Best Places to Live - UK

Finding the Best Places to Live in the UK

If you ever watch HGTV's House Hunters than you know UK property expert Phil Spencer. He says,

"Picking an area to live in isn't just about a budget, it's about finding somewhere that suits your family and lifestyle."

I came across Phil's solid tips on On HouseToHome.co.uk where he writes about:

How to choose where to buy in the UK

Phil advises buyers in the UK to:

1. Think about transportation hubs and connections. The closer you live to a train station or major highway or airport the more popular the Real Estate - you'll have to pay for that convenience though. But convenience aside there are some negatives namely noise pollution and less privacy. It's a good idea to check train schedules and flight paths for where you are considering. Sometimes agents will pick optimum times to show a property - when the train is not running or the airport is quiet. It can be quite a shock if you're awakened at 5:00 am to the whistle of a commuter train passing through your backyard!

2. Look for places with useful amenities. Shopping, restaurants and entertainment close by can really turn a house into a home. It's about lifestyle and living. Also look for trends. If you spot small shops being renovated and new ones being opened it's a good sign the neighbourhood is moving in the right direction. You can also review current and past issues of local newspapers and magazines for announcements. You may even want to visit the local planning department to get an idea of the future for the community your considering.

3. Be alert to places that offer open spaces likes parks and water features. If you have a pet or children it's important to have recreation areas close by where you can walk and simply enjoy the outdoors. The best places to live are often associated with nature.

4. Check out the education system, even if you don't have children. Research has revealed that crime rates are in direct correlation to the quality of education in an area. Where a community is focused on developing the potential of their youth there is less chance you will find school drop-outs who pick up a life of crime. Well educated people believe in themselves and are contributing participants in the community they live in.

Of course as you read through this list of tips for finding the best places to live in the UK you've probably notices that they are applicable to finding the best country to live in and then using the same questions and criteria to find the best spots within hat country. After all we share the human condition regardless of our nationality or where we chose to live. Even when timers are tough and you need to find the cheapest place to live these tips can still help you skew the odds in your favour for finding the best place.

Best City To Live In USA Series; Housing

The second in our series of best city to live in USA takes us into the housing markets of each of the 10 best places to live in America. Just in way of reminder, the cities that we are using in our series are the top 10 small towns to live in according to Money. These towns are not really that small but are between 50,000 and 300,000 in population. In our last post we gave some statistics about the results of the education system in each and here we are going to show what current median housing prices are in each. These are not necessarily the cheapest place to live USA but some of them are on the lower end of the scale.

Another aspect of this to consider is that the best state to live in may be closely tied to the real estate prices because taxes can have a significant effect on the overall price of real estate over the long term. Unfortunately this is outside the scope of this post and may be expounded upon at a later time. Without further explanation here is the graph that shows the median housing prices in what has been classified as the best city to live in America but ultimately that decision will have to be made once you have more information.

City	Median home price
Rogers, AR	$111,287
McKinney, TX	$133,569
Fishers, IN	$155,000
Overland Park, KS	$161,465
Fort Collins, CO	$210,000
Plymouth, MN	$213,500
Ames, IA	$234,325
Eden Prairie, MN	$257,575
Columbia, MD	$315,000
Bellevue, WA	$429,000
Newton, MA	$592,000

You can see the cities that are the cheapest places to live are arranged from lowest to highest price and the order of the list is significantly different than yesterday’s lists of the highest rated for education and this is the reason that each step, or each criterion, is so important. To one person, the education ranking may make it an awesome choice but the housing prices may make it the worst city to live in America.

One way that a person might begin to sort this information out and rate the cities no matter where the data is coming from is to weight each of the criteria. For instance, you may give a score of 1 to 10 with the lowest unemployment being a 10 and then you give each criteria a weight of 1-5 so if employment were very important to you, then you might give it a 4 or 5 weight. In the chart above then the least expensive area might get a weighted score of either 40 or 50 instead of a ten making it carry more weight in the total when you are through rating all cities in all areas that matter to you.

You will have to play around with the numbers and you may want to adjust the weight range you give each criteria or you may want to come up with your own system but whatever you do, you need to make it your own system that works for you. As we have stated over and over on this site the decision for the best place to retire, the cheapest place to live or even the best city to live in USA is extremely subjective.

