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Hold Your Breath: The Dirtiest Cities in the World…

We analyzed air pollution, water quality, and wastewater disposal to list the dirtiest cities in the world

What makes a city… dirty?

When I was 21, I moved from a countryside town where the air smelled like orange cake (since we had some fruit processing plants around) to an 11-million-resident metropolis. Every day on my way back from work, I needed to take a road close to a river that smelled like sewage (and probably had some illegal sewage discharges on it).

The streets had rats (I never saw an urban rat in my life until I moved there), and the air was so dirty during the winter that after a day out, you could rub a white napkin in your hair and it would turn gray. My lungs are glad that I don’t live there anymore.

That was a dirty city for me, and I bet you agree with me.

And using criteria that measure air and water quality, plus sewage treatment, me and my team at Expatriate Consultancy compiled this list of the dirtiest cities in the world in 2022.

This is not the first time we publish a polemical ranking. On other occasions, we told you about:

The most dangerous city in each European country
The 10 most dangerous cities in Europe
The 8 safest big cities in the US
Cities with most public libraries in the world (Ok, this one here was not very polemical, but equally interesting).

This, however, promises to be our most surprising rank ever. But first, the criteria.

Criteria to Define the Dirtiest Cities in the World

To define the dirtiest places in the world, we combined 3 measures and 1 filter. Of course, you may disagree with them (and we invite you to share your opinion in the comment section), but with the data available, this is quite a good set of indicators — I would also like to add a measure of the number of rats per habitant, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

1 — Only one city per country.

We didn’t want to make an uninteresting list, so this first criterion may surprise you. However, here is our point: we didn’t want an entire ranking only with cities from India, China, and Pakistan. If we simply made a ranking of the 10 dirtiest cities in the world, all of them would be from these 3 places.

We also filtered only cities with more than 150 thousand residents, since smaller cities may have unreliable data due to a lack of measuring points.

2 — Air quality index (AQI)

We enjoy breathing fresh, clean air. This was one of the biggest differences I felt when moving to a large city. But how can we measure the air quality?

For this purpose, there is the AQI (Air Quality Index), an index that measures, among others, the harmful PM2.5 concentration. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a form of pollution in the air that can be harmful to people’s health during prolonged exposures.

2.5 in this case means their size in micrometers. Particles that are that small can easily travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs.

The AQI also measures other pollutants, like:

Ground-level ozone
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide

For this ranking, we used the AQI calculated by the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.

3 — Unsafe drinking water EPI Score

This indicator was measured on a national level for the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) compiled by Yale and Columbia universities on a national level.

They measure the harm caused by unsafe drinking water using the number of age-standardized, disability-adjusted life-years lost per 100,000 persons due to exposure to unsafe drinking water.

A score of 100 indicates a country is among those with the lowest rates of unsafe drinking water in the world, while a score of 0 indicates a country is among those with the worst drinking water. In other words, the higher the score here, the better.

4 — Wastewater treatment

Around the world, about 52% of sewage is treated. But the rates of sewage treatment in different countries are very different. For example, about 74% of the sewage in high-income countries is treated, but only 4.2% on average in developing countries.

Sewage treatment in this case includes managing human waste and solid (often industrial) waste.

In the section of each city, you can find the sources for the percentage of treated sewage. In some cases, the data was not available.

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The Dirtiest Cities in the World

Remember that the ranking only allows one city per country, therefore the second position is NOT the second worst city in the world, but the dirtiest outside the country of the first place. The third place is the dirtiest outside of the first and second-place countries, and so on.

Krasnoyarsk, Russia

The main reason for pollution in Krasnoyarsk is its location, relatively near major industrial centers like Norilsk.

The second reason for pollution is its size. Krasnoyarsk is one of the largest cities in Russia, with a population of 1 million people.

Surprisingly, despite Russia being a major gas exporter, Krasnoyarsk is NOT connected to the Russian gas pipeline system, so often people resort to burning trash to keep warm during winter. Gazprom recently used video footage of the city freezing in winter to warn Europe that the same could happen with Europe due to sanctions — ironic, right? It was one of those times when war propaganda looked like a comedy sketch.

The third reason is the little enforcement of environmental laws (a common factor in almost all cities listed in this article).

Russia’s most polluted regions. — Source: RadioFreeEurope and Finexpertiza.

Population: 1 million residents.

Air Quality Index of City: 49.8μg/m, almost 10 times higher than the maximum recommended of 5μg/m

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 55.8. 55th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: The data for Krasnoyarsk specifically was not available, but in Russia, less than 45% of the sewage is connected to treatment stations. Since Krasnoyarsk is a remote region, one could expect this number to be even smaller.

Kathmandu— Nepal

Kathmandu has no proper disposal system for garbage. Garbage piles up on streets and sometimes, it gets burned by the people living nearby.

On top of that, people throw their waste into rivers and lakes without realizing that they are harming nature and their own environment by doing so.

