has the third highest price pr square meter. For some examples here are Copenhagen 59.833 dkk/m2 (8,545.86 usd), Hvidovre 38.121 dkk/m2, Ishøj 27.791 dkk/m2. If you look at our 3 largest cities after Copenhagen Aarhus 35.542 dkk/m2 (5,076.41 usd), Odense 22.862 dkk/m2 (3,265.35 usd) and Aalborg 18.576 dkk/m2 (1,510.55 usd) you see how crazy the difference is. They all more or less have the same benefits of Copenhagen and are much cheaper.
I have travelled and studied in UK/USA/Netherlands and travelled to most of Europe and spent months in Mumbai, I always look forward coming home to a country that is clean, relaxed, low pop density, with great beaches and Nature, and social welfare is also very good - Australia.
That's great to know. How are you doing with the effects of climate change. I've heard/read about summer wildfires and the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. Is it getting worse?
@@Baci302 Yes it is getting worse.The last government ignored all our problems and set the country back.many years.We still have a huge problem with covid 19.
I loved New Zealand and would move there if I could. However, it is VERY difficult to move there. A friend’s son moved there for his company and had to jump through hoops to get permission. But he loves it and I would not be surprised if he decided to stay if he can. And I love Switzerland but found the people much like their politics…neutral. My impression of the people is they neither like nor dislike foreigners, are neither friendly not unfriendly. Just neutral.
Well interesting video, few aspects i would say is cost of living. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scandinavia, Switzerland are very expensive, the Benelux are not cheap either, so comes down if you work or are retired. From all those countries listed Portugal is relative low cost.
As a Canadian, I’m proud of my country showing up in this list, but we currently have a whole slew of problems. I know our country was a cross over, people regretted it because it’s expensive and the weather here isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. We get windchill warnings in the winter and humidex warnings in the summer. Things have gotten a lot more expensive now and we’ve had a major surge in crime. The government in power doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing and that’s a big part of the problem
New Zealander here, we’re almost the same when it comes to having been a nice place, being expensive, and having a government that doesn’t know what the heck it’s doing. Cheers to y’all in the north, hope our countries get better.
@@sunsetwalker2923 I don’t think either of you have seen what true corruption is. When I went to Southeast Asia, cops will set up fake checkpoints where you’re forced into giving them money just to get into another area
Canada has the same weather as Scotland, only more so. Billy Connolly described the weather in Scotland as "ten months of winter with two months left over for bad weather." I have been to Canada a few times. I am still alive because they were all in summer, or what passes for summer up there.
The Aussies, Kiwis, and Canucks really need to get better governments that believe in freedom and basic human rights then think about forming a Canzuk Alliance.
@@marksnyder8189 Canada is far worse than Scotland for weather despite being on the same latitude. The whole of the British Isles benefits from the Gulf Stream which is why we don't regularly have negative double digits in winter.
As a Texan I'd say we are in the southwest (despite actually being in the center of the southern part of the country) because there are more southwestern influences than southern influences on the state.
I know a french couple who spent three years in Norway which they describe as the worst 3 years of their lives. They were never accepted and never made any friends. In the same vein I know an englishman married to a Swedish woman and they live in the north of Sweden. He says that he has not been accepted either that Swedish people often don't even say ' Good Morning' in response to his greeting. Personally I have lived in France ( I am British) , I have learned french but always feel like an unwelcome outsider. I have the impression unfortunately that living as a foreigner in another country is far more difficult than people might imagine. If you are going to frequent other British people you won't have the same problem but if you try to integrate with the local population, often this does not work.
I have a very different experience about Norway. I was there only for 6 months as an exchange student (I'm italian) and the locals were very nice and friendly, often interested, if not passionate, about my home country. After almost 25 years I still have a couple of good norwegian friends and we visit each other every few years, last time I was there was this summer. I have to specify, though, that I speak the language, so this might have helped me a bit.
Paul, I believe you. To live in Sweden & Norway must be hell. I'd add Holland to that too. The rudeness of those women is off the Richter scale. Friendly they are not. It's very porn oriented too. I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. Norway and Sweden are most loneliest existences even for their own ppl. Who wants that? I wouldn't go to those 3 countries if I'd won a holiday package there. It would be a culture shock.
@@johnwiliker8301 The most despicable and foul person I ever met was a Frenchman here in Australia. He has the manners & charm of a dark ages barbarian. I never met such a shit of a man, ever. And that's saying something. I was invited to a small get together by his wife, a non French woman, and a family of his French friends were equally arrogant. They only spoke to each other, like I and my friend weren't there. These are not sociable & evolved ppl. More on the level of a rat. They just didn't look at us, didn't reply when we tried to talk to them, and were the most clicky lot I'd ever met. I will never go back there. For me they fell from grace right to rock bottom.
Switzerland it a bank breaker. In 2011 I went to a McDonalds and bought a big mac and a filet and a drink and it was about $25. Everything is about triple the price.
When I was in my late 20's, I told my boss to eff-off, then cashed in my meager 401k. Bought a backpack and an open ticket (I miss those) taking me to New Zealand, then Australia and finally Fiji. Met a sweet, and beautiful british backpacker, and she and I found work on a Kiwi farm in NZ. We lived and worked there for 3 months during harvest. The farm itself seemed like a national park. Beautiful! It was the time of my life!!! Love the Kiwi people! Lots of racial tension between white Kiwi folks and the native Maoris. No place is perfect. Buy hey....
I emigrated to Australia from the USA, after living there for 20 years. I've lived in Melbourne, Sydney, and the now Central Coast, and couldn't be happier. We are lucky enough to inhabit a giant continent with the most amount of beaches on the planet, we have abundant natural resources, a huge diaspora from every other continent which means our food is unbelievably good, we also have a diverse and vibrant economy. It's a great place to raise a family, and all in all if you can get in, which isn't easy, you absolutely should!
We consider Queensland our second home as we have family and friends there whom we visit as often as possible. Unfortunately it’s not easy for anyone over 30-35 to immigrate. Otherwise we’d be there now.
If you are young, the speed of the internet network, the ease of transportation, the beauty of nature, the low cost of living are the main considerations. But for the elderly entering retirement, weather can be a major consideration because in old age the body usually experiences uncomfortable conditions especially in the air that is too cold & windy..
Exactly. I am getting older, and weather is one of the main concerns in the plans for moving to another country, and even for short trips. Cost of living also matters (for people with lower income).
I'd also mention: too hot climate (summers over 40 degrees), plus the cost and quality of healthcare, security issues, transportation and infrastructure in general. All are rather important for elderly people.
I'm really stunned that Portugal was only 10th. With that weather and the lovely Algarve, what possibly could be a drawback? My related question--why does Portugal make the list and not Iberian neighbor Spain. I'd expect that they would ranks closely like the Scandinavian region. Can they really be that different? Question three: do I really have to watch the whole "regrets" video to find out why Costa Rica and Equador have fallen from grace?
It's because these kind of lists made by Americans usually tend to favor North European, Center European and English speaking countries, due to familiarity, language, colonial-genetic history or just popularity. What I'm surprised is not too see Ireland or UK on the list. Top 10s are very limiting and it's hard to choose. There are so many good countries to live at that we would need a top 20 to make justice to them.
@@frederikjrgensen252 A lot of young Brazilians immigrating here for work opportunities and an EU passport. Portugal is having a bounce-back phase currently. Didn't suffer too much from the energy crisis or food inflation. The sun shines 300 days a year, and local food and wine are inexpensive, and it is extremely safe. Health service is good, and most speak some level of English. Good transport infrastructure - trains, metros, buses, trams and ferries are good. Internet fast. Tax advantages for new arrivals.
If you are moving to Canada don't move to Southern Ontario, It is expensive. In BC the housing is expensive also. Other places are not bad. You hear from the people who moved to Southern Ontario because that is where most of them go. That is where the international airport is , the big Pearson airport , so people decide just to stay there and that is the big mistake. Like moving to the US and deciding to live in New York and then complain about how expensive everything is and saying the US is expensive.
I live in Sweden but I’ve lived in France and Belgium. I understand why people moves here, the wealth fare system is generous but the darkness during winter time makes you depressed and isolated. In addition the high migration level have increased segregation and a the gang and gun violence have increased massively since the 00s.
I've lived in Japan for 27 years and I can honestly say that I've never regretted it and I think that it's the greatest Country on Earth in many respects. The key is that you need to be willing to learn the language and embrace the Culture if you want to be really happy here. Mind you, a lot of expats have good experiences, but they'll never feel like they fit in, as English is not as widely spoken as in much of Asia. But it's clean, beautiful, great food, nice houseing, wonderful people, very safe, etc. It's not the cheapest place to live, and the work culture is very intense, so those are things you also need to consider. But it's my personal #1.
Really depends where you live Tokyo really doesn't have these qualities Some would say that Tokyo isn't representative which I'll agree when talking about sightseeing but with a third of the population and more than half of the work market, it sadly is statistically quite representative
Im happy it worked out for you. For me Japan was the worst country to be in. I have never been in a country who judges you so much. The racism and harassment was very high in the city I have lived. I have seen a black women spitted in the face, doing monkey sounds and pushed. I was touched by men in busy trains/bus in privat areas. But maybe I just choose the wrong city.