Best Places to Live #4 France

The Quality of Life Index for 2010 gave France top spot as the best place to live. This year France slipped a little to 4th place mostly due to a rising cost of living - thanks to the economic melt down in Europe and across the developed world. So, while France may not be the Cheapest Place to Live it's still considered first class for many other lifestyle reasons.

Living in France brings romantic visions of Paris, cafes and lingering over fine French cuisine. But these days living in France brings more than the thought of romance and culture, living here also means exceptional care - health care that is.

Best Health Care in the World

As that wave of consumers known as the boomers rolls steadily across the markets everything changes. Today aging boomers are perhaps more interested in health care than romance and that may very well be the reason people are now looking to France for more than just a cup of coffee or a glass of fine French wine. A decade ago the W.H.O. (World Health Organization) gave France top marks with the designation of "Best overall health care system in the world". No one goes with health care in France even if your a non-citizen. French law makes private medical insurance mandatory for non-citizens who reside in France.

Moving to France

If you’re thinking about moving to Europe, then a move to France could be top of your list for consideration. When it comes to Quality of Life France has everything you want to look for. In this years Quality of Life Index France scored top marks (that's 100 out of 100) for Culture, Freedom, Health and Safety. Add to that list the beautiful unspoiled French countryside, the world's best health care system, history and colourful traditions and you've got almost everything you could wish for.

Now if you are seriously considering a move to France, your biggest challenge will be determining which region of France is the best place to live for you. Whether it's Celtic Brittany sun drenched Provence, or grand Paris France has something fort every appetite.  There are numerous reasons to chose France and good reason it's #4 for the best places to live. What are your reasons for wanting to move to France?

Moving to France for Climate

France is one of those fabulous countries that offers a diverse climate with something for everyone - moving to France means you have the mountains, beaches, and countryside all within a few hours.

Moving to France for Life Balance

France seems to always find itself toward to top of the list when it comes to the Best Places to Retire but it's also a very attractive place to work and raise a family. In the west Americans have the reputation for working way too much! The French begin with five paid weeks of vacation each year. They insure work doesn't intrude upon a quality life by working less hours each week too. As we mentioned previously France has the best health care system in the world. The French are known to live longer and have much healthier lives, less stressful than Americans. So, if you're ready to escape the rat race behind France maybe just what the Doctor ordered.

Interestingly our next Best Place to Live in the world is not consider part of France but is a small country on the French Riviera. Watch for it!

The Cheapest Place to Live

This blog started as an exploration of the Cheapest Places to Live in the world and I'm still continuing that quest but the blog has evolved into much more than just that. We're also looking at the Best Places to Live based on a variety of criteria - not just whether they are cheap. After all, would you agree the term 'cheap' is pretty subjective and relative to each individuals circumstances. From one perspective cheap may simply mean the least expensive place to live - lowest rent, lowest real estate cost - literally THE cheapest place but for most people that is an unrealistic measure and one that isn't very useful. When I write about and we as a community discuss the concept of living cheaply what we are really trying to look at is that whole bundle of objective and subject qualities that when taken together result in value. For me it's about a lifestyle that represents the best value. How can I get the most out of life and living for the least amount of money.

What is the Cheapest Place to Live?

To answer that question you first need to figure out what your true costs of living are. Sure some of those are pretty easy to figure out. Things like the cost of housing, the cost of food, the cost of utilities, etc. Now it's important to really develop a comprehensive list of your costs of living. Don't forget to look at insurance, fuel, transportation, education - you really want to brainstorm every single thing you purchase to maintain your quality of life. Pull out bank statements and credit card statements. Examine what you purchase daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and occasionally. It's a pretty straight forward project to accomplish.

How do you measure Quality of Life?

The second part of the analysis is a lot trickier and a lot more individual - it's the subjective measures of quality and of cost. But these subjective items often become the most important. I believe they actually are the most important things of all. So, what am I really talking about here? It's probably easiest to explain the concept by way of example. Let's say I want to find the Cheapest Place to Live in the United States. If I look solely at objective criteria I'm likely to end up somewhere north, somewhere cold, somewhere that not many people want to live. So, my rent may be cheap but what are the other non-monetary costs I'm paying for having that cheap rent? My health may suffer. I have to pay more for heating. My car will wear out faster, These are some of the subjective costs of living I need to take into consideration.