The lack of proper waste management systems leads to clogged drains, overflowing sewage lines, etc., all of which result in flooding during the monsoon season.

Population: 1.442 million residents.

Air Quality Index of City: 50.9 μg/m, more than 10 times higher than the maximum recommended (5μg/m).

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 25.9, meaning the 131st place among the 180 countries counted.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: According to IJCRT, less than 7%.

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Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Port Harcourt has experienced an exponential surge in occurrences of respiratory illnesses, attributable mostly to illicit crude refining in various regions of the city.

The sky frequently becomes black, not from rain clouds, but from rising black dust from hydrocarbon pollution, which quickly covers all exposed surfaces and is inhaled by innocent citizens.

Port Harcourt, formerly a pristine and verdant “Garden City,” has devolved into a black dust city.

Population: 1 million people.

Air Quality Index of City: 51.6μg/m, over 10 times higher than the max. recommended of 5μg/m

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 4.3, meaning the 177th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: 0. So far, there are no wastewater treatment plants in Port Harcourt.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe has a high concentration of polluting enterprises, including cement and coal power plants, as well as local factories and waste-burning facilities.

Coal is used as a raw material in the generation of energy by many urban industries. The city has 24 companies that generate heat by burning coal fuel. Dushanbe TPP 2, run by the state energy corporation “Barki Tojik,” is the largest of them.

Population: 770,027 people.

Air Quality Index of City: 59.5μg/m, almost 12 times higher than the maximum recommended.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 31.7, 119th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: 13.4%, according to the WHO.

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

According to IQAir, these are the primary sources of pollution increases in Osh:

1 — Vehicle emissions, with automobiles, motorbikes, and heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks or lorries traversing the length of the city for everyday commutes. Many of these cars would use inexpensive, low-quality diesel, which can discharge more pollution than cleaner fuels.

2 — Poorly managed construction sites release fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants.

3 — Mining close to the city emits PM10, PM2.5, heavy metals, and other harmful substances.

4— Winter pollution surges are caused by burning wood and other types of organic matter for heating and cooking.

Population: 256,763 people.

Air Quality Index of City: 60.9μg/m, over 12 times higher than the recommended maximum of 5μg/m.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 47.3, 78th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: 19.3% of household wastewater is treated, according to the WHO.

Karaganda, Kazakhstan

Karaganda is close to Temirtau, Kazakhstan’s iron industry hub, and home to the country’s largest steel production plant, Karaganda Metallurgical Combine. The plant is operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau, a subsidiary of the worldwide industrial conglomerate ArcelorMittal.

The city’s industrial pollution is so bad that occurrences of black snow have been documented. Many people there believe that the metallurgical complex is to blame for the black snow.

Population: 500,826 residents.

Air Quality Index of City: 75.5μg/m, 15 times higher than the recommended max. of 5μg/m.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 56, 54th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: According to the UNECE, 50% of industrial wastewater is not treated before discharging in Kazakhstan.

N’Djamena, Chad

N’Djamena has problems with heavy metal pollutants discharged in the Chari river. Besides, Chad’s capital city has seen a fast population increase and a decrease in water supplies in recent years, without sanitation keeping the same pace as the number of inhabitants surges.

Population: 1,5 million people.

Air Quality Index of City: 77.6μg/m, over 15 times higher than the maximum recommended.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: Data not available.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: According to UNICEF, 10%.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka in Bangladesh has a place among the dirtiest cities in the world due to population density, brick kilns and traffic.

Brick kilns, exhaust fumes from automobiles, and dust from construction sites were identified as the three primary contributors to air pollution in Dhaka in a research that was published by the local Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank.

Population: 8.9 million residents.

Air Quality Index of City: 78.1μg/m, almost 16 times higher than the maximum recommended of 5μg/m.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 26.9, 128th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: 17% of the wastewater is treated.

Faisalabad, Pakistan

Faisalabad is the third largest city in Pakistan and is growing both economically and in terms of population. Because it is in the middle of the country, it is a major industrial and distribution hub.

Pollution in Faisalabad is mostly caused by things like vehicle emissions. There are a lot of cars, motorbikes, and heavy-duty vehicles.

There are also a lot of factories and textile mills in the city, as well as thousands of brick kilns, many of which use dirty fuels and are not regulated by the same rules as the rest of the city.

Population: 3,2 million residents.

Air Quality Index of City: 94.2μg/m, almost 19 times higher than the maximum recommended.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 15.3, 151st place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: According to WWF Asia, 20% of the wastewater is treated in Faisalabad.

Hotan, China

Hotan is a town in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Because of the different ethnicities that live and work in the area, the area has a strong Uyghur presence.

However, Hotan’s proximity to the Takla Makan, the world’s biggest shifting sand desert, exposes it to frequent sandstorms, which add to the contaminants in the air, causing the quality to deteriorate.

As a result, desert sand is the primary culprit.