@@Mimi-mx4sk Hard to say, but it's what I felt. I was really in love (and still) with japanese culture, and I'm proud to have three real japanese friends, wich is a quite difficult thing to achieve. Also I must say I've been very lucky with the places and people I met (Kagoshima, in Kyushu). But, definetly it's not for me, as you'll never feel, nor be treated as one of them in most cases, workaholic culture, and the importance of image and status among anything else, makes the experience quite difficult. I recommend the book "kata" for those who are thinking to go work there, interesting reading.
Tropical has its downsides also. Mushy, insect, exhousting lazymaking climate that forces you to live at a slow pace unless living constantly under AC. All this can make lives very boring.
I moved to Sweden from the US 30 years ago. I had a great career and met many wonderful people. Now with a Swedish pension I live in Sicily. No complaints! 😀
@@bmfsnc8466 I don't think I want a big port city like Medellin. Bogota may be nice. I really don't know enough detail about Colombia except I meet Colombian people all the time (I live in S. Florida) and walk away everytime happy.
@@jaynyce5923 affordability is the whole reason why it’s #1. One bedroom apartment costs about $900/month USD in Lisbon’s historic downtown area compared to $2,500/month USD to live in the downtown core of a city like Toronto (where I live)
It is awful how the Digital nomads have an incredible life in Lisbon while companies refuse the same wages and benefits to Portuguese citizens, since "they already live in Portugal, so they should abide by their job market" We have people in the same company doing the same job with a 300% wage discrepancy or more because the foreign citizen is on "mobility"
I love living in the US. I'd think second I would probably choose Canada. It's nice, and much cheaper, but the pay sucks in my profession. Also, I hear Toronto is not the place to move. I visited Calgary and everyone was warm and welcoming, and they all loved the place despite the cold months. Many of them moved from the Toronto area at some point.
I can't speak for everyone but sometimes you will regret that. I have traveled much more than the average bear. There are times when I couldn't wait to hear customs and immigration say "Welcome Home Sir".
I've lived, backpacked Europe for seven months in '98, including Switzerland, Holland and Denmark on your list! All beautiful places, especially Switzerland. Unfortunately, the were also the most expensive outside of England! '98 was still pre-Euro, Spain and Greece were definitely more affordable! A group of us went out for dinner one night in Zermott, having to consider everyone's budget, we settled on McDonald's. It was equivalent to $10 USD and extra for ketchup. I needed to replace worn out trousers. A pair of basic Dockers were equivalent to a bit over $100 USD; maybe $30 back home! I can't imagine what things cost today! That said, no regrets being there!
I didn’t get a chance to fill out the survey but I have lived in Australia, China, and the Netherlands (where I currently live). I did not move to NL for work, but rather to be with my partner. I find the job market difficult, but I don’t have an impressive resume or a highly in-demand skill set. But if you have a desirable background (IT, etc) it can be relatively easy to be recruited by a Dutch company. You can then qualify for the 30% ruling, whereby there are tax benefits compared to local hires. Annoyingly those people can transfer their drivers license, and I (a US citizen with the same drivers license) have to take the written and physical exams again - which will set me back a couple thousand.
trust me that is with reason, the amount of cyclists you will see really can be overwhelming, so it is necessary to learn how to drive with care here. i know the US does not have a lot of cyclists or infrastructure for them, and the license itself is way easier to get there.
Scandinavia, especially Norway, is incredibly beautiful in the summer, as nice as Switzerland. But the winters are brutal, more so because of the darkness than the cold. Lots of people on antidepressants. The food is pretty boring too. Food doesnt rot in the dry cold climate so no history of funky spices like India and Thailand.
I love your videos! Thank you so much! I wish you would do a video on the safest rugged places to live. This is where you can buy some potatoes down at the corner store, maybe some cerveza, and have a beautiful view. But Not get mugged on the way. 🍻😁😉🌴
I have a family member who lives in Sweden and been there a dozen of time. The country's safety has sharply declined due to huge Somalian migration and gang violence.
Malmo was once a lovely city to visit. It makes me sad to think of what it has become with people who do not respect the tolerance and good nature of the Swedish.@@bobjacobson858
I actually had my fingers on the keyboard when you did the Amsterdam in Denmark thing, but then I paused; I had a vague feeling I was being punked. And I was.
I lived in the Netherlands when I was a kid for 2 years. My mom fell in love with it, but then we moved to Canada. My mom never really acclimated here but I’ve felt very at home here ever since the move.
Hello! So, I'm from Spain, and even if it wasn't part of the list, I wanna ask you guys what's your opinion of Spain as foreigners, specially if you lived/worked there, or if you're currently living there
In my experience, most Anglo-Americans don’t have a very well defined opinion about Spain at all and have a vague idea that it’s like an older version of Mexico. There were never that many Spanish immigrants to the US.
I have relatives that have traveled to Barcelona and they say the spanish people are very rude, and all stuck up , that spaniards look down on foreighners like they are inferior. I have not been to Spain yet , but I will go and visit one day.
@@joseaguinaga835 Barcelona is a very busy tourist destination, that might have contributed to their experience. My grandmother was Spanish and I’ve visited family in Madrid and Andalucia. I don’t speak Spanish well at all and almost everyone I met was friendly and helpful, generally defaulting to English in touristy areas if I had any trouble. That’s why I say most Americans don’t know where to “place” Spanish people, I get a deer in the headlights look or they’ll say something about Running of the Bulls or Flamenco.
I've never been to Spain but I'd love to go. I imagine beautiful architecture, fantastic food and music, and wonderful weather. I've been to Sicily and love that southern European lifestyle.
Recently visited Barcelona, Majorca, Granada and Sevilla. Really enjoyed Spain - people are friendly and could move to Sevilla very easily. Glass of house wine is only 3 euros.
I am so glad New Zealand made it on this list. I fell in love with the country when I was a little kid and I always wanted to visit. I think if I won the lottery, I might move there.
I'm from there and now live in the US. It's a nice country but crazy expensive, limited career opportunities and relatively low incomes by western standards. Great if you're a lottery winner though.
From US and lived in NZ for a year. I don't regret it and I still keep in touch with my mates there. But, yeah, the career opportunities are limited and I was working longer hours than the US so I didn't really get to enjoy the nature. Also it's hard to visit family so far away. Great to vacation there though!
I spent some time in New Zealand and it's ok but honestly the cons outweigh the pros for me. - NZ is way too far from everything - Public transport and general infrastructure isn't as good as other developed countries - Housing quality is atrocious for a mild and damp country - Auckland can feel like one massive retirement village nightlife is very tame - NZ is not an ideal place if you're ambitious and want to build a career - I witnessed a lot of casual racism from the same people who would also say how racist Australia is. - Good Middle Eastern, Mexican, Southeast Asian and Continental European food is sorely lacking even in Auckland I will say that New Zealand is a great place to retire to though.
If you are rich enough, most countries can be pretty great places to live.
Bottom line
Agreed!
@@amanirosefoundation Sick beast 62
If I were rich enough I would buy a country
Absolutely best comment. Yeah money always helps. Not a guarantee but your chances are much better with wealth.
1:17 10. Portugal
2:02 9. Australia
3:22 8. Canada
4:19 7. New Zealand
5:28 6. Belgium
6:18 5. The Netherlands
7:13 4. Switzerland
9:03 3. Denmark
10:21 2. Norway
11:44 Honorable mentions: 13. Japan / 12. Thailand / 11. Costa Rica
12:03 1. Sweden
Southern European countries are not very popular around here. Portugal is the exception. Good!
Briggs' list of 10 countries people regret moving to includes Canada. Can't say NEVER.
@@mojavewolf Yes, it's literally a contradictory title.
Too bad Sweden is filled with godless socialists
@@mojavewolf Yes. And Japan too..
I have lived in 7 countries, twice at different times in one of them, so I have moved 7 times. Not only am I not shocked by one survey stating people regret moving to a country and another survey stating they're happy about moving to the same country, but I can also tell you from experience you can love the country at one stage in your life and regret moving there at another stage in your life.
yup!!. maybe we ourselves aren't the same in different stages of our lives. Also I have to say that the better way to know is moving and working/living for at least 3 months. The same country may be a totally different experience for two different people and that experience is not the same as a tourist.
@ Top
- Very true! Same with chosing profession! When one reaches the age starting "stone collecting," and reflecting much about life, what wouldn't he, or she do to go back and correct his / her choices...
Yes, and that's also bcz times change. As the years & decades pass, I see this in my own country, Australia, too. The ppl I knew in my youth have dispersed or died off and it's all new ppl, young ppl, new migrants, etc. I don't seem to know anyone anymore. I left my home town bcz it's no longer the place & ppl I once knew.
@@bristonknight9315 Yes! Exactly! Though I'm not sure what you mean about stone collecting? You mean as a hobby? I would do anything to go back to my youth, in that same time & place with the same ppl I once knew, but are long gone now. They are irreplaceable. I wouldn't want to be young in today's world. It's not the same beautiful & carefree place it once was. Those simple but FUN FILLED times will never come back. I feel there's nothing much left to live for in this world anymore. There's so much to deal with such as jealousy, spitefulness, malice, competitiveness, you name it. People have become very evil, demonic & insidious. They want what others have. They will kill for it all. They have no soul and I'm often left wondering if they really are alien hybrids as they don't seem human at all, like not from this world. The only thing that can keep us safe is to trust & believe in God. God sees ALL & one day those evil hybrids will get their final and most just punishment.