So, as you read this Blog and particularly as we examine the Quality of Life Index for 2011 I'm hopeful your mind and our discussion broadens and gets into some of these more interesting aspects of determining the best place to live - for you and for me.

For those who are following the discussion around our leading countries for quality of life tomorrow I'll get back on the trail and give you more information about our 4th best place for quality of Life, France.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites Found In Panama

Guest post By Tyler Ramos

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Created by the United Nations in 1945, it is tasked to perform a number of important functions. One of these is to identify UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and to publicize and otherwise support these sites. We are going to be looking at some of the five identified Sites located in Panama.

UNESCO selects locations to be designated as World Heritage Sites based on either their cultural or natural significance, or both. Panama has a total of 5 recognized sites. It has been blessed with not only natural points of interest, but with cultural and historical ones as well.

Besides designating the sites, UNESCO supports them in several ways. The designation itself has great publicity value as the selection process is recognized as having integrity. Worldwide there are only 890 designated sites, so making the list has some significance. UNESCO also provides funds for conservation as appropriate.

The initial Panamanian World Heritage Site was Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo, which received recognition in 1980. Portobelo and San Lorenzo were both forts established by the Spanish to strengthen their defenses. During this period, the 17th and 18th centuries, there were a number of attacks and counterattacks.

Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and Historic District of Panama was added to the list in 1997. It includes the site of Panama Viejo, the first European settlement on the Pacific Ocean. It was established in 1519 and abandoned after it was destroyed by the privateer Henry Morgan in 1671. Some call him a pirate, he seemed to favor attacking this area, perhaps because of the wealth present.

Darien National Park was added to the list in 1981. It is the largest national park in the country and one of the most important in Central America. It includes an incredible variety of habitats. It is large enough to provide a viable protected habitat for a number of endangered species. Two Indian tribes still live in the Park.

After this, the city was rebuilt in a safer location, where it remains today. The Historic District of Panama, also known as Casco Viejo de Panama, is where the city was rebuilt. It is central to the much larger city that it has become.

Panama has the Canal and that is what most people associate with it. The fact that it has these five World Heritage Sites shows the error in this. This small country has plenty of things to see. Tourism is a major factor in the economy. It sounds like an exciting place to tour.

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on panama real estate for sale, then visit www.panamarealtor.com to find a list of many panama condos in the city and the beach.

Retirees Find Altos Del Maria Panama Desirable And Budget Friendly

By Tyler Ramos

Scattered in the hills and valleys of Altos del Maria in Panama are home sites and homes for sale offering dream views of rushing waterfalls, lakes and oceans, and volcanic mountains in the distance. Much like Boquete Panama, you can hike along trails and take photos of sloths and monkeys and wonderful birds in the trees. You might even see a yellow frog.

Spread out on more than seven-thousand acres, the developers at Altos del Maria have thought of everything. The gated community offers security and urban services such as Internet and phone services, including cell phones, television via satellite, plus a heliport, golf courses, swimming pools. The developers have paved miles of road and made sure there is plenty of electricity and water. The roads facilitate the hour and half drive to and from Panama City. Closer by are tropical beaches when you want a change from the mountains, and the townships of Sora and Bejuco.

Most people think of the canal or a hat when they hear Panama. Panamanian locals have several versions of where the word Panama originated. Some say indigenous peoples named the land after a common tree. Others say the word means either many butterflies or many fish. All versions seem appropriate. The fact that the country holds vast expanses of unspoiled nature feels like a secret someone has been keeping.




A long and profitable relationship building the Panama Canal with the US has resulted in many Panamanians speaking English in addition to Spanish, their national language. Panamanians have a reputation of being friendly. US dollars exchange at a rate of one-to-one, and are acceptable, legal tinder in Panama. Reports indicate that the dollar goes further for retirees in Panama. A monthly income of twelve-hundred US dollars buys one a very nice lifestyle there.

