If you’re hearing everyone around you say “new year, new me” and you want to jump on that bandwagon, perhaps working in a different country is the next step you need to take.
But which country is the right country for you?
HSBC recently published the results of their “Expat Explorer” survey, which took answers from more than 22,000 expats working around the globe.
The survey covers various topics that people look for in a destination, from experiencing a different way of life to social life opportunities, financial gain, or a great place to raise your kids. All of these fit into three categories, Experience, Economics, and Family.
If you think you might fit into the Experience category, then New Zealand is the place for you.
Benefits to living and working in New Zealand include a great work/life balance, improvements in physical health (must be all that bushwalking), and the ease of integration with the locals. 60% of expats who moved to New Zealand were looking to improve their quality of life.
Aside from New Zealand, expats rated Spain in second spot, along with Singapore and Canada, which also made the top ten.
On the economics front, Switzerland came out on top. The Expat Explorer survey suggests that expats in Switzerland take home an extra $61,000USD per year more than they would at home, with the average expat salary in Switzerland being $203,000USD. So, I’m moving there as soon as possible.
The catch is, that the cost of living is higher. But the survey suggests that while that is the case, only 9% of expats surveyed say they’re anxious about their financial future.
If kids are on the horizon, Sweden is where you need to be moving. While it has a higher cost of living, the survey suggests expats believe the cost of raising children in Sweden is cheaper than their home country. Going with that, you have access to 480 days of parental leave, up to 120 days a year to take to care for a sick child, caps on childcare costs, and in some cities, they even provide free public transport for those lugging a pram around.
Overall though it’s Singapore that comes out on top.
With strong economic, working, family, social, and wellbeing results in the survey, it’s hard to go past moving to Singapore if you’re looking for a destination that has a bit of everything.
If you want to dive a little deeper you can check out the full Expat Explorer report here.
Check out the top 10 overall locations below:
Singapore New Zealand Germany Canada Bahrain Australia Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Arab EmiratesFor more tips on cash and career, head to our Career & Money section.
Image credit: Getty Images