@@johanna5688 - I used an abriviated version of the saying "There's time to throw stones and there's time to collect them" meaning take decisions with regards to chosing friends, marrying someone, raising family, chosing a profession, whatever and acting accordingly. And then, the time comes for seeing and "enjoying" 😀😥 the results (cause and effects) - that's what it means, I guess in the language of Bible... Usually, it comes with age and acquired wisdom.
Frankly speaking, I'm also feeling like I'm not of this world any more... In my time, my friends and I were into trying to put our hands on the best books, reading and discussing them in a friendly atmosphere with a cup of tea or coffee... cookies were a plus! Many of us, insatiable, or ambicious, were attending not one, but two colleges, learning languages, writing poetry...
So now it all is replaced with shallow tweets. People don't even dare read a post longer than a couple if sentences...
The best time in our modern history, I guess, was the so-called "silver age" in Europe (1840 - 1900), time of literary saloons where refined people were talking about arts, literature, poetry, filosophy, etc... listening to the music of voices and enjoying the light of friends' eyes...
Our time is the one of decadence. People need to lose something in order to start to value what was lost.
As someone who's lived in multiple countries including Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, US and now Finland i have to say that although I enjoyed my time in each country, I've never really felt at home or "accepted" enough so every country felt only temporary. Until I moved to Finland, I moved here 4 years ago and feel much more at home, the people feel the most welcoming and accepting despite their general quietness. People value privacy, honesty and personal space but are at the same time the most genuine and down to earth people I've met. If you become friends with a Finn, there's a high chance that you're friends for life, because they're genuine. That honesty and genuinity is something that I was missing in all the other countries. Just the language is a bit difficult 😅🇫🇮
Awesome to hear!
Having lived in Brasil, UK, Portugal and South Africa, for about 10 years each I must say that I felt at home every where and made friends in each country. Maybe it is what we bring with us and maybe it is what we let go every time we move. I have always made a point of leaving my previous culture behind, my language, etc and embraced completely the new culture every time I moved. But I also saw many ghettos of people who moved to a new place but never became part of it and continued to live as if they were still in their home country. I don’t mean to say that is your specific case but it is normal to feel like you did
USA is better pal
I think Finland's problem for foreigners (from native's perspective) is that our job market is harsh for English speakers especially outside IT. We speak English, but most jobs list Finnish as requirement as it is the language used in the workplace and documents. There are some talks in politics about trying to make changes to this, but the talks are outshined by populistic stuff and current world situation. Our geopolitical location isn't that great either. Otherwise I can see that Finland would make the list.
So glad to hear you've found your place in Finland! :)
I'm Belgian. Yesterday, I watched a TVshow of a Dutch couple that, with the help of some real estate brokers, tried to find a new house for their tiny family (couple with one baby). To find a home, they needed to increase their budget the whole time, and ended up buying a house at 600 000 Euro. Smaller than my house in Belgium, for which I paid 300 000 Euros. Therefore, a lot of Dutch people move to Belgium (house price and taxes). As for Switzerland and Norway, you have to be a very wealthy expat to move there 🙂
That’s insanely cheap, if you live in Stockholm in Sweden you can expect to pay over 1 million euros for a house and you will get a very basic house
@Someone This is a very strange reaction to my post. I only wanted to inform that the house
prices in Scandinavia and the Netherlands are much higher than for instance in Belgium. Information I collected from a Dutch website : medium houseprice in NL : 410 000 Euro. In Belgium : 225 000 Euro. That is the only thing I informed about. But the things you drag into this discussion ... NL is more democratic than BE ? Same election system, so a strange remark. Cleaner ? You have a source on that ? One thing I agree upon : according to the statistics, NL is a little safer. However, recently the drugs maffia in NL killed a journalist, and the NL drug maffia tried to kidnap the minister of interior affairs of Belgium.
Not if you work in Norway, you don't.
Sweden people are very suck up. It is a beautiful country but people are not friendly time at all.
@Someone kinda difficult to live in the Netherlands if there are no houses even for the inhabitants.
Having read a lot of comments, I conclude that:
- most countries face the same problems (expensive housing/cost of living)
- in many cases, it is better to make the most of living in one's own country
- if you're ambitious, skilled and/or wealthy enough, most countries offer a good standard of living
There is much in what you say, though some people really do need to move. In some ways I'm sad about leaving Australia, but I was too young to object. Europe is pretty good though, but the nanny state mentality is setting in. Its nations are not, however, as nanny state as Australia or Canada.
We moved from the US to Portugal two years ago & are so happy we did. The reasons listed in the video are most of the highlights, but we also love all the culture, art & architecture, as well as the beautiful blue sky and the amazing variety of landscapes from mountains & forests to beaches & charming little villages. We live in a non-touristy area of Lisbon & walk or take public transit 99% of the time for everything from groceries to concerts. Green space everywhere with parks of all kinds for a break from the over-crowded urban feeling that most cities suffer. Visiting other countries here in Europe is simpler & much less expensive than flying from the US. We live more simply, (buying locally, hanging laundry to dry, walking instead of driving, shopping second-hand) so we are able to do our small part for the planet. I could go on!
Sounds like a good life. Glad you found a nice place to settle and live the quiet life.
My spouse and I are looking to relocate to Portugal in 18 months…Care to share how you started the transition and what to do to get started?
Thanks in advance..
Actually you are lauding yourself to lead a NORMAL life.
@@chrisseahorn2020 To RELOCATE???... people , you cannot just "relocate" , it is a foreign country with immigration laws.
We are relocating, moving… i retired from the military so yes we are relocating to Portugal
Left the US to live in Australia in 2011, and would never move back to the US for any reason. Beautiful and loving people here
I moved to Sweden with my wife and two daughters last year (February 2022-so coming up on one year now) and it’s been truly awesome. The people here are so much more relaxed and happy, while the amenities and infrastructure is amazing. Everything just works! It’s a pleasure to drive here-smooth roads and no potholes. Most intersections are either roundabouts or simply just Yield signs so you almost never need to stop-even the few traffic lights are timed and use sensors to know who gets priority). There are bike paths everywhere. I also love that there are no exposed wires or utility poles. Everything is clean and looks great! There are also clean restrooms everywhere you go! Love the food, love the free education and healthcare, love the 5-weeks of paid vacation (to start) and way more holidays than in the US. I keep telling my wife that I feel like I died and went to heaven. I’ll still go back to the US to visit, but don’t think that I’ll ever want to live there again.
I also want to move
Please help me
Glad you and your family likes living here. Most welcome 😊
Give it a few more years. You will be like the rest of us expats that lived in Sweden. After three years living there I was done.
Is it really cold?
The thing about the Netherlands that makes it very difficult to move there is they have a major housing crisis. There are both foreigners and Dutch citizens there that have been on a wait list for an apartment and property for years because they’re not keeping up with building housing for the growing population. It’s very difficult to find housing in the Netherlands, especially in their big cities.
Plus, Netherlands is big on protecting their heritage so they can’t just tear down their famous old townhouses and build high rise apartment towers
@@thomasgrabkowski8283 Nor do they have the soil to do that really in many parts of the country.
The Netherlands is a small country with limited space. The practical solution would be for the Dutch to settle in other places and create "New Amsterdams" . . . wait a second. They already tried that centuries ago.
The Netherlands is overpopulated...if they go on like this it's not gonna be a great country anymore. They are too ambitious for such a tiny country. There has to be an end to growth at some point, especially for a tiny country as the Netherlands
@@thomasgrabkowski8283
So big on heritage that they just welcome in "refugees" who man-handle their women like it's going out of style. Got it 👍
Great video, as always. As I mentioned in a comment to the previous video, I've lived in several countries for extended periods of time (Ukraine for 13 years, Japan for six, and Peru for a combined year and a half), and I've visited scores more. I was in Portugal in 2016, and I would move there in a heartbeat. Also, I have family living in the southern (French-speaking) half of Belgium (Wallonia) and it is absolutely gorgeous where they live.
What can u say about ur life in Ukraine in general?
Can u survive not speaking Portuguese when moving there?
@@Maya_Pinion Yes and no. If you move to the south (Algarve region) literally everyone speaks english. In Lisbon or Porto you can get by with english but public services may present a challenge (public workers are on average old and know very little english). Everywhere else is a coin toss.
It may be easier if you also speak French or better yet, Spanish. If you speak Spanish slowly, a portuguese speaker will understand 90%.
Sounds good, but it seems to be cloudy there all the time …. Cant take that gloom
I moved to Australia 30 years ago and have had an amazing life here
Zero regrets
What was your origin country (must not answer if not want).
e6800 England
It was my immediate feeling when I went to Australia on holiday, I could live here. Felt immediately at home. Not keen on all the nasty poisonous creatures though.
have you ever seen python type snakes in your house or streets??
I'd want to get away from them Limey Pricks too. !
Have several Swedish friends and they'e told me Sweden and other Nordic countries have had a recent surge in crime due to their open door immigration policy throughout the Syrian refugee crisis. In response they just formed a right-wing coallition government, with the largest party being the Sweden Democrats (far-right)... Seems to be a trend across Europe.
Your friends you told you that are MAGA hatters.
I can't even wrap my head around the fact that these far-northern people chose to try to bring over people whose cultures are so wildly different.