However, industry in and around Hotan, Kashgar, Aksu, and other southern Xinjiang cities is fast expanding, and its environmental impact is not strictly monitored. Toxins are released into the surrounding atmosphere as a result of the area’s exponential industrial growth, which affects the residents.

Population: 408 894 people.

Air Quality Index of City: 101.5μg/m, more than 20 times higher than the maximum recommended of 5μg/m.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 58.4, 45th place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: According to CEIC, 96.1% of the wastewater residues of Xinjiang (the province where Hotan is located) are treated.

Now time to answer the question we have been waiting for…

What is the dirtiest city in the world?

The Dirtiest City in the World and (the Dirtiest City in India)

The dirtiest city in the world is Ghaziabad, India.

Ghaziabad — the dirtiest city in india and in the world. — Ghaziabad — the dirtiest city in India and in the world. Image source: Design for Health

The main sources of air pollution in Ghaziabad are vehicular emissions, road dust, construction and demolition operations, industries, garbage burning, agricultural waste burning, and so on.

Ghaziabad is an old city that is growing increasingly crowded as residents from various regions of Uttar Pradesh continue to flock here.

Because there is no good public transportation in the city, individuals rely on their own vehicles, causing horrific traffic jams. Ghaziabad also contains numerous small and major industries, many of which do not adequately dispose of their residues.

Population: 1.7 million people.

Air Quality Index of City: 102μg/m, more than 20 times higher than the recommended maximum of 5μg/m.

Unsafe drinking water EPI Score: 18.3, 141st place among the 180 countries measured.

Sewage Treatment Percentage: While there is no specific information about Ghaziabad, the state where the city is located (Uttar Pradesh) has a treatment capacity of only 37.2% of the wastewater generated.

The Dirtiest Cities in the World in 2022 — Conclusion

Remember: the list has a maximum of one city per country, therefore, the 2nd place is NOT the 2nd dirtiest city in the world, but the dirtiest outside the country of the 1st place. The 3rd place is the dirtiest outside the country of the 1st and the 2nd, and so on.

Check also: Why This Country in Africa Is Growing So Fast?

11 — Krasnoyarsk, Russia

10 — Kathmandu- Nepal

09 — Port Harcourt, Nigeria

08 — Dushanbe, Tajikistan

07 — Osh, Kyrgyzstan

06 — Karaganda, Kazakhstan

05 — N’Djamena, Chad

04 — Dhaka, Bangladesh

03 — Faisalabad, Pakistan

02 — Hotan, China

The dirtiest city in the world: Ghaziabad, India

If you enjoyed this article about the dirtiest cities in the world, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

Due to Huge Economic Growth, Emigrants Are Back to This Country

A Guide to the Easiest Countries to Adopt a Baby From

The Dreamy Destination That’s 50% Cheaper to Live In than Spain or Florida

Subscribe (for free) to receive my articles directly in your inbox and receive a special gift. If you enjoy this article, please consider becoming a Medium member by using this link and have access to premium, unbiased content from authors not tied to big media.

Levi Borba is the founder of The Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author. Some of the links of this article may be affiliate links, meaning that the author will have a commission for any transaction.

Expat Problems

Right Now, Sleeping in Warsaw Costs More Than in Monaco

Asylum Seekers in Poland, Read This Before Paying for Accomodation

I promised myself not to post any rant on Medium regarding the war in Ukraine, which is only 2 hours away from here…

On the other hand, this has nothing to do with the war, but rather with:

A few words of praise for the Polish people’s enormous hospitality in receiving Europe’s largest refugee wave since World War II.
A rant against a very small percentage of people, who happen to be entrepreneurs in the same industry as me, who are shamelessly exploiting the situation and ripping off refugees.
A very useful piece of advice for refugees and asylum seekers in Poland on how to find more affordable accommodationin if they need it.

How Many Refugees Has Poland Taken

By the 10th of March 2022, the number of asylum seekers in Poland had surpassed 1.5 million.

As Stefan Tompson, a Polish writer, explained:

Poland, a country of 38 million people, has just taken in a million refugees from Ukraine in just 10 days. To put it into perspective:
That’s like the State of California and it’s 39 million inhabitants taking in every single resident of Austin, Texas, in under a fortnight.
Or that’s like every single inhabitant of Birmingham being moved relocated to Spain with its 46 million inhabitants.

How Poles Are Helping Refugees.

People in Poland are assisting in any way they can. They opened their houses and their businesses to host refugees.

A Catholic monastery near Warsaw was quickly turned into a refugee center.
Developers turned crumbling houses into sparkling refugee lodging in only five days.
Polish volunteers are in the airports and railway stations around the clock, assisting incoming Ukrainians.