Panama City has all the perks expected from a big city: good medical services, good restaurants, lots of things to see and do. The Panamanian economy remains stable in large part because of the Panama Canal. The US and Panama continue work together on a canal project referred to as the Third Set of Locks, to allow more ships through and maintain economic stability.

Worth mentioning is the pensionado program Panama offers retirees, which provides discounts on travel, entertainment, housing costs, and prescription medications. A pensionado application and visa are required for this program for non-citizens. However, it is possible to buy, build, and live in Panama without signing up for the pensionado program.

A map of Panama shows it to be a long, thin stretch of land. Panama City and Altos del Maria are found on the east and west sides, respectively, of the same narrow neck of land. Altos del Maria is at a much higher elevation, starting at 1,476 feet above sea level. The highest sites are at 3,608 feet. The high altitude keeps the temperatures at 75 degrees F year-round. Its possible to see the Pacific and Caribbean from some of the sites.

Whether you dream of building your own home or prefer to find a bungalow ready to move into, the developers at Altos del Maria can accommodate you. Big lot, small lot, high elevation or low, it is your choice.

About the Author:

Find fabulous prices on altos del maria real estate by looking online. There you can find many choices for altos del maria. Head online today and learn more.

One of the Cheapest Places on Earth

Own a brand new beachfront condo for $75,000. Or a luxury apartment for $28,000. Employ full-time household help to cook and clean for $30 a week. Enjoy a gourmet meal for two, with wine and dessert, for $25.

Every cliché you've heard about living large on little…about settling into the lap of luxury on even a pensioner's budget…is true in this country.


Ecuador has my attention because it offers some of the cheapest property values in the world today. For example, you can buy a high end 1,000-square-foot condo on the beach for less than $100,000…or a comfortable mountain retreat for less than $50,000.

Last year, Ecuador topped International Living’s Retirement Index, which praised its quality of life and low cost of living.

In this country, you can live high in the mountains and enjoy year-round spring-like weather. Or you can choose from 1,390 miles of coastline and great beaches. And your dollar goes far. I know of retired couples who live comfortably on $700 per month. An excellent three-course lunch costs $2. Ecuador welcomes foreigners with open arms. Best of all are the property prices and holding costs, both of which are low.

Living In Canada

I couldn't resists! This one arrived in my mailbox this morning and as a fine 'Red Neck' Canadian I could resist passing it along. Enjoy!

Forget Rednecks... 

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy (not sure if that is true! This was probably just written by some cleaver Canadian!) has to say about Canadians:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May,
You may live in Canada .


If someone in a Home Depot storeOffers you assistance and they don't work there,
You may live in Canada .


If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time,
You may live in Canada .


If you've had a lengthy  telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number,
You may live in Canada .


If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Detroit for the weekend,
You may live in Canada .


If you measure distance in hours,
You may live in Canada .


If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once,
You may live in Canada .


If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again,
You may live in Canada .


If you can drive 90 km/hr through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching,
You may live in Canada .

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked,
You may live in  Canada .

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them,
You may live in Canada .

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit,
You may live in Canada .

If the speed limit on the highway is 80 km --you're going 95 and everybody is passing you,
You may live in Canada .

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow,
You may live in Canada .

If you know all 4  seasons: Almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction,
You may live in Canada .  
(True unless you live in Vancouver or Victoria, BC!)

If you have more  miles on your snow blower than your car,
You may live in Canada .

If you  find -2 degrees 'a little chilly',
You may live in Canada .

If you  actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your friends (or post them on your blog!)
You definitely are Canadian and proud to be.

Once again I digress from the main topic of this blog, Cheapest Places to Live, however a little humour is always good and besides living anywhere, including Canada one needs some fun because just living in the Cheapest Place  doesn't mean you're going to like it!