Well well well, if it isn't the unintended consequences of decisions
So now Sweden is a fascist country sucking up to the likes of Turkiye and Hungary. Not only a cold autumn, but a cold future.
And this new government has already broken a lot of promises made during the election...
@@yasminbarry7941 that's what you get for being nice
Good video, I'm from Lisbon, Portugal moved to the US 13 years ago, lived I'm Missouri, Miami Florida and now in Colorado Springs, still miss home everyday
Small world! I’m in COS as well and always wanted to visit and possibly live in Portugal . Seems like an awesome country . Peace !
@@jongallardo8006 of all the places I have lived/visited in the states Colorado was my favorite the only thing missing is the ocean witch I had in Miami but the relentless humid heat amongst other things knocks it down. In portugal you have the mountains, the ocean and great weather year round, but like everything nothing is perfect , word of advice if you plan to move there bring your american income with you
All too expensive for me. I relocated to Athens, Greece two years ago from the UK. Absolutely no regrets. Love the summer, food and the Greek people and culture are amazing. I’m also a sculptor so I’m working with Pentelic Marble what the Parthenon and many of the best sculptures are made from. Horses for courses.
Wow! Good for you!!🤗
Horses? Do they have horses?
@@Horseluvver Also we have Bears 🐻 in northern Greece in some places that they are in protection to not extinct, but we dont have polar bears , penguins or crocodiles.. XD
Fun fact , we are plenty of cats, goats and Cows 🤣 in Peloponnese that i leave i get bored to see cats everywhere, streets,gardens , mountains,stores , Islands there are so many than mice. In addition goats and sheeps 🐏🐏 are much more in the mountains 🏔️😂
Have they done ANY work on the parthenon? I visited in 93 and again in 07 and it seemed the scaffolding hadnt been moved at all. Its like they expected the original builders to come fix it by just putting up the scaffolding and nobody was working on ANYTHING.
i've personally only ever known two people who moved out of the country one to chile and one to spain, they both love it and are still there.
Lol chile
Yeah Chile if you like earthquakes lol.
Portugal sounds like the next place I’d like to live in. I though Spain also.
A friend moved to Portugal, and has not regretted it.
@@JaKingScomez his family lives there, went back to help
Australia was the only country that I visited where I was genuinely disappointed to return to the States. The only one. And I love the U.S.
Have you traveled there recently?
@@JamesWilliams-dj2bp No, my last trip there was in 2010. The first four times I was there was in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000.
Why was that, may I ask? From an Aussie.
@@eurekaelephant2714 It was such a wonderful experience and it also fulfilled a lifelong dream. Also, the people were nice, the weather was wonderful and suffice to say, it was just a nice, entertaining time, plus I made some great friends (this was 25 years ago) and we still are friends.
Additionally, my visits there have been better and better and I have been to Oz five times. I would love to retire there, but that probably won't happen.
@@dietpepsivanilla3095 ok thanks for replying. I was just curious. Never say never, maybe you WILL retire here. Glad you enjoyed your visits. Ive got an American friend,.life long now, whom I met when she was visiting here too. Its nice hey. :-)
I moved to Australia from U.K. 50 years ago and I can honestly say it was the best move I ever made. Wonderful country.
Most of those countries are extremely expensive , except for Portugal.
I absolutely loved The Netherlands when I was sent there twice when I was in the Military. Great country with great people. They are doing a lot of things right.
Than why did you invade ?
NL sucks. Hugely live able but xenophobic, racist, hyper conservative and dull.
@@ronaldnixon8226 🤣🤣
The Netherlands are suffering with global liberalism. The farmers are the sadest part.
@@ronaldnixon8226 We didn't invade. We were invited by the Dutch Government.
I'm amazed when people say that crime is so very low in Sweden. I'm from Gothenburg, where there are "american style" gangs, and it's a big problem. My sister complained that at the school where she works, gangsters are recruiting new members by the school's fence. There are gangster shootouts here and there, and civilians have died in them.
Malmö also has a LOT of gang and crime issues.
You're not supposed to mention that stuff, you know. Act like it doesn't exist and no one will be offended :P
@@DillaryHuff Exactly, all these YT videos that state "rated one of the happiest countries on earth" never get the full picture because so much of it is not ever discussed, it is the scandinavian way to just ignore problems.
Still a lot better than the U.S., comparatively speaking.
@@christinekinzel7850 depends on where in the US. If you are in a relatively white area you're safer than areas in Sweden that have been enriched. It's 6 of one half dozen of the other when talking about northern european communities wherever they are
A lot depends on if you can afford to live in the country.
Switzerland has a very high cost of living as do many of the countries
mentioned. I know people who have moved to Hungary and Bulgaria
and none regret the move. France is another country two friends of mine now
live in and they both love France. Like another person
said in a post here, a lot of countries are nice if you
have enough money to live there comfortably.
One of the reasons several of my older friends left the USA for
France, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria is that
the cost of living had become so high in the USA they could
not afford to retire in the USA anymore.
Yes that's right Switzerland is very expensive.
Have lived in NZ (from the USA originally) and can confirm - beautiful, generally laid-back friendly people. But expensive everywhere, not just in Auckland.
just quiety, but almost everywhere is expensive atm...
Nz is expensive fuel food rent .. low wages
Auckland is actually the cheapest place to shop in nz, its just the housing and rents that are expensive, the rest of the country is now not far behind Auckland housing prices
As a Swede who knows a lot of people that have moved here I'd say the biggest gripe they have is the winter darkness, which I agree is much harder to live with than the cold.
@stanleydonnelly Sure, but I have a friend who has moved to Singapore and longed for seasons. I personally don't like it too hot (anything about 25°C), so I wouldn't enjoy a tropical climate.
Isn't is the suicide capital of Europe for that reason?
I'm looking to relocate to southern Brazil in the State of Santa Catarina. It's very European with a high population of Germans and Italians. They have low crime, rich soil, warm weather, beautiful beaches and mountains, and best of all friendly, welcoming people. I'm looking to 'get out of dodge.' The American dream is turning into a nightmare.
@Jota Lhão Thank you my friend. If I move to Santa Catarina, it would be out in the country away from the city. I really like country living!
@Jota Lhão I agree... Pomerode and Blumenau seem good. I've learned Tubarao, Brusque, and Jaragua do Sul also have low crime rates, along with Lages further inland. I do want to be out in the country but would like to have a decent sized town nearby. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Fun fact, Norway is changing all of their naval ships designations into barcodes. Yup, supposedly it makes it much easier when they come into port. They just aim their little laser reader and Scan-da-navy-in.
just heard that joke, did you?
It is cold and rainy.
@@Jobotubular I just did, and will be liberating it for freedom use.
I wasn't sure whether to give that an upvote or a down vote. :-)
Well, the Norwegians have at least one pun-dit.
Interesting! I am moving away from Sweden, current assumption is I will end up in Spain. Sweden is too dark in the winter. It gets quite depressing and now that I retired from work, I need the daylight even more. And I do enjoy the temperature! If Spain doesn’t end up my dream, Portugal is next on my list to try out.
Hehe same here...I am from India, working in sweden...now thinking about to move to southern Europe...due to cold weather
Really love Sweden.
Winters are depressing but the summers make up for it.
Haven’t regretted my move yet
If I didn’t have a damaged spine and so many chronic pain conditions I could handle the colder weather but it makes me very depressed too. I’d have to try light therapy or figure out a way to be happy during winter.
@@truth_hunter Ystad, Sölvesborg, Karlshamn are all rather ok temps wise.
Very little snow in comparison to the rest of Sweden…
light therapy is good for those winter blues
I'd love to live there only in the summers. Same for Switzerland.
@@tibwr8879 I like winter. but sunset at 4pm and rise at 9am is kinda bleak.
@@davidmarshall718 There are some suburbs of Stockholm that are no-go zones.
I was surprised to not see the Philippines. I moved to the Philippines in 2010. every day I wake up in tropical paradise (you do have to like hot weather) beautiful scenery, a little money by American standards goes a long way. But especially the people. The Filipino people are the sweetest, friendliest, most hospitable people I have ever met. And, if Miss Universe contest REALLY knew beauty the Philippines would win EVERY year. I found my wife here and the Philippines is HOME for me now. Never want to go back to the USA.
Yes we did the same an enjoy it. Took my asawa wife to the States for one year and afterwards she was begging to move back. We did of courses.
Glad both of you ❤my country, take care and God Bless.
Is there a place in Philippines without roosters? They just seem to can't live without them.
@@axoloneidolon4702 live in Makati or BGC Manila
@@axoloneidolon4702 lol, if it has people it'll have roosters, you'll just have to get use to it.
i moved to switzerland 6 years ago and love it. the swiss are hard work to make friends but when you do you have a friend for life
I just want to add the fact that Switzerland is outrageously expensive. It is ranked worlds most expensive place to live if you ignore Bermuda. I have been to Switzerland a few times and it is incredibly beautiful. But you really have to be a (multi) millionaire if you want to find a decent place in Switzerland.
As far as I remember Dubai and Figi Island is the most expensive in the world
Switzerland is expensive for visitors because you do things visitors do like stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and drink in bars....if you lived there you would buy regular food in supermarkets (where prices arent much higher than in other European countries) and live in an apartment in a suburb where again prices aren't hugely higher than other European cities and you wouldn't eat out every day or go to the pub that often.