These are only a few examples. Every day, in every corner, Poles are doing what they can to help their neighbors, letting aside a complicated history between both nations, as Mr. Tompson pointed:

The generosity of the Poles is that much greater when you take into account the unaccounted history of the brutal genocide of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia in 1943, by OUN-B and UPA. But you see, the Poles’ hearts are that much purer precisely because they do not point to the unmarked graves of their murdered forefathers in Ukraine’s fields. We know that brutal history. We remember our forefathers. But now, the Ukrainians need our help, and we will help them.

The Kettle of Vultures

At the same time, a small, very small share of the people is acting like a flock of carrion birds, profiting from desperation.

Like this person, who just set up some tents in his backyard (it’s -3 degrees outside!) and is renting them out for the absurd sum of 180zl.

tent in warsaw for absurd prices after the influx of asylum seekers in Poland. — 180zl for a tent. This is more than $40. Before, this was the price of a night in a 3-star hotel, with breakfast.

40 dollars.

For one night in a camping tent.

During winter.

There are other sordid examples, like a famous international hostel chain that increased the prices of their Warsaw branch by 400%.

Hostel in Warsaw for absurd prices, after the influx of asylum seekers in Poland. — 4 beds in a dormitory room for 800zl. More than $180 per night for a mother with her 3 daughters to sleep among strangers.

They rented a bed for 40 zlotys per night prior to the conflict (around 9 US dollars). Each bed now costs 200zl.

Hotel rooms in pricey destinations such as Zurich (Switzerland) or Oslo (Norway) are less expensive than this hostel in Warsaw right now.

Even in Monte Carlo, in the tiny and hyper-rich principality of Monaco, you can find hotel rooms, with all the privacy and comfort they offer, for prices comparable to a crowded dormitory in Warsaw:

Hotel room in Monte Carlo, Monaco. — Hotel room in Monte Carlo, Monaco, for 568 zlotys per night (approx. US$130).

Consider that the average salary for a receptionist in Monaco is US$4442, while in Warsaw it is the equivalent of US$823, and you will see how some of my fellow hospitality entrepreneurs in Warsaw are taking advantage of this situation.

All this gets even more shocking when we consider that, until months ago, Warsaw was one of the cheapest capitals inside the European Union.

But…We Live in a Free Market!

One could argue that we live in a free, capitalist economy, and companies have the liberty to increase their prices.

Yes, they are, and I know this very well.

Prior to starting my own company, I worked inside airline headquarters in the department in charge of raising (or lowering) their prices: revenue management (here I share some secrets on how to buy cheaper tickets that I learned during my career).

Even at my hostel, I raise prices for dates close to major events such as a Justin Bieber concert or New Year’s Eve. This is acceptable; the additional profit from these special events should cover the losses from the low season.

But it is one thing to profit from people traveling to our city to watch a Canadian pop singer. They are already paying a small fortune for a ticket anyway.

Another thing is to profit from desperate people who have fled their homes and countries with nothing but their clothes.

This kind of behavior nauseates me. Not just as a business owner in the hospitality industry.

But as a human.

Asylum Seekers in Poland: How to Find Cheaper Accommodation

PS: Besides the advice below, it is also a good idea for any refugee in Poland to seek volunteers in the train stations and airports. Often they know where is offered free accommodation.

Public transportation is one of the things that most large cities in Poland have developed exceptionally well.

The transportation networks not only reach the majority of the city’s districts and corners, but they also have a strong presence in the metropolitan area.

In Poland, metropolitan areas are especially important. Warsaw, for example, has a population of only 1.7 million people, but when the metropolitan region is included, this figure nearly doubles.

When looking for a place to stay, refugees and anyone else should keep one thing in mind.

You don’t need to live in Warsaw, because the city itself is expensive and has a limited accommodation base.

Furthermore, using metropolitan trains, you can get to the city from the suburbs in a matter of minutes.

Here are some time estimates from cities in the metropolitan region to Warsaw Central Station (and the city center):

Piastów: 22 minutes, using the train R1. You can check the available hostels and hotels of Piastów here.
Pruszków: 29 minutes using the train R1. You can check the available hostels and hotels in Pruszków here.
Legionowo: 29 minutes by using the train RL. You can check the available hostels and hotels in Legionowo here.
Piaseczno: 39 minutes, with the train R8. You can check the available hostels and hotels in Piaseczno here.

You pay on these suburban trains 3.50 zloty per trip, which is far less than the difference in the accommodation cost in these cities and in Warsaw.

Yesterday, for example, a woman with her small daughter asked me if I had a room. I didn’t, and she got desperate for a place to sleep. The cheapest room in Warsaw was over 500zl ($115). I looked for a place in Piastów and found a comfortable room for her for 130zl (less than 30 dollars), in a little hotel called Fredry 8.

She was happy, I was happy to help, and a fellow local entrepreneur (who is not behaving in a predatory mode like hotel chains skyrocketing their prices 500%) also was happy.

During these trying times, this was a small but happy victory.

If you enjoyed this article about asylum seekers in Poland, check this one about what to do in case of war and the highlights of the manual about what to do in case of war (issued by the Polish emergency services).

