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    Here are the best countries to move abroad to

    Ever fancied emigrating to Dubai?

    Rosie Benson's avatar
    By Rosie Benson
    Published 13 December 2018 In Buying Guides

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    Ever fancied emigrating to Dubai?

    Anyone saving for a deposit in the UK knows what a slog it can be - hopeful first-time buyers can wave goodbye to spontaneous weekends away, start inviting friends round for dinner rather than out, and star questioning whether they really need that weekly Friday night takeaway. The UK's housing crisis is one that just doesn't seem to be going away, with reports stating that it takes 22 years on average to save a deposit for a home, and that many millennials have given up on becoming home-owners altogether.

    Yet if you've ever fancied a move abroad your luck may be in. Thanks to economic trends and government policies, not every country is going through quite the same housing crisis. MoveHub, UK experts in international relocation compared salary progression and property prices in 33 countries in 2016, in order to find out the best places for first-time buyers to move abroad. And the undisputed winner?

    UAE

    That's right, the United Arab Emirates, home of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the world's only seven-star hotel, took the top spot thanks to a boost in wages, combined with a slump in property value of -7.96%. This was followed by Spain (2nd ) and Greece (3rd), both of which have had their fair share of economic woes in recent years.

    move abroad

    UAE is number one on the list

    The UK was not featured in the top five (shocker), coming in at a rather woeful number 16 after house prices rose by an average of 5.7% last year, while wages increased by a paltry 2.3%.

    move abroad

    The UK did not fare quite so well...

    Singapore

    A long-time favourite with ex pats, came in at a respectable number four, largely thanks to government intervention to slow down soaring house prices (despite the country seeing salaries rise by 3.7%).

    move abroad

    Singapore has long been a favourite with ex pats

    Harriet Cann, head researcher at MoveHub stated: 'In general our research shows house prices going up and wages stagnating. Yet in Singapore where a government has intervened, the gap has narrowed, meaning there are steps that can be taken to curb this disparity.'

    Erm...UK government please take note.

    Turkey however fared even worse than the UK, with property prices growing by 16% whilst salaries rose by just 0.6%. Its location as a strategic 'bridge' between East and West makes it a prime location for foreign investors, which is driving property prices sky high.

    move abroad

    Foreign investment has driven property prices up in Turkey

    Here are the best and worst places to move abroad

    Best Countries

    UAE

    Spain

    Greece

    Singapore

    Switzerland

    Worst Countries

    Turkey

    Colombia

    Egypt

    Sweden

    Hong Kong

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Rosie Benson
    Rosie Benson
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