Thank you for informing me about Bermuda. Bermuda is never talked about so I had no idea that it was the most expensive place to live. I was there many years ago & loved it so much that my friends and I wanted to quit our jobs and move there . But reality set in and we went back to our hum drum jobs. I always regretted not moving there, but I was young at the time ( 19 ) & probably might have gotten bored with such a small island after a while.
Their flag is a big plus 🇨🇭🤣
I'm hungarian and moved to Canada two and a half years ago. It was my best decision in my life🥰 I love this country so much.
Are there a lot of opportunities in Canada, especially for work?
Immigrants play a key role making Canada's economy strong, so the government helps a lot. If you are a newcomer, they help you to find a job, you can take different courses for free and you can learn English for free, if you need it. However, if you want to be a newcomer without any connection, you may have a hard time, because the paperwork is very difficult and Canada is a wonderful country,but very expensive compared to Europe. My fiance is a hungarian-canadian guy, we use to live in Hungary, before we moved to Canada. So, my case was easy, my partner was my connection and I got my paper in couple of months.
In my opinion, if anyone learns the language (or learns a way to communicate with locals) it will be easier for him or her to live in any country and to feel like home .
Except Finland, they hate you for learning theirs.
Been living in Turkey for over a year and I feel safer here than when I was in USA. The food is healthier and I lost over 40 pounds so far. If I was in USA I probably would have gained 20 or more pounds. People walk here a lot and use public transportation as needed. The only downfall is I don’t speak Turkish and it’s difficult to read menus and things online. But I can understand some of it now.
I'm in Kadikoy, on the Asian side of Istanbul.
Well. A lot of countries are safer than the USA… :)
European here, was visiting Florida for a month and now am going to California - i did not see many fat people in Florida, food was awesome, i loved alaskan king crab legs and chowder and lobster bisk the most. Nobody is forcing u to stuff your face with unhealthy food - YOU choose what to eat
@@Zett76 we were driving in a convertible from nature park in Florida around Miami late, it was all dark, husband decided he MUST tank the car at some gas station at a very questionable neighborhood - nothing bad happened to us, so can not say anything bad about safety in usa
@@bambinaforever1402 I don’t stuff my face…don’t you know that food made in USA has more sugar in it? Even foods that aren’t considered junk do? There’s a report on how much sugar is ate by the average American. Plus, being on disability I cannot always afford to buy all the vegetables I want to eat. So poor people have to eat food that’s not as healthy because it’s cheap. And, I’m disabled for a horrible accident I was in. My whole spine is damaged and I’m in pain 24/7 without any relief. I had to learn to sit, stand, and walk again. But I can fall easily and need help walking up and downstairs. I was thin and muscular working nearly everyday and a vegetarian before the accident. So the only stupid one here is You! You inconsiderate witch! Watch what you say to people because you will get it back one day and no one will pity you or care because you deserve it.
Can confirm the language fact about Belgium, two of my best friends live there and both speak English, French, Dutch, and their native languages (Hindi + Greek) on a daily basis
That sounds neat and fun at the same time :)
What about Flemish ? I talked to some people from Belgium when I was in Italy and they told me Flemish is the language. My grandmother was from Belgium and spoke French.
@@jeffbguarino Belgium is divided into 2 halves based on linguistic and cultural divide. The southern part speaks French and the northern part speaks Flemish. From what I understand the main thing separating Dutch and Flemish are the accents, like American vs British English.
My friends live in Wallonia, the French-speaking part, but on the border with Flanders, so they are taught French and Dutch in school, alongside English. Technically they are taught “Dutch” in schools, but Flemish and Dutch are used interchangeably where they live
@@grahammellon3064 Thanks for that. I just know these people told me they spoke Flemish from where they came from. My Great grandfather came from Cerfontaine Belgium, which is about 100 miles from Paris and my grandmother who was born in Canada told me she spoke Parisian French. Manitoba French is different from what they spoke, so there was two varieties of French in Manitoba.
I would definitely move back to Sweden if given the chance. I loved living there while I studied for a semester, and enjoyed visiting there each time I have gone too. The weather never bothered me. The winters actually made me appreciate the warm weather more, but it was also better for my skin too being in a cooler climate
Another great video - a combination of PBS and Stand Up Comedy - just a pleasure to watch all of these videos. Thank you!
Couldn't argue with that list.
I live in Australia, but have visited most of the countries on your list. My favourite country of the ones that I visited was Switzerland.
Boring
Good if you can afford Switzerland 🇨🇭
@@michaelatkinson5681 Who can?
@@marknewton6984 argument please!!!
@@jeanpieerjean7356 What argument
When I was younger I dreamt of living abroad like USA, Canada, United Kingdom or Australia. And I have been to those countries and also all countries in the list or in the video except Sweden, Norway and Denmark, because all my friends who have been there said those Scandinavian countries are very expensive to visit or lived. Now that I am 71 years old in my early old age, I am happy living here in Philippines my country of birth, where I grew up and educated. I just realised that now when I am in my Autumn going to Winter stage of my life,
the best life is living in a
country of your culture, tradition, language, foods like sinigang, adobo, tinola and local vegetables and fish, local entertainment, vacation places like beach, hot or sunny weather and most especially the reselient people as your fellowmen and neighbour’s make the Philippines as my best home and sanctuary.
Great post. In my 50s and early 60s, I considered leveraging my retirement to a cheaper country than US. Considered the Philippines primarily because I am Catholic. However, as a white female, I will always be an easy target for crime. As it turns out, I live with my daughter and her husband, so no travel for me. As you said, there are advantages to having your "home turf."
Hahaha, you got me.... about Amsterdam... my thought... what????? Due to my work I have traveled to a great number of countries in almost every corner of the world. To me there were three countries on my list of where I wanted to move to after retirement and it became Thailand. So far I didn't regret it. I live here for ten years now. I'm married to a Thai woman and we are happy here.
100 years from now:
"10 Planets People NEVER Regret Moving To"
@Buritobob SMM2 "what is something an eight year old would say?"
@Buritobob SMM2 it's tropical humid, especially during the summer months. Dark most of the time....
@@crewser004 You’re a swell fella.
Wrong ... no science person would ever say that ... We live on Earth ... If Earth dies, so do the people it supports ... Numbskull!
@@toyyoda3710 Meanwhile, scientists in the 1800s stating mankind will never fly.
Wonderful. I love ALL your videos, for some reason they always make me feel better when I'm feeling down. Thx much.
Moved from UK to Spain five years ago and due to the people l am really happy.
In picking a place to live, the most universal factors are living costs and weather.
Both of these were virtually skipped over by the folks who contributed.
Maybe they were independently wealthy and spent life indoors??
The damp, wet, cloudy weather of northwest Europe doesn't bother them??
The high VAT taxes and expensive costs of every one of these, except maybe Portugal, aren't a deterrent?? Maybe they were all dedicated urbanites, and loved old buildings and restaurants but not having a garden or swimming pool??
I worked with a skilled Dutch technician who was assigned to Cleveland, Ohio. He was terrified that he might be sent back to the Netherlands. He said in Netherlands what he would pay to rent a 800 sq ft apartment with no parking space cost the same as a 2000 sq ft house on three acres near Cleveland, Ohio. He especially didn't miss how crowded the Netherlands was everywhere.
One last thought:
Scandinavian crime, especially Sweden, has risen greatly after border gates were opened to diverse immigration. Now many northern and central European citizens have become intolerant, and politics changing accordingly.
Interesting to find the three Scandinavian countries on top. As a Swede living in Texas I do appreciate Scandinavia, in the summer. That's why I love having a summer home in Sweden and a year around home in Dallas. Of the places I have lived I wouldn't mind retiring in Rome.
But it gets dreadfully hot in Rome. You'd need your Swedish holiday home to escape to in summer. Also you wouldn't want to move anywhere in Australia. The heat IS unbearable. You die in the street & nights are too hot to sleep during the summer months. Last year in Perth, we had one week when it was over 40°C. It was hell. 40°C+ is normal anywhere in Australia EVERY summer. Up North, it's closer to 50°C. If it's humid parts of the country, then you'd be living in a nightmare HELL. Think all of the East Coast, and the top half of Australia. Adelaide & Perth are drier but think of very high temps. My favourite country is Hungary. I just love it. What's there not to love about it? Friendly ppl, great food, lovely weather & a beautiful country.
Jag antar att du slipper betala skatt i Texas
Love the new series Briggs. Thanks.
Glad to hear it! Thank you
I’ve been to Norway and Netherlands. Loved them both. I want to see Denmark and Switzerland next
Loved Switzerland - lived there as a foreign exchange student with a Swiss family. As much as I would love to relocate, it is SO EXPENSIVE - consumer purchasing cost in the US is 37% lower! And their laws for emigrating are some of the most onerous in the world, with having a certain minimum of money just for starters.
All countries demand a certain income and savings amount when applying to live there, don't they?
The Swiss earn more than a lot of other countries, our currency 💴 s string and has a high buying power. We are not a cheap country, we have great services and we pay for them. We have a well-run country, wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I lived in Sydney, Australia for quite a few years but moved back to Switzerland in 2008, don’t regret doing that for one minute. You also have to temember that America has a much bigger population to sell to so things should technically be cheaper, in the EU some things are cheaper too than Switzerland but they also have a lot more people to sell to and a lot of people in the EU earn less than the Swiss. Our VAT/Goods and Services Tax is much lower than the EU countries. When you look at a country, youhave to look at the whole picture, what people earn how high are taxes, what services etc do you get, how good is the currency, how stable is the government & more.