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Levi Borba is the founder of the Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel Small Business Hacks, and best-selling author.

Expat Problems

What to Do in Case of War?

How to Prepare for War as a Civilian (Read It NOW if You Live Abroad)

Listen to “How to Prepare for War as a Civilian (Read It NOW if You Live Abroad)” on Spreaker.

I live in Poland, less than three hours from the Ukrainian border, where a war is currently raging.

Because I’m assuming you never read my bio (who reads it after all?), I start by saying that, besides being a writer, I am also the owner of a tourist hostel in Warsaw. We frequently host international backpackers and transit tourists.

But not right now. Almost all of my rooms are occupied by people who have fled the war in Ukraine, a country that, until recently, was not on the list f the most dangerous places in Europe.

Many of my guests now are women, children, and elders. Some have arrived after days of traveling through difficult border crossings, checkpoints, and congested roads.

Every day, I have to reject over 30 calls from people requesting a room because we are full and have a waiting list. It is painful to see.

Having said that, it has also been a learning experience (check here 3 incredible stories of solidarity I witnessed with refugees in Poland). I discovered what these people wished they could do before the war starts by talking to them.

Familiar with other conflicts (before moving to Poland, I lived in the middle-east, one of the most stressful places in the world), I also pondered about what to do after a war.

This small guide arose from these discussions, reflections, and research. It is also inspired by Poland’s emergency service manual on what to do in case of war. War is not exactly something new or unknown in Europe, and adult residents of cities like Sarajevo or Belgrade are familiar with this kind of violent event.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

BUT

I hope you never need to use it.

Budget Travelers Digital Nomad and Expats Book — Book recommended: Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads & Expats: The Ultimate Guide: 50 Tips, Tricks, Hacks and Ways to Free Stuff & Cheaper Flights

What to Do in Case of War

How to Prepare Financially for War

PS: This is not financial advice, but what I would do (in fact, I have already done most of the things in this list).

Withdraw a substantial sum from your bank account. Bank runs are common on the eve of war, and ATMs may run out of money. I’d take enough to last at least two months, if not longer.
If there are chances that your country will be directly involved, avoid keeping local currency. Why?

Because it will quickly depreciate if war breaks out. Besides, exchange houses may refuse it. This is one of the most difficult challenges that Ukrainian refugees face in Poland, as the Ukrainian currency (Hryvnia) has depreciated significantly and is no longer accepted by many exchange houses.

Change your local currency for a neutral currency (yes, I am talking about you, Swiss Franc). Be aware that this should be done before the war as rates will be high during the conflict.
Exchange hard-to-carry assets into mobile, easy-to-carry assets, like gold.

This may raise a question:

Will Gold Go Up if There Is a War

People that are used to investing in risky countries are familiar with how useful are hard assets like Gold.

Gold is expected to increase in value, drastically, before the war starts. The prices may also raise after failed negotiations and when the conflict is prolonged.

But…

Frankly, it doesn’t matter if gold prices will go up or not. In the case of war, you are not investing in gold, but using it as a value storage. You can bury it in your garden, making it much more difficult for looters or an invading army to steal it.

Besides, you cannot carry your plasma TV in your pocket when you are escaping from war. Unless you have a Gulfstream jet ready to evacuate your family like Peter Thiel.

What to do if the invasion already started?

Before the Russian invasion on February 24, foreign intelligence agencies warned of a Ukrainian invasion. While the invasion’s scale was unexpected, the invasion itself was expected.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, this is what you should do:

Have an escape wallet ready, with your documents, cash, passport, and keys.
Research flight schedules and build a plan in case of emergency. Check also the train routes, as well as the fastest ways to the border in case air transport and railways are disrupted.
If you are a foreigner, like me, contact your embassy and ask about possible contingency plans.
If your country does not have an embassy nearby, contact a diplomatic mission from another country. During the evacuation in Ukraine, for example, the Brazilian embassy in Kyiv also assisted citizens from Ecuador and Argentina.
Carry with you ALL documents that attest ownership of vehicles, land, houses, assets, and so on. This includes fiscal receipts, notarized acts, and transfer notes. This step is crucial to demand compensation once the war finishes, and is often neglected by people fleeing a country.

Many of the suggestions above are based on the assumption that you want to flee before war breaks out. My respect if you wish to remain and defend your land.

Nominate reliable people located abroad for the guardianship of your children, to protect them if the worst happens. Put their name in your life insurance policy.

Should I stay or should I flee if war breaks out?

Just remember that, in case you wish to remain, you will be helpful if:

You have military experience
You have medical or paramedical experience
You can act as a translator, with fluent knowledge of the local idiom and other multiple languages (assisting in foreign legions and so on).
You have mechanical, engineering, or logistical skills.

If you do not fit any of these cases, there is a good chance that you will not be useful during the conflict, or require training in a very limited (and often unrealistic) timeframe.

