Happier Abroad Forum Community

Re: What's the cheapest place to live in Eastern Europe?

Voyager1 wrote: ↑

September 6th, 2016, 10:51 pm

My gf tells me it's safer to buy an apartment than putting money in the bank. If you buy an apartment it will likely appreciate. If you put your money in a bank here you are likely to lose it.

To buy property in such places makes only sense if you consider to live there for several years, otherwise better to rent something - if something is going seriously wrong, you can disappear and will not lose anything.

About property there is also the question on which name it might be registered. Not all properties can be registered in foreigner's name.
Be careful with advice coming from local girlfriends... just a warning.

About money in the bank, don't do it. Just keep a small amount for your daily needs in a local bank in local currency and otherwise keep your savings away from such countries.

The cheapest place in Eastern Europe (and elsewhere) does not mean it is for you, the foreigner, a really comfortable place.

So-called 'cheapest places' often have problems, like short supply of goods, criminality, missing regular clean water supply, electric power shortage, visa related problems for long-stay, problems about medical care, unstable government... etc.

Do not focus on 'cheapest country' and to 'advice from girlfriends'.
Maybe create a small data-bank in your computer and compare pro and contra of various countries and cities.

I was in Ukraine a few years ago and I was amazed at how cheap everything is, like for a person from America (considering our standard of living and incomes). I can not say that I'm very rich, but I understand that in Ukraine I can afford a lot

10 Cheapest European Cities for Expats

https://www.expatkings.com/cheapest-cities-in-europe/

Winston wrote: ↑

September 24th, 2020, 4:21 am

10 Cheapest European Cities for Expats

https://www.expatkings.com/cheapest-cities-in-europe/

There are plenty of such website on the internet, with different results using different calculations, however if you look for some quality life, Europe is not so cheap if you want to settle down in nice and safe places.

Of course in East Europe/ South East Europe in a nobody village, life is still cheap, but it's only fine for vacation, for a few months.

Who wants to live permanently in Albania, Moldovia or Romania, Kosovo and such run-down EU-countries or EU-nearby countries among illegal immigrants.... etc.

I could do so, as I am EU-citizen and receive my retirement allowance in Euro for life, no problem at all, but I am not interested...