Cheapest Place to Live in the United States

Sometimes cheap can also mean best! If you're wondering 'Where should I live?' ... in the U.S. here are some of the Cheapest Places to Live in the United States. and many of these spots would also be consider some of the nicest places to live:

Cheap Places to Live on the Pacific Coast

Spokane, WA
Modesto, CA

Cheap Places to Live in the Western Mountains

Ogden-Clearfield, UT
Fort Collins - Loveland, CO
Greeley, CO

Cheap Places to Live in the Central Northwest

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Omaha Council Bluffs, NB/Iowa
St Louis, MO

Cheap Places to Live in the Central Southwest

Fort Worth Arlington, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Tulsa, OK

Cheap Places to Live in the Central Northeast

Ann Arbor, MI
Warren Troy / Farmington Hills, MI
Clevland, OH

Cheap Places to Live in the Central Southeast

Knoxville, TN
Chattanooga, TN
Louisville, KY

Cheap Places to Live in the Middle Atlantic

Albany Schenectady Troy, NY
Pittsburgh, PA
Harrisburg Carlisle, PA

Cheap Places to Live in the South Atlantic

Durham Chapel Hill, NC
Charlotte, NC
Atlanta, GA

Cheap Places to Live in New England

Manchester, NH
Worcester, MA
Springfield, MA

The Cheapest State to Live in the U.S. is Arkansas.

Youngstown, Ohio has the most affordable housing in the U.S. according to the International Housing Affordability Survey but under the current economic crisis few would disagree that

Detroit is the Cheapest Place in the U.S.

Cheapest Place to Live in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has been a great economic success story in the past 10 years. Recently voted one of the Best Countries in the world to live in by International Living Magazine in their annual Quality of Life Index.

The city of Luxembourg is the capital of the country of Luxembourg. Its spectacular valleys and plateaus led it to be nicknamed "the Gibraltar of the North"

Luxembourg has been enjoying the effects of economic growth and low employment rates. The combinations of these factors bring about a confidence and optimism which bodes well for future investment and market confidence.

Luxembourg hosts a large percentage of European Headquarters for Global clients in Industry, with about 158 licensed banks from 26 different countries; it is the European leader in Private banking and the global leader in Investments funds.

The main activities carried out in the Financial Sector are: Private Banking, Corporate Finance, Covered Bonds, Securities, Pension Funds and Investment Funds.

Cost of Living In Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a small country in Western Europe, landlocked by Belgium, Germany and France. But size is not a big deal when it comes to this place. Though it may be a tiny country, it is such a wonderful place to be in. Lying in between a cross of cultures, you can expect that this country will be a great destination.

There is so much that is offered by Luxembourg. From the great scenery and the wonderful climate, living here would not be such a bad idea for anyone. The economy is very stable, thanks to the successful steel and agriculture industry that they have. Considering the size that Luxembourg has, it remains among the richest country in the world. It is known for having a high-income economy, low inflation and a low unemployment rate. It seems like living here is very beneficial financially.

Luxembourg is using the currency Euro (€) which is the same for its neighboring countries. Luxembourg may have a little higher cost of living compared to the United States. The current conversion of €1 Euro is at $1.45 USD. It may be quite pricier here if you plan to live here but life here is definitely better.

Housing Costs

Luxembourg has a couple of houses and apartments which are available here. Since there are a lot of people who travel and move in here, you can trust that there will be quite a selection of accommodations for you. Like most residents here, they just tend to rent an apartment because it seems more practical and cheaper. True enough, renting an apartment may only cost anywhere from € 600 t o €2500 per month. It depends on the locations as well as the size o the apartment that you are getting. For larger apartments, tenants just share for a cheaper rent.

Cheapest Place to Live in New Zealand

New Zealand picked up spot#5 as the Best Place to Live according to International Livings 2010 Quality of Life Index. Besides beautiful weather, the country’s wide ranging topography — snow capped mountains, rain forests, crystal clear lakes and rivers offering some of the best trout fishing in the world, bays filled with forested islands, vineyards, fruit plantations, and other amazing scenery are attractive to just about anybody!Ask an Avocado!Gardeners know that avocados like it warm and sunny in order to grow. So if that's your idea of a perfect climate than know this - Avocados grow very well in northern New Zealand!

Auckland New Zealand

The majority of immigrants who move to New Zealand end up living and working in and around Auckland. But if you're looking for the Cheapest Place to Live in New Zealand you may want to check in with the local. A New Zealander will tell you that Auckland is actually one of their least favourite places to live. This is due to  high real estate prices, a higher cost of living, higher crime rates and also due to the influx of international migrants moving to Auckland!