What to Do During a War

Picture of destructed building. Recent conflicts raised the question of what to do if war breaks out — Recent conflicts raised the question of what to do if war breaks out

If you managed to escape the war and returned to your home country or became a refugee in a third state, the first step is to contact assistance from organizations like the UNHCR.

Store the resources (cash, gold, and other assets) that you brought in a secure place and exchange just the necessary into local currency.

Always adopt a realistic outlook. Wars have the potential to destroy the infrastructure of a country, so it is unlikely that you will return soon to your former home.

Besides, modern wars are not quick. While larger forces may conquer territory quickly, most modern conflicts are prolonged by enduring guerrilla fights. Here are how long it took for some of the most recent examples:

Second Congo War: 5 years (1998–2003)
Syrian Civil War: 11 years, ongoing.
Iraq War: 8 years (2003–2011)
Afghanistan War: 19 years (2001–2021)
Yemen War: 7 years, ongoing.

Why am I telling you that? Because the sooner you accept that it may take years for you to return, the better you start to adapt to a new country.

Be kind to people that are receiving you. Here in Poland, people are doing their best, but due to the sheer volume of incoming refugees, it is difficult, and even the most dedicated volunteers are under stress.

Try to find a source of income or a job. Don’t expect to live with the same standards that you were living before, at least at the beginning.

What to Do After a War

I hope you followed the tip of keeping all your receipts and documents attesting to the ownership of your assets, right?

Once the war finishes, and you return to your country, it is time to seek compensation for everything the invaders took from you — considering that your side was the winner and repelled the invasion.

For this purpose, it will be essential that you use the documents certifying the ownership of your house, car, or anything else you lost due to the conflict.

In Poland, for example, there is even a government institute that, among other functions, assesses the war reparations that German invaders should pay for the Second World War, among other things.

Be aware that war reparations may take years, even decades to be paid, and there is a chance that it will not be you, but your kids that will receive them.

Conclusion on what to do if war breaks out

1st Phase: How to Prepare Financially for War

Withdraw from your account a substantial amount of money. Enough to last a few months. Bank runs and cash shortages are common before wars.
If your country is directly involved, avoid keeping local currency. Swap it for the currency of a neutral country.
Convert hard-to-carry assets into mobile assets like gold, that you can easily carry or hide.

2nd Phase: What to do if war is imminent.

Prepare an emergency wallet with your documents, cash, passport, and keys.
Study the fastest possible flight and train schedules, as well as the quickest routes to the border, in the event that air travel and railways are disrupted.
If you are a foreigner, like me, contact your embassy and ask about their contingency plans for the outbreak of war.
Carry ALL documents proving ownership of vehicles, land, houses, assets, and so on. This includes fiscal receipts, notarized acts, and transfer notes.
Nominate trustworthy people in another country to be your children’s guardians, to protect them if the worst happens. Include them in your life insurance policy.

3rd Phase: What to Do During a War (as a refugee)

Modern wars are not quick, taking years or even decades during their guerrilla phase. Therefore, try to settle in and adapt from the very beginning.
Contact assistance from institutions like the Red Cross, Caritas, or UNHCR.
Be courteous to those who are receiving you. If you feel homesick, take a look at this article about how to deal with it.
Try to find a job or a source of income. Do not expect to live up to your previous living standards, at least not at first.

4th Phase: What to Do After the War

Use the documents you kept all this time to demand war reparations from the invader.

If you enjoyed this article about what to do in case of war, check this one about how to make a plan B when you live abroad. If you are an asylum seeker in Poland, read this article.

First, subscribe (for free) to receive my articles directly in your inbox and receive as a special gift the digital book 20 Essential Hacks for Saving Money While Travelling.

Levi Borba is the founder of the Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel Small Business Hacks, of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author.

Cultural Shock

Moving Away from Home

The Best Lessons I Learned about Moving Away from Home (After Doing It 14 Times).

Moving away from home is not an unknown subject to us. My generation moved from one place to another more than any other in history.

While our parents and grandparents (the Baby Boomers and Generation Xers) stayed in the same area for an average of 4 to 6 years, Millenials move every two years.

For many of us, moving away from home is an exciting time in our lives.

It gives you the chance to start over. However, it can also be one of the most stressful times in your life depending on where you are moving to, who you are moving with and why you are moving in the first place.

I compiled this article with some of the best tips and insights I learned after fifteen years away from my hometown and 14 moves across three continents. Things like:

Why is moving away from home so hard?
Pros and cons of moving out of your parents’ house
Can I afford to move out of my parents’ house?
How to handle the anxiety about moving away from home?
How to cope with moving away from family and friends?
Other recommended reading for anyone planning to move far away and start a new life.
The steps I will recommend, from the decision until the ride to the airport.

As with everything in life, context is important, and that is where we begin.

Wanting to Move Away and Start Over

I want to move out of my parents’ house!

Many of us will say this phrase at some point between our adolescence and our early thirties. Some people carefully plan this moment, while others do it on the spur of the moment when an opportunity appears on the horizon.