I moved to Finland 5 1/2 years ago no regrets. Love 5he peace and harmony and the ease of public transportation
I was there. Nice place but brutally expensive
@@Eddie-ud4bb I moved to Finland 10 years ago and it is not brutally expensive.
I also moved here and absolutely love it. The cleanest most peaceful country ever.
@@anneofgreengables1619 that's great for u. I was there in 1995.. I just recall it seemed to be expensive like Sweden & Norway & Iceland were.
I liked Finland.. was in Helsinki.
@@Eddie-ud4bb The 90's was when Finland had one of the worst, if not THE worst, economic crisis in our history so that probably had an effect on prices.
I was in Sweden in 95 for several months and it is indeed a fine place to be. The winter was weird since it was so dark all the time. But the snow is fantastic (if you like snow…). I liked the public transportation and many people walk and ride bikes. People seem pretty fit and the food is excellent. And Swedish really isn’t terribly difficult to grasp, although it is a language to study and learn to get good at, the vocabulary isn’t quite as big as English.
I hate snow.
@@marknewton6984 - It’s not the snow, but the darkness. The memories of the Christmas I spent at my grandmothers house in Stockholm are almost all night-time memories as in pitch dark at 3PM. Conversely, the summers are utterly glorious with evenings that go on for hours and hours with light that is utterly magical.
@@bunkie2100 As a native of Florida I still don't like snow. But your summers do sound glorious...
@@marknewton6984 As Sweden stretches far in the north-south direction there is a huge difference depending where you live. In the most southern parts you hardly get any snow at all.
If you live in the largest cities, Stockholm or Gothenburg you will get a bit of snow, and might find it mostly annoying as you get a lot of snow melt and mush.
If you go further north or more inland you will get more snow and dryer snow. This is the amazing beautiful and fluffy stuff, and you will learn to like it a lot.
The short days in the winter is a bit of a bummer 😞.
Thanks. I'll stay in Florida. But Sweden does sound rather nice.
I have a friend who emigrated form Switzerland to Canada. She said Switzerland sucks, or at least the people do. Also she said it is very crowded there and in Europe in general. I have not been there so I can't tell. She likes it here and in this area it is NOT crowded, there are about 10 square kilometres of country PER PERSON! So far she is happy. But it is very hard to get residency status.
If you have money, Canada is amazing.
@@mathlover4994 My Swiss friend has very little money. Local people found her a house to rent (they are difficult to find), and fixed it up for her all gratis. We also provided her with many furnishings and help with her older vehicle. She is astounded by the support.
I keep hearing how Portugal is one of the best countries to move to (or retire) as it has a relatively lower cost of living but you have all the advantages of the infrastructure and health care of Western Europe. BTW - Denmark technically doesn't border Sweden. (You can get from Denmark to Sweden by bridge or ferry.)
Portugal has an impressive health care system. I say this from personal experience.
But it does border Canada 😎
@@waylondesnoyers4606 LOL
I have 2 friends that have moved to Mexico and love it. Also have relatives that have moved to Singapore and Taiwan. Again, both love it. Great video, thanks✌️
Notice a pattern forming...? Notice that the USA Government never brings this up- That people could actually like living elsewhere and prosper doing so...? ..?
@@csnide6702
What in the f'ck would persuade a gov to do that ??
@@PerfectionInMotion69 i'm saying - we are indoctrinated (nice way of saying brainwashed) at a very early age that we are lucky to live in USA and it's a privilege and it's all the USA can do to keep us from being overrun with all that want to live here.
I moved to Taiwan and love it. It’s like a mix of Japan and Thailand 😊 northern Taiwan feels like Japan and southern Taiwan feels like Thailand
@@christinely3522 I've spent a few weeks in Taiwan (almost 40 years apart}, and I didn't really want to go back to the US. It's a beautiful, friendly country.
Funny, I deal with various American colleagues every day. I love them all but as an Aussie, the things that drives me nuts IS the grey area. Most have a tendency to skirt around or sugar coat hard conversations or over articulate their intentions when they could be expressed in two or thee sentences. Get to the point!
I've been to all 10. My personal favorites would be New Zealand, then Netherlands, then Norway, then Sweden, though I don't think the Swedes particularly like people to move to their country. They're all nice places.
Swedish here, we don't mind people moving here. However, we've had a few decades now where we've experienced a lot of welfare leeches, and people who genuinely wants to change our way of life. We're not too fond of that, that's the problem. If you move here and become one of us instead of actively trying to make us become one of you then we're going to get along absolutely fine.
@@hencytjoe The very reason why I wouldn't move to Sweden.....no room for individuality.....boring narrow minded ....
When it comes to Sweden, it sadly depends on the color of your skin and your religion. A lot of people don't like refugees that flee war and famine, calling them welfare leeches, and have especially problems with Muslims. They also want people moving here to abandon their heritage and only talk Swedish and dress Swedish, and they want that change to happen fast. But even when they do, it's often not good enough. It's a lot of paranoia that has sadly led to us having a far-right government right now. People complain and act like our country is one of the worst in the world and blame it all on refugees and people who want to help refugees. Note that they only have problems with refugees from places like Africa and Muslim countries while no problem with refugees from the Ukraine.
It all sounds horrible but it's mostly a very loud minority who feels this way. 70-80% aren't that way but we Swedish people are really bad at talking about what is good and usually only speak up if we need to complain about something, meaning the people complaining about Sweden and things like refugees are the ones you hear most.
Send em home. I hate refugees
Born in USA. Lived in America, Ireland, Canada and now Switzerland. Love love love Switzerland. Will never leave. Great people Great culture. Great beauty. Great wine. You cannot rank popularity by tallying votes. It is very hard to immigrate to Switzerland, so the numbers will be low. Also the country is very small.
Dont forget the long winters in Scandinavia, it is quite up in the north, not everyones favorite places in terms of the weather. Also, in recent years the low crime rates in Sweden and Denmark are rising with no-go areas not known there earlier.
Proud that my country Portugal is mentioned in this list.
Please what language do they use to teach children at school...
Portugal is best country ❤
We are glad we are residents of Portugal.
Cold weather is a #1 bonus for me! My dream island vacation is Iceland, not Hawaii.
As a Canadian who knows cold weather, Iceland is a tropical paradise. 😎
@@janewalsh7633 Weird
I'm trying to see Svalbard! I love the cold too!!
Fun fact if you’re tight on money I recommend choosing a different city than Copenhagen. Even just staying in the wider region around it so you get the easy transport into and around the city makes a crazy difference. It has the third highest price pr square meter. For some examples here are Copenhagen 59.833 dkk/m2 (8,545.86 usd), Hvidovre 38.121 dkk/m2, Ishøj 27.791 dkk/m2.
If you look at our 3 largest cities after Copenhagen Aarhus 35.542 dkk/m2 (5,076.41 usd), Odense 22.862 dkk/m2 (3,265.35 usd) and Aalborg 18.576 dkk/m2 (1,510.55 usd) you see how crazy the difference is. They all more or less have the same benefits of Copenhagen and are much cheaper.
Been to all these mentioned except Australia, Norway and New Zealand. My favorite of those on the list I visited was Portugal.
I have travelled and studied in UK/USA/Netherlands and travelled to most of Europe and spent months in Mumbai, I always look forward coming home to a country that is clean, relaxed, low pop density, with great beaches and Nature, and social welfare is also very good - Australia.
That's great to know. How are you doing with the effects of climate change. I've heard/read about summer wildfires and the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. Is it getting worse?
@@Baci302 Climate change is a natural phenomena, most of it is related to Solar activity way beyond our control.
@@Baci302 Yes it is getting worse.The last government ignored all our problems and set the country back.many years.We still have a huge problem with covid 19.
I loved New Zealand and would move there if I could. However, it is VERY difficult to move there. A friend’s son moved there for his company and had to jump through hoops to get permission. But he loves it and I would not be surprised if he decided to stay if he can. And I love Switzerland but found the people much like their politics…neutral. My impression of the people is they neither like nor dislike foreigners, are neither friendly not unfriendly. Just neutral.
...funny commment....., but i can see it.....
Well interesting video, few aspects i would say is cost of living. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scandinavia, Switzerland are very expensive, the Benelux are not cheap either, so comes down if you work or are retired. From all those countries listed Portugal is relative low cost.
Cost is not everything
Portugal had the other things too. Climate landscape Variety. Food and so on... only have smaller wage compared to the others countries mentioned
@@bambinaforever1402 well quality of life, however there is a point of cost becoming an issue especially if you retire.
@@bladehea true, however is lower in cost to northern Europe
As a Canadian, I’m proud of my country showing up in this list, but we currently have a whole slew of problems. I know our country was a cross over, people regretted it because it’s expensive and the weather here isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. We get windchill warnings in the winter and humidex warnings in the summer. Things have gotten a lot more expensive now and we’ve had a major surge in crime. The government in power doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing and that’s a big part of the problem
New Zealander here, we’re almost the same when it comes to having been a nice place, being expensive, and having a government that doesn’t know what the heck it’s doing. Cheers to y’all in the north, hope our countries get better.