The four best places to live in New Zealand

According to New Zealanders it’s clear that the most attractive places for lifestyle reasons are:

1. Christchurch in Canterbury

2. The Bay of Plenty and in particular Tauranga

3. Waikato and,

4. Otago. 

When it comes to New Zealand in general most people like the fact it is small, has a very literate population, friendly people, and the fact that the country is, for the most part, quite clean and uncluttered. Ranked one of the cleanest countries in the world. New Zealanders love the outdoors  and enjoy camping, sailing, barbecuing, swimming, and gardening.

New Zealanders on the Move

New Zealanders have been on the move during the last few years. Most of the movement has been focussed on better weather, better prospects or lower house prices. In other words they've been searching for the Cheapest Places to Live in their own country.

The 3 areas New Zealanders have been keenest to leave are: Auckland, North Island Manawatu-Wanganui and North Island Southland. South Island Auckland's house prices have jumped extraordinarily heigh in recent years. Although falling prices and falling interest rates from he 2008 crash have improved affordability. Most people do find they benefit from leaving Auckland, provided they don't experience too much of a wage cut. Retired people can often release a large capital sum by leaving Auckland and moving to a cheaper location. Many retirees move to the Waikato, a region to the south of Auckland, or Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. Otaki, Levin - this is near Palmerston.

For those retirees with extra cash looking for one of the best places to retire New Zealand waterfront is very cheap by U.S. standards. Although not necessarily the Cheapest Place to Live in New Zealand.

The Cheapest Place to Live in Germany

This is a continuation of the discussion which started with the Best Places to Live as ranked by International Living in their annual Quality of Life Index. Today we're moving down the list and looking at The Cheapest Place to Live in Germany.

From what my research has discovered it looks like Hamburg Germany is currently one of the Cheapest Places to Live in Germany. So, if Germany is on your list and you're wondering, "Where should I live - in Germany?" Then Hamburg would be a good place to start.

Hamburg is great for good fun. Berlin and Frankfurt will also keep one busy.

The population of Frankfurt is composed of 27% foreigners so if you are immigrating here you may feel a bit more at home and find some people with things in common.

Getting away from the larger English speaking cities seems to be a good way to save money and find a cheaper place to live. I've read that the best places to live in are the capitals of the small 'duchies'. The best towns to live in are Dresden, Leipsic, Stuttgart and Munich - all offer world class education and are cheaper when compared to English cities. But are still a little more expensive than say Brunswick, Cassel, Darmstadt, Weimar and Coburg. In these towns you can enjoy more of an old-fashioned family type atmosphere with beautiful architecture. The houses tend to be larger with big rooms, lovely courtyards and grand stair cases.

Eastern Germany has some good places to live cheap. This appears to be a result of many people moving west with the Fall of the Berlin wall. Eastern Germany offers beautiful landscapes and the typical German standard of living including excellent health care.

Technorati Tags: cheap places to live, best cities, best towns, international living, quality if life

Cheapest Place to Live in Switzerland

Switzerland is typically not known for a low cost of living but a recent study revealed the Cheapest place to live in Switzerland

People who live in Appenzell Inner Rhodes which can be found in the eastern part of Switzerland, have the highest level of disposable income after tax and major expenses like housing. On the other hand Geneva residents have been found to have less than people in any other people in Switzerland making it the most expensive place to live.

Bank Credit Suisse conducted the survey and measured a wide range of costs including taxes, social security, health insurance, utility bills, housing prices and rent.

The survey revealed the cost of living varied tremendously depending on where people choose to live in Switzerland. Individual cantons and local municipalities have the power to set their own tax rates and this can have a big impact on the cost of living in Switzerland.

The rural canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes again topped the list as the most inexpensive place to live, as it did in 2006 when the survey was last conducted.

The report said the canton was "the most appealing place to live for the broad middle classes". This is due to relatively low real estate prices, moderate tax rates and the country's lowest health insurance premiums.

Geneva remained at the bottom of the list of 26 cantons with high property prices and hefty taxes. Obwalden climbed five places to 2nd place after it slashed taxes in 2007. Zug fell 13 places to 18 as the cost of real estate sky rocketed over the past two years.