But when we take the time to breathe and analyze carefully whether it makes sense, there are a lot of things at stake.

We frequently overlook or ignore factors that are extremely important later in life.

In this article, I will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of moving out of your parents’ home. This is a decision I made when I was 18 years old, and I have seen many friends and relatives do the same since then.

Many were satisfied with the results, but some had regrets.

Why is moving away from home so hard?

First off, you should feel proud of yourself for even considering this challenge.

Not many people dare to step out of their comfort zone and test themselves in new situations. It’s normal to have these thoughts — don’t worry!

One of the main drawbacks is that you will miss your family, friends, and loved ones. You will miss family gatherings and having dinner with your parents. Maybe you are too young and you don’t want to be far away from them or maybe they simply don’t want to let you go.

Another drawback is that you may not know how to take care of yourself in some aspects and it may be difficult for you at first. For example, if your family has always cooked for you and has helped you with everything in the house, it may be difficult for you to prepare something other than fried eggs.

Also, many times living on your own can be more expensive than living with your parents because you have to pay rent, food, bills…

If all of these reasons are making you think twice about moving out, I have a word for you:

You are right.

Think twice. Even thrice. But don’t let the difficulties stop you. Use them as a guide to self-improvement and getting completely ready to move out, not as an excuse to cancel your plans. I will help you in the next paragraphs and with many useful links.

Remember that moving away can be very rewarding.

You will develop skills that no one taught you before and become more independent and autonomous. You will make new friends and open doors for massive opportunities.

All that starts with a plan, and like in every plan, we need to assess the pros and cons.

Pros and Cons of Moving Out of Parents’ House

Boxes Prepared for Moving Out of Parents' House - Discover Below 10 Pros and Cons of — Discover Below 10 Pros and Cons of Moving Out of Parents’ House

Benefits of moving away from home:

You get to learn how to fend for yourself and manage your money (both income and expenses).
You will learn (or should learn unless you want to live in a squat) how to cook, clean, and take care of your living space. Maybe you will learn how to fix a leaking sink — it’s not that difficult.
There will be silence and privacy (maybe not if you are a student sharing a dormitory).
You will have space for yourself and your friends to hang out.
You’ll be able to set your own schedule, so you won’t have to compete with your brother over who gets to use the shower first.

Cons of moving away from home:

You have to pay for everything, including rent, food, utilities, insurance, and so on. Your paycheck may not be as large as you think it is once you look at all the bills that need to be paid. According to Forbes, in 2021 the cost of moving out increased 15%.
You must deal with any repairs that may emerge. If something breaks, such as the stove or washing machine, you must pay for its repair or replacement unless it is covered by insurance or a warranty agreement.
If you are moving to a distant place, you will miss your old town, your friends and your family. A lot.
If you are going to live in an unfamiliar place, there will be a learning curve until you adapt to the local way of life. You will eat at bad restaurants, take the wrong buses, and so on during this time. It is an inconvenient period, may cost you extra money, and can take weeks or even months.
You will need to adjust to a new climate, and I mean literally new climatic conditions. For example, olive-skinned Latin Americans like myself may require special supplements during the winter in Europe. Here I explain how Vitamin D helped me to survive the European winter.

Can I afford to move out of my parent’s house?

Even if you’re not sure where you’ll be living, estimating the basic costs of living on your own will help you determine if you can afford it or not. The main expenses you should evaluate are rent, food, utilities, transportation, and furniture.

In any list of pros and cons of moving out of parent’s house, financial planning of the whole process should take priority place! Especially if you are moving away by yourself.

Rent cost

This is your biggest monthly expense, and it depends on where you live and how much space you need. A small studio apartment in the city is more expensive than a large two-bedroom house in the countryside. However, you must ensure that wherever you live, the rent is within your means. Move into an apartment with a roommate or two if possible to reduce your monthly expenses.

Food expenses

Food is probably the second-largest expense after rent, so consider your budget carefully — especially if you’ve been living at home and eating most of your meals there. Americans spend an average of $550 each month on food, according to the most recent data. Eating out frequently can add up quickly, so plan accordingly.

Utility bills

You need utilities like electricity, water, heating (to discover how to save money on heating, check here), and internet to live comfortably, and there’s no getting around paying for these items every month. In some cases, they are included in your rent payment; if that’s not the case, ask if there are any utilities that are included (such as water). This will help reduce your monthly spending.

Depending on where you move, prices may require a habit change. For example, a shower will cost in Poland 6 times more than in Brazil.

Transportation costs

Transport costs can add up quickly — especially in big cities like London where the Tube or buses can be costly. While it’s not necessary to have a car in every city it’s often essential in smaller places. Here I wrote about the considerations to have in mind before buying a car.

Furniture and other expenses.

When you live at home, your parents are responsible for furnishing the place and purchasing new appliances when necessary. When you move out, those costs come out of your pocket — and they can be significant if you don’t shop around for the best deals.

