Where do you live if you have a good standard of living?

[Lanternnights]

Just curious, looking for ideas.

DH and I are generally pretty miserable and demotivated with rising costs. I know I'm not alone in that and I likely am more fortunate than lots of others.

It's been this way for months and we've decided to do some research into making changes. Ultimately we don't like where we live, we don't feel like we have a good standard of living for the output, and we are generally stressed out, feel older, and our health is taking a toll now.

I don't think it's a job issue as we earn the average in our industry in UK, so switching jobs wouldn't help.

I am curious if you have a good standard of living or know someone who does and where do they live? We are interested in emigrating as we've no children and both work for global companies who advertise transfers.

Or am I silly and everywhere is the same?

I'm looking for somewhere our money goes further and we are less stressed/on autopilot.

Kent
love love love it

why are you miserable?

and demotivated in your jobs because you don’t enjoy?

Derbyshire.

Village high on the Lancashire Pennines

@notjustthe We both were talking about how it's miserable working so much to be worrying about money / seeing all cash disappear due to cost of living.

It depends on your current cost breakdown really. I live in the south east (nurse + teacher, no kids) and we're more than fine, but childcare costs would make that a different story. Without more detail it's hard to advise.

Dorset - by the sea! Feels like a holiday most of the time. Enjoy the seasonal change when all the summer people arrive as they bring the real holiday atmosphere for a good 3-4 months of the year.

We get some dreamy warm days off season too! X

what are your salaries?

We moved from SE England to NI and have a fantastic quality of life compared to what we had. We were able to buy outright with the equity we had, plus had over £100k left over which we whacked into pension and savings. We don't have water charges, free prescriptions and uni fees are about £3.5k. We work less, go on holiday more and have more day to day disposable. Dh and I both earn the same as we did before.

I also live by the sea which the dog loves. Previously we were 1.5 hours from coast. Only downside is the weather is wetter and colder but we make up for it by getting away to the sun.

I know NI isn't for everyone but since we've moved we've met so many English people (sometimes with one NI partner but not always) who've returned for the same reason as us- better quality of life.

Northern England. I wouldn't choose to live somewhere with a higher cost of living unless I was getting enough benefits to justify the money.

Where do you live now?

We are in the NE, average salaries (me 30k DH 35K) own a 4 bed detached house (mortgaged) go on holiday twice a year, both home by 5:30 everyday, afterschool childcare fees. wouldn't swap the balance we have for anything.

I was going to say NI - I'm an exile and every time I come back I'm shocked by how much better everything is over here. And people still complain yet public services are so much better than England.

Also, buns.

Nottingham- affordable housing, great pubs/restaurants/cultural stuff. Brilliant public transport. Easy to get to other cities and you can be in the Peak District in about 40 mins.

South East, we have a very decent standard of living and good salaries.

A big move, but when we lived in NZ for a couple of years the work life balance was incredibly different.

You could go to the beach after work, people meet up anywhere and everywhere, are welcoming and friendly and it's a world away from here where you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.

We truly regret not staying and if you have the opportunity I'd definitely do it.

Gloucestershire - beautiful countryside, quiet but with access to great towns. Living over the River Severn on the non 'posh' side (i.e. not the Cotswolds) housing is extremely affordable. People are super friendly too. Love it. Good road links to M4/M5 Wales/Bristol etc. too.

Derbyshire

South East. Great standard of living, wouldn’t move anywhere else. But our salaries match it

@mirror245 Just don't get sick. My friend and her husband moved back and because of the lack government resulting in the worst NHS staffing in the UK, he was unable to get cancer treatment that would have been on a two week fast track in England. They ended up forking out £6k on scans and tests, but subsequent delays, after they were told if they continued down the private route they would get no more NHS treatment, meant that the cancer spread. He died last month.

Ireland. Pretty much everyone I know has a good standard of life. But you would have needed to buy a house at least 10 years ago and be in good health.

My partner and I moved to Portugal after Brexit and it's been life-changing for us. Like you, we're a childfree couple who can work from anywhere.

If you can keep a UK-level income your money goes a long way, and it's a friendly, welcoming country with a lovely climate and a relaxed pace of life. We find it very easy to live healthily here too - fresh food is inexpensive and plentiful year round.

Any resident is entitled to use the national health service, but private health insurance is very cheap anyway.

The country has its problems like anywhere, and prices have gone up since the Ukraine war, but the balance is still massively in its favour compared with how we lived before. There are lots of digital nomads here, and Portugal encourages immigration as they've suffered a lot of brain drain over the decades.

North Shropshire

I live in the West Midlands. I like it here.
My adult DS lives in East Yorkshire and it is so much cheaper. In particular to buy a similar house is less than half the price it is in the West Midlands. Even stuff like takeaway pizza is cheaper in East Yorkshire. Whenever I go up to see my DS and buy a meal out or a takeaway I always feel happy it didn't cost much.

The other advantage of Portugal is it's cheap and easy to get to the UK, and for people to visit.

North West. Love it in Manchester. Great culture, close to the lakes, the peaks, Yorkshire dales, North Wales amazing cities (Manchester OBS but also Liverpool & Chester,). So much to do in town. People generally decent, culturally diverse get all the main music, theatre etc