@@sunsetwalker2923 I don’t think either of you have seen what true corruption is. When I went to Southeast Asia, cops will set up fake checkpoints where you’re forced into giving them money just to get into another area
Canada has the same weather as Scotland, only more so. Billy Connolly described the weather in Scotland as "ten months of winter with two months left over for bad weather." I have been to Canada a few times. I am still alive because they were all in summer, or what passes for summer up there.
The Aussies, Kiwis, and Canucks really need to get better governments that believe in freedom and basic human rights then think about forming a Canzuk Alliance.
@@marksnyder8189 Canada is far worse than Scotland for weather despite being on the same latitude. The whole of the British Isles benefits from the Gulf Stream which is why we don't regularly have negative double digits in winter.
i regretted moving to Sweden and after 2 years went back to my native country. Sweden felt like living in Arabia or Africa.
I wonder why Spain wasn't mentioned?
As for Texas I consider it to be in the southwest
As a Texan I'd say we are in the southwest (despite actually being in the center of the southern part of the country) because there are more southwestern influences than southern influences on the state.
Maybe it's a good place if you speak Spanish, becuase if you don't then hasta la vista.
I know a french couple who spent three years in Norway which they describe as the worst 3 years of their lives. They were never accepted and never made any friends. In the same vein I know an englishman married to a Swedish woman and they live in the north of Sweden. He says that he has not been accepted either that Swedish people often don't even say ' Good Morning' in response to his greeting. Personally I have lived in France ( I am British) , I have learned french but always feel like an unwelcome outsider. I have the impression unfortunately that living as a foreigner in another country is far more difficult than people might imagine. If you are going to frequent other British people you won't have the same problem but if you try to integrate with the local population, often this does not work.
its because they are french they must be hard to like bro
I have a very different experience about Norway. I was there only for 6 months as an exchange student (I'm italian) and the locals were very nice and friendly, often interested, if not passionate, about my home country. After almost 25 years I still have a couple of good norwegian friends and we visit each other every few years, last time I was there was this summer. I have to specify, though, that I speak the language, so this might have helped me a bit.
Because they're French. Most of them are self entitled assholes.
Paul, I believe you. To live in Sweden & Norway must be hell. I'd add Holland to that too. The rudeness of those women is off the Richter scale. Friendly they are not. It's very porn oriented too. I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. Norway and Sweden are most loneliest existences even for their own ppl. Who wants that? I wouldn't go to those 3 countries if I'd won a holiday package there. It would be a culture shock.
@@johnwiliker8301 The most despicable and foul person I ever met was a Frenchman here in Australia. He has the manners & charm of a dark ages barbarian. I never met such a shit of a man, ever. And that's saying something. I was invited to a small get together by his wife, a non French woman, and a family of his French friends were equally arrogant. They only spoke to each other, like I and my friend weren't there. These are not sociable & evolved ppl. More on the level of a rat. They just didn't look at us, didn't reply when we tried to talk to them, and were the most clicky lot I'd ever met. I will never go back there. For me they fell from grace right to rock bottom.
Greetings from Switzerland. Nicely presented countries.
Switzerland it a bank breaker. In 2011 I went to a McDonalds and bought a big mac and a filet and a drink and it was about $25. Everything is about triple the price.
When I was in my late 20's, I told my boss to eff-off, then cashed in my meager 401k.
Bought a backpack and an open ticket (I miss those) taking me to New Zealand, then Australia and finally Fiji. Met a sweet, and beautiful british backpacker, and she and I found work on a Kiwi farm in NZ. We lived and worked there for 3 months during harvest. The farm itself seemed like a national park. Beautiful! It was the time of my life!!! Love the Kiwi people!
Lots of racial tension between white Kiwi folks and the native Maoris. No place is perfect. Buy hey....
Kiwi people are white? I always imagined green, furry folks 🥝
@@gracey5512 New Zealanders are known as Kiwis, as in their bird that represents NZ.
That was like the beginning of a beautiful movie. In my mind, I cast Keanu Reeves as you.
The Maori discovered " Victim "
Culture . Literally nothing they
demand can be refused or you're a " racist "...!
I emigrated to Australia from the USA, after living there for 20 years.
I've lived in Melbourne, Sydney, and the now Central Coast, and couldn't be happier.
We are lucky enough to inhabit a giant continent with the most amount of beaches on the planet, we have abundant natural resources, a huge diaspora from every other continent which means our food is unbelievably good, we also have a diverse and vibrant economy.
It's a great place to raise a family, and all in all if you can get in, which isn't easy, you absolutely should!
you rich?
“Our food is unbelievably good” - 😂😂😂 what the hell are you smoking?
We consider Queensland our second home as we have family and friends there whom we visit as often as possible. Unfortunately it’s not easy for anyone over 30-35 to immigrate. Otherwise we’d be there now.
i have visited australia and it's a boring country. Literally no fun places are there in Australia than what is there in the US
@@Damien_Graves where did you visit? Must not have been the right places. What is it that you find to be fun?
If you are young, the speed of the internet network, the ease of transportation, the beauty of nature, the low cost of living are the main considerations. But for the elderly entering retirement, weather can be a major consideration because in old age the body usually experiences uncomfortable conditions especially in the air that is too cold & windy..
I like your thinking. I imagine both will be concerns when I retire.
Exactly. I am getting older, and weather is one of the main concerns in the plans for moving to another country, and even for short trips.
Cost of living also matters (for people with lower income).
I'd also mention: too hot climate (summers over 40 degrees), plus the cost and quality of healthcare, security issues, transportation and infrastructure in general. All are rather important for elderly people.
I'm really stunned that Portugal was only 10th. With that weather and the lovely Algarve, what possibly could be a drawback? My related question--why does Portugal make the list and not Iberian neighbor Spain. I'd expect that they would ranks closely like the Scandinavian region. Can they really be that different? Question three: do I really have to watch the whole "regrets" video to find out why Costa Rica and Equador have fallen from grace?
There are less jobs and fewer work opportunities. Young people are leaving Portugal in droves.
@@frederikjrgensen252 still far safer than Spain and far more chilled
It's because these kind of lists made by Americans usually tend to favor North European, Center European and English speaking countries, due to familiarity, language, colonial-genetic history or just popularity. What I'm surprised is not too see Ireland or UK on the list. Top 10s are very limiting and it's hard to choose. There are so many good countries to live at that we would need a top 20 to make justice to them.
@@frederikjrgensen252 A lot of young Brazilians immigrating here for work opportunities and an EU passport. Portugal is having a bounce-back phase currently. Didn't suffer too much from the energy crisis or food inflation. The sun shines 300 days a year, and local food and wine are inexpensive, and it is extremely safe. Health service is good, and most speak some level of English. Good transport infrastructure - trains, metros, buses, trams and ferries are good. Internet fast. Tax advantages for new arrivals.
My favorite countries are Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Finland ❤❤
If you are moving to Canada don't move to Southern Ontario, It is expensive. In BC the housing is expensive also. Other places are not bad. You hear from the people who moved to Southern Ontario because that is where most of them go. That is where the international airport is , the big Pearson airport , so people decide just to stay there and that is the big mistake. Like moving to the US and deciding to live in New York and then complain about how expensive everything is and saying the US is expensive.
I live in Sweden but I’ve lived in France and Belgium. I understand why people moves here, the wealth fare system is generous but the darkness during winter time makes you depressed and isolated. In addition the high migration level have increased segregation and a the gang and gun violence have increased massively since the 00s.
Melbourne and Sydney are 880 km apart.
Australia and New Zealand are over 2 000 km apart.
I've lived in Japan for 27 years and I can honestly say that I've never regretted it and I think that it's the greatest Country on Earth in many respects. The key is that you need to be willing to learn the language and embrace the Culture if you want to be really happy here. Mind you, a lot of expats have good experiences, but they'll never feel like they fit in, as English is not as widely spoken as in much of Asia. But it's clean, beautiful, great food, nice houseing, wonderful people, very safe, etc. It's not the cheapest place to live, and the work culture is very intense, so those are things you also need to consider. But it's my personal #1.
@Jvern Ivermectin Not small, not Radioactive, especially, 125 million people live there and care about it. 0 for three.
Really depends where you live
Tokyo really doesn't have these qualities
Some would say that Tokyo isn't representative which I'll agree when talking about sightseeing but with a third of the population and more than half of the work market, it sadly is statistically quite representative
Im happy it worked out for you. For me Japan was the worst country to be in. I have never been in a country who judges you so much. The racism and harassment was very high in the city I have lived. I have seen a black women spitted in the face, doing monkey sounds and pushed. I was touched by men in busy trains/bus in privat areas. But maybe I just choose the wrong city.
@@Mimi-mx4sk Hard to say, but it's what I felt. I was really in love (and still) with japanese culture, and I'm proud to have three real japanese friends, wich is a quite difficult thing to achieve. Also I must say I've been very lucky with the places and people I met (Kagoshima, in Kyushu). But, definetly it's not for me, as you'll never feel, nor be treated as one of them in most cases, workaholic culture, and the importance of image and status among anything else, makes the experience quite difficult. I recommend the book "kata" for those who are thinking to go work there, interesting reading.
@@Mimi-mx4sk Sorry to hear about your experience. Which city did you live in? I have lived here five months so I still have a long way to learn.