Technorati Tags: Switzerland, Places to Live

Cheapest Place to Live in Australia

Adelaide is one of the cheapest places to live in Australia. The cost of living for average daily consumption is cheap however, from a lifestyle stand point some people consider Adelaide a bit too quiet, maybe even boring.

Adelaide has had slower growth than the rest of Australia in the past few decades keeping prices down. This gives it the biggest advantage of a low cost of living. Adelaide has the cheapest real-estate of any major Australian city. Employment is another story though and finding a job can be more difficult than other larger, more popular Australian cities. Professions  like nursing or teaching continue to be in demand here though so if either of those are your speciality than Adelaide might be quite a good choice. In fact nurses and teachers are in demand throughout Australia. The lower cost of living here results in people in these professions enjoying a higher standard of living in Adelaide than they would have in Sydney or Melbourne.

Adelaide is on roughly the same latitude as Sydney but has a very different climate. The winters are colder and have more precipitation than Sydney. The summers however are normally hotter and drier. Brisbane is another place one might consider as a cheap place to live but maybe not for long. Brisbane still has a very wide variety of prices but it is currently going through a big boom, so prices will inevitably rise.

Melbourne is much cooler than all other Australian cities.  It is quite similar to London, the people are very friendly and like all other cities depending on where you choose to live within the city will dictate how much you pay. Melbourne can certainly be expensive but it is still cheaper than Sydney. Queensland is also cheaper than Sydney. Its a beautiful spot but can often be quite hot.

Sydney is quite expensive in most places and may even be considered the most expensive place in Australia. Technorati Tags: best places to live, cheapest places to live

Cheapest Place to Live in France

Regret the delay getting this going! As you know we just finished up our review of the Best Places to Live in the World now let's see if we can find the Cheapest Places to Live in each of those countries.

France topped our list of the Best Place to Live according to International Livings Quality of Life Index. When it comes to France many people immediately think of Paris and also think of all the stories they have heard about how expensive Paris is. But just like the U.S. or any other country for that matter there are uber expensive places to live and if one looks they can find a Cheap Place to Live even in the most expensive countries.

Get out of Town to find a cheap place to live!

In France like most places you've just got to 'get out of town' to find a cheap place to live!

Just a few hours from Paris you will find the city of Metz. The cost of living including housing and food is cheaper in Metz. Versailles is another community which offers inexpensive shopping while food and rent costs are some of the lowest in all of France. Groceries, childcare, rent & housing and transportation too are all quite affordable in Versailles and it could very well be the Cheapest Place to Live in France if you still want to comfort and luxuries which come form city living.

Follow students for a Cheap Place to Live!

University towns like Montpellier are often quite affordable and cheap places to live as the disproportionate student population helps bring the price of many things down including groceries, clothing and rent.

The Cheapest most Expensive Place to Live

Nice on the French Riviera is beautiful and expensive but it is the Cheapest Place to Live on the French Riviera. The small Monarchy of Monaco is also located on the French Riviera and is one of the best places to live in the world - especially if you're rich and famous!

The Top 25 Countries for Quality of Life

As a recap and epilogue to our count down I just wanted to share this extended list of the Best Places to Live in the World.

The Top 25 Best Places to Live

1. France
2. Australia
3. Switzerland
4. Germany
5. New Zealand
6. Luxembourg
7. US
8. Belgium
9. Canada
10. Italy
11. Netherlands
12. Norway
13. Austria
14. Liechtenstein
15. Malta
16. Denmark
17. Spain
18. Finland
19. Uruguay
20. Hungary
21. Portugal
22. Lithuania
23. Andorra
24. Czech Republic
25. Great Britain

Next we will shift gears and return to our quest of finding the Cheapest Places to Live while trying to answer that age old question, 'Where should I live?"

The Best Place to Live in the World!

If you have been asking yourself the question, "Where should I live?' the 2010 Quality of Life Index of the Best Places to Live in the World may be a good place to start.

For the past few weeks I've been blogging about the Top 10 Best Places to Live list which is published each year by International Living. (Oh, and hope I didn't offend anyone with that Blond Joke yesterday. It gave me such a laugh so I just had to share it!) Now the Best Place to Live is not necessarily the Cheapest Place to Live however, one of the factors that makes up the Quality of Life index is certainly cost of living.

