Top 5 countries to live and work in 2012

By - 25 April 2012

One of the most modern trade and finance centers in the world – Singapore

When moving abroad, expatriates look for more than just economic opportunities. Destinations which provide a good environment for raising a family and allow expats to adapt to a new culture easily are also very important. The countries on the list were reported to provide a great overall experience for expats. 1. Singapore – The city of Singapore offers expats the opportunity to live in one  of the most modern trade and finance centers in the world. Being the eighth most expensive city in the world, living in Singapore isn’t cheap, mostly due to housing and night life costs. However, this is well compensated by the high-quality of accommodation, the affordability of good private education, health care, home services as well as relatively cheap groceries. Expats planning to rent a large space as an apartment or a family house should budget $3,000 – $6,500 Singapore Dollars (US$2,388 – $5,174) for housing. Like anywhere else, prices may change depending on location.

Find a job in Singapore – JobsDB is a job portal that was voted number one recruitment website in Singapore. It offers more than 35,000 jobs in various fields and allow the user to search for a job by job title, company name, job function, industry and location.

2. Hong Kong – Hong Kong is a major financial hub that serves as an international trade and cultural center. In recent years, the combination of high standards of living and low taxes has made this destination a very attractive one for expats from all over the world. Hong Kong has the best-paid expats as almost 50% earn more than US$200,000 a year. This allows expats to save money during their time abroad, despite the costly accommodation.
Expatriates moving here can expect to pay an average of HK$21,949 (USD$2,830) for a two-bedroom apartment. Prices can reach up to HK$124,094 (USD$16,000) per month for a luxury three-bedroom apartment.

Find a job in Hong Kong – Monster.hk is an international website for people seeking a job. The website organizes jobs by function, industry and location. In addition, it provides the option to upload your resume, tips on how to create a good resume and even a smartphone application option.

3. United Arab Emirates (UAE) – The UAE is a very popular destination for expats from all over the world due to the high quality of living and an increasing expatriate community. Many newcomers to the UAE head to Dubai, the 81st most expensive city in the world according to Mercer’s index. Expats who are moving to Dubai should expect to pay a lot for housing. The average rent ranges from AED20,000 – 55,000 (USD$5,400 – $15,000) a year for a studio apartment and from AED30,000 – 75,000 (USD$8,167 – $20,419) a year for a one bedroom apartment.

Find a job in Dubai – Jobs in Dubai provides, apart from a job search engine, a social network for candidates. Job seekers can create a profile and connect with future employers or with each other. The website also offers a service to improve and tailor your CV.

4. Mexico – In recent years, Mexico has become a destination for global companies who aim to expand their business and penetrate the rich markets of the U.S. and Canada. While many expats arrive in Mexico for work reasons, others come to retire, enjoy the warm weather and low living costs the country has to offer. Expats moving to Mexico can expect to spend an average of 6,345 pesos (USD$495) on a one-bedroom apartment in an urban area like Mexico City.

Find a job in Mexico – Learn 4 Good sorts jobs in Mexico by posting date, job title, company and location. The website offers registered employers the chance to post jobs and registered job seekers to submit their resume free of charge.

5. Australia – Companies find the land “down under” more and more attractive for doing business because of the huge potential market and ease of access to SE Asia. The country’s abundant and varied natural resources are also a big draw. Australian cities have become more expensive in recent years; two of the most popular expat cities in Australia are Sydney and Melbourne, which are the 11th and 18th most expensive cities in the world. Rent prices in Australia are calculated per week; for apartments in Sydney expats can expect to pay an average of AU$545 (US$583) a week, while an apartment in Melbourne will cost on average AU$383 (US$377) a week.

Find a job in Australia – SEEK is a job site with over 150,000 jobs online. The website offers different search categories such as keywords, classification and subclassification, location, salary range and work type. In addition, job seekers can receive job notifications by email, information about relevant courses, tips and advice for job applications.

Comment

Amir Yagen says:
31 May 2012 at 17:01

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your comment. I appreciate the time you took to read and comment. I highly advise you to check our main website http://www.justlanded.com, there you will find all the information you need about living and working in Australia. In regards to your side question, I do have personal experience as I had a student exchange program in Australia for 5 months and visited Hong Kong for a couple of days.

Unemployedfrombirth says:
21 May 2012 at 14:07

Very well written and informative, I am interested in knowing more about living and working in Australia. Do you have more information on this topic you could share? And as a side question have you had any personal experiences with the countries that are listed above?