I'm not surprised Australia is on the list. I've been to 15 countries and Australia had the nicest people of all of them
I appreciate that you actually know what you’re talking about when it comes to geography. Great video
The cold weather is a serious no go!
Tropical has its downsides also.
Mushy, insect, exhousting lazymaking climate that forces you to live at a slow pace unless living constantly under AC. All this can make lives very boring.
I moved to Sweden from the US 30 years ago. I had a great career and met many wonderful people. Now with a Swedish pension I live in Sicily. No complaints! 😀
Being sicilian, I’m very happy about your choice 😌
@@gi_bnv Anch’io! 😀
Sounds like you did everything right! Pretty much no one mentions Sicily for retirement.
@@sallyjune4109 Guess i got lucky. And Sicily is perfect for retirement. Everything is very inexpensive and the food and sun is the best! 😂
How are the cost of living & health care, etc?@@FortunateXpat
Haven't watched the video, but off the bat, I moved to Guatemala and absolutely LOVED that place 🇬🇹🇬🇹
I think I want to try Colombia
@@jmearley4872 what city? My lil brother lived in Colombia for a short time (4 months I think) he loved it.
@@bmfsnc8466 I don't think I want a big port city like Medellin. Bogota may be nice. I really don't know enough detail about Colombia except I meet Colombian people all the time (I live in S. Florida) and walk away everytime happy.
I lived in La Antigua from 2002 - 2007. Beautiful, magical place, beautiful country!
@@jmearley4872 My brother was in medellin. You can drink tap water there apparently. Seems nicely developed beautiful amd safe enough
Portugal is the #1 European country for digital nomads/remote workers, hands down 👌
Is it cheap though?
@@jaynyce5923 affordability is the whole reason why it’s #1. One bedroom apartment costs about $900/month USD in Lisbon’s historic downtown area compared to $2,500/month USD to live in the downtown core of a city like Toronto (where I live)
@@Entername-md1ev It just started snowing where I am. I don't want to be cold anymore.
Until Spain rolls out it's Digital Nomad visa which has a better tax incentive.
It is awful how the Digital nomads have an incredible life in Lisbon while companies refuse the same wages and benefits to Portuguese citizens, since "they already live in Portugal, so they should abide by their job market"
We have people in the same company doing the same job with a 300% wage discrepancy or more because the foreign citizen is on "mobility"
So grateful to have moved to Costa Rica in 2020! It is truly paradise on Earth, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. Pura Vida 🌴
Sweden as number 1 surprises me. Criminality has been rising rapidly the last couple of years
I love living in the US. I'd think second I would probably choose Canada. It's nice, and much cheaper, but the pay sucks in my profession. Also, I hear Toronto is not the place to move. I visited Calgary and everyone was warm and welcoming, and they all loved the place despite the cold months. Many of them moved from the Toronto area at some point.
Never heard Canada was cheaper than US!
@@sallyjune4109it's not. Canada is more expensive.
Super helpful for anyone with a retirement plan looking at Italy! The top 12 regions are beautifully highlighted.
Portugal is still my top country to move too. Belgium and the Netherlands are my others. I want to get out of the USA so bad!!!
I can't speak for everyone but sometimes you will regret that.
I have traveled much more than the average bear.
There are times when I couldn't wait to hear customs and immigration say "Welcome Home Sir".
@@jmearley4872 sadly those days are gone .
I hear you ! It’s so sad but I feel the same way even though I love my country .
I am a world traveler , you need to travel more and witness how blessed we are in the states . Good luck
@@redme8473 How blessed we WERE.
4:34 Once I said to an American friend that I was from NZ, and got asked which state was that?
I've lived, backpacked Europe for seven months in '98, including Switzerland, Holland and Denmark on your list! All beautiful places, especially Switzerland. Unfortunately, the were also the most expensive outside of England! '98 was still pre-Euro, Spain and Greece were definitely more affordable! A group of us went out for dinner one night in Zermott, having to consider everyone's budget, we settled on McDonald's. It was equivalent to $10 USD and extra for ketchup. I needed to replace worn out trousers. A pair of basic Dockers were equivalent to a bit over $100 USD; maybe $30 back home! I can't imagine what things cost today! That said, no regrets being there!
Zermatt is wonderful! Like a cross between a ski resort and a fairy tale with Matterhorn in background!
I didn’t get a chance to fill out the survey but I have lived in Australia, China, and the Netherlands (where I currently live). I did not move to NL for work, but rather to be with my partner. I find the job market difficult, but I don’t have an impressive resume or a highly in-demand skill set. But if you have a desirable background (IT, etc) it can be relatively easy to be recruited by a Dutch company. You can then qualify for the 30% ruling, whereby there are tax benefits compared to local hires. Annoyingly those people can transfer their drivers license, and I (a US citizen with the same drivers license) have to take the written and physical exams again - which will set me back a couple thousand.
I hope you enjoyed your time in Australia and China.
trust me that is with reason, the amount of cyclists you will see really can be overwhelming, so it is necessary to learn how to drive with care here. i know the US does not have a lot of cyclists or infrastructure for them, and the license itself is way easier to get there.
Scandinavia, especially Norway, is incredibly beautiful in the summer, as nice as Switzerland. But the winters are brutal, more so because of the darkness than the cold. Lots of people on antidepressants. The food is pretty boring too. Food doesnt rot in the dry cold climate so no history of funky spices like India and Thailand.
Try Swedish Surströmming and tell me again Scandinavian food is boring. 🤣
I love your videos! Thank you so much! I wish you would do a video on the safest rugged places to live. This is where you can buy some potatoes down at the corner store, maybe some cerveza, and have a beautiful view. But Not get mugged on the way. 🍻😁😉🌴
I have a family member who lives in Sweden and been there a dozen of time. The country's safety has sharply declined due to huge Somalian migration and gang violence.
So you didn't notice much cultural enrichment?
That's what the UK always claims is a significant benefit from being flooded with immigrants.
Yes, I saw a video about this a few days ago. Some areas, such as parts of Malmo, have something like 100 different nationalities living there.
You don't like brown and black people, do you?
Liar. I´ve lived here for 64 years. "Huge Somalian immigration"?? Explain that, or are you simply racist?? Give me the numbers. Rgr
Malmo was once a lovely city to visit. It makes me sad to think of what it has become with people who do not respect the tolerance and good nature of the Swedish.@@bobjacobson858
I actually had my fingers on the keyboard when you did the Amsterdam in Denmark thing, but then I paused; I had a vague feeling I was being punked. And I was.
Amsterdam is in The Netherlands not Denmark 😂
I lived in the Netherlands when I was a kid for 2 years. My mom fell in love with it, but then we moved to Canada. My mom never really acclimated here but I’ve felt very at home here ever since the move.
Hello! So, I'm from Spain, and even if it wasn't part of the list, I wanna ask you guys what's your opinion of Spain as foreigners, specially if you lived/worked there, or if you're currently living there
In my experience, most Anglo-Americans don’t have a very well defined opinion about Spain at all and have a vague idea that it’s like an older version of Mexico. There were never that many Spanish immigrants to the US.
I have relatives that have traveled to Barcelona and they say the spanish people are very rude, and all stuck up , that spaniards look down on foreighners like they are inferior. I have not been to Spain yet , but I will go and visit one day.
@@joseaguinaga835 Barcelona is a very busy tourist destination, that might have contributed to their experience.
My grandmother was Spanish and I’ve visited family in Madrid and Andalucia. I don’t speak Spanish well at all and almost everyone I met was friendly and helpful, generally defaulting to English in touristy areas if I had any trouble.
That’s why I say most Americans don’t know where to “place” Spanish people, I get a deer in the headlights look or they’ll say something about Running of the Bulls or Flamenco.
I've never been to Spain but I'd love to go. I imagine beautiful architecture, fantastic food and music, and wonderful weather. I've been to Sicily and love that southern European lifestyle.
Recently visited Barcelona, Majorca, Granada and Sevilla. Really enjoyed Spain - people are friendly and could move to Sevilla very easily. Glass of house wine is only 3 euros.
I am so glad New Zealand made it on this list. I fell in love with the country when I was a little kid and I always wanted to visit. I think if I won the lottery, I might move there.
I'm from there and now live in the US. It's a nice country but crazy expensive, limited career opportunities and relatively low incomes by western standards. Great if you're a lottery winner though.
From US and lived in NZ for a year. I don't regret it and I still keep in touch with my mates there. But, yeah, the career opportunities are limited and I was working longer hours than the US so I didn't really get to enjoy the nature. Also it's hard to visit family so far away. Great to vacation there though!
I spent some time in New Zealand and it's ok but honestly the cons outweigh the pros for me.
- NZ is way too far from everything
- Public transport and general infrastructure isn't as good as other developed countries
- Housing quality is atrocious for a mild and damp country
- Auckland can feel like one massive retirement village nightlife is very tame
- NZ is not an ideal place if you're ambitious and want to build a career
- I witnessed a lot of casual racism from the same people who would also say how racist Australia is.
- Good Middle Eastern, Mexican, Southeast Asian and Continental European food is sorely lacking even in Auckland
I will say that New Zealand is a great place to retire to though.
@@kellquinn1661 I should've been specific. There's a lot of Thai in Auckland but less options for Vietnamese, Malay, Indonesian, Lao or Khmer cuisine.
The lottery was recently $2 billion. You could live in NZ for a decade on that if you're frugal.