Forgive me I digress and ramble!

Back to the Best Place to Live and the winner is....France.

France is the Best Place to Live!

Once again France takes top spot as IL's pick for the best place to live. In fact France has held the top spot on the Quality of Life Index for the past five years.

Sure France has a high tax rate and a huge government bureaucracy which can have you running around in frustration for what seems like eternity BUT there are so many other positives that out weigh and create an 'Unsurpassed Quality of Life'.

Let's start with what many consider to be the world's Best Health Care system and finish with a longer lingering dinner with the finest wines in the world. Croissants, Cabernet and Notre Dame are just a few of my favourite things! Don't forget fine French cuisine, poetry and the infamous romance of Paris or the French countryside. The lavender of Provence is so beautiful and fragrant that the enter town smells like a lovely sachet. It is nothing like the best cities to live in in Florida and they are not like France but to each their own right?

So many things to mention you really need to read a book or better still tour France and take it all in.

Not the Cheapest Places to Live

Best is not Cheapest

Just a quick comment and reply to some of the comments I have been receiving regarding my count down list of the Top 10 Best Places to Live in the World. I realize these are not the Cheapest Places to Live, in fact some of them could be considered down right expensive! That said and as I've said many times before, what makes for a Cheap Place to Live is not always in the initial face value of what one first sees. For example, housing may be expensive but taxes and other costs of living may be really low making for a cheap place to live.

What Makes for a Cheap Place to Live?

Don't forget to add up all of your costs of living before you decide what is the Cheapest Place for you. For example, you may be able to buy a house in Sioux Falls South Dakota for $10,000 but how much will you earn there? What if you can't get a job there? Now maybe finding a Cheap Place to Live for you is not work related. Maybe you're retired. Well again what are the other costs of living. The house may be cheap but it gets cold in Souix Falls so you will need to heat it. And what about keeping you warm? Cold weather can add significantly to other costs of living. Think hot drinks, hot food and of course plenty of clothes to keep you warm.

Where Should I Live?

A great question and one we will continue to examine in depth in our search for the ideal Cheap Place to Live! If one had teaching credentials you could examine teaching jobs overseas for Americans and that would open up a whole list of places where one could possibly live but without in-depth review of each, mistakes would be likely so we will persist in our quest.

Best Place to Live

Now, back to our count down because isn't quality of life what we are really all after? In the same view that Money doesn't bring happiness saving money and Living Cheap doesn't bring it either!

Top Ten Places to Live

Shelter Offshore just released its review of International Livings '2010 Quality of Life Index' with the Top Ten Places to Live Abroad. This is the first part of a two part article which explores the bottom five of the top 10 in the index and what its like to be an expat living abroad in Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg, Canada and America (meaning the U.S. as Shelter Offshore is a British offering). By the way while I'm talking about the UK it's interesting to note that the UK has fallen to position 25 in the International Living Index of the most desireable (livable) place in the world.

Italy continues to hold the #10 spot from last year as International Living points out, "Italians know how to live well!"

Is Canada the best place in the world to live? Nope the index puts Canada in ninth spot basically due to the snowy, cold winters in most of the country.

Belgium picks up 8th place followed by the United States at positon #7. Of course Detroit wasn't mentioned even though it may well be the Cheapest Place to Invest in Real Estate right now!

Luxemburg tops the bottom half of the top ten list at #6 as a "fascinating, historic, beautiful and very stable country."

It will be interesting to see who tops the list and if there is any mention of the Cheapest Places to Live or the Best Place to Retire as there has been in previous indices. Be sure to follow along if your searching for a good place to live!

Technorati Tags: cheapest places to live, best place to live, Top 10 Places to Live Abroad

Could Detroit be the Cheapest Place to Live?

In a recent Money Magazine article  a Detroit home with "surprisingly little work needed' sold for just $6,900! All the new owner, a guy from Chicago, needed to do was put in a little paint, replace some old, dirty carpets, and install a new water heater.

Detroit is full of great real estate deals like this one with foreclosed homes in relatively good condition selling within hours of hitting the market.


Could Detroit's loss become the real estate investors dream or is it simply destined to beocme one of the cheapest places to live in America?