In another article, I compared the cost of living for a single person in 6 different European capitals. The results are surprising.

Anxiety about moving away from home

Anxiety about moving away from home is normal. Whether you’re moving to a new city, state, or country — or just to a new apartment across town — it’s completely natural to feel nervous and excited at the same time.

Moving Far Away from Home: Ways to Ease the Process.

Connect with others.

If you move in with a roommate or group of roommates, try to strike up friendships with them. If you’re living by yourself, seek out social groups in your area that interest you, such as meetups for your favorite hobby or book club gatherings.

Establish a routine

Maintain structure and routine. Have a regular schedule for sleep, meals, and study. This can help to mitigate feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.

Talk to the grocery store cashier.

Take some time to explore your new city and make a point of trying something new each week — a new restaurant or coffee shop, for example — but don’t be afraid to set boundaries that make you comfortable. Asking about the new place to the grocery store cashier or other people you meet at random can speed up your adaptation.

Try to understand the cultural differences of your new place.

I am a big fan of the 6-dimension model created by Dr. Geert Hofstede breaking down the cultural differences into 6 major areas. His team analyzed multiple countries in the world to better understand cultural differences. So far, their conclusions match almost perfectly my own experience living in Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

Don’t be afraid to get embarrassed.

The joy of embracing (and occasionally failing) a new idiom and discovering a new place in the world is priceless. When I first moved to Poland, I faced three comical situations that taught me that being embarrassed isn’t all that bad.

How to cope with moving away from family and friends

Guy sitting in a bench, apparently sad: moving away from friends and family has a mental impact that should not be neglected. — Moving away from friends and family has a mental impact that should not be neglected.

In order to cope with leaving your family and friends, you must remember that you are doing this for a reason. It may be for your education or your career, but you must have a goal and stick to it. Keep that in mind when you are dealing with loneliness or homesickness abroad.

Why are you moving away?

There are different types of expatriates, something that is also valid for anyone that is moving out within a country. Understanding which type you are will help you to understand what you need and what you should avoid.

How to Prepare for a Mov Ahead of Time

You can start preparing yourself for moving away well before the day arrives. For example, staying in close contact with your loved ones through social media or by visiting before moving may make it easier for you to adjust once you have left. Start planning visits to see your family and friends as soon as possible so that you know you will be able to see them again later on.

Keep In Touch

Regular communication with loved ones is one of the best ways to cope with separation. If possible, try talking to your family and friends in person at least once each month by scheduling a visit or inviting them over for a weekend stay.

This will also avoid you to feel guilty later if the worse happens. This is a lesson I learned the hard way.

Take advantage of technology — but don’t get enslaved or restricted by it.

You might not be able to see your family and friends as often as you’d like, but there are many ways to stay in touch using modern communication devices such as smartphones and computers. Video chat applications such as Skype, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts are great for keeping in touch visually and can make you feel like you’re together even when you’re far apart.

Whenever possible, use apps that allow you to communicate visually or audibly, as written messages lack depth and dimension. Besides, excessive text messaging is making us dumber.

Moving away from home — Additional reading

I made a lot of mistakes when I left my country nine years ago to become an expatriate. Errors that could have been avoided if I had only known a few things.

Instead of giving up, I learned by experience during my relocations to the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, which forged a better version of myself.

This guide’s tips and methods assisted me in getting promoted, increasing my earnings, finding my wife, and starting my own business.

These rules are universal; they worked for me in South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, and they will work for you as well.

I wrote a guide with the best countries to start a new life abroad with no money. There you will discover what you need to begin a new life in places like Chile, Qatar, or Poland (I lived in all of them), among many others.
Here is a list of 9 books to read before moving abroad, with useful tips and ideas to improve your daily life far from home.
Sometimes it takes time for someone to find work in a new city, therefore in this article, I give you an idea about how to make money after moving out to a new place.
Here is what you should do if you moved out and war erupted somewhere nearby.

Conclusion: How to Move Away from Home

I moved away from my parents’ home when I was 19. Since then, I moved another 14 times — meaning, almost one time per year. Sometimes, it was because I wanted, others, because I needed due to do my career and later my businesses.

10 Steps to move out

Decide where you want to live
Contact locals via social media or other means to learn about prices, lifestyle, and potential issues.
Save enough money to pay your bills for the first month (at least).
Get a job (or a paid internship if you are a student and have time for it). Every time I moved, I used Linkedin to find a new job.
Know how much you can afford to spend
Prepare a backup plan in case things don’t go as planned (Eg: expenses X percent higher than what you expect). Here I explained how to make a plan B when moving out.
Plan your move and hire a moving company if necessary. Prepare your documents and sign the rental contract early.
Use the signed rental contract to set up internet, water, and other utilities.
Schedule a medical checkup, and a blood exam. In your new place, doctors may not have access to your medical history. This is one of the untold but crucial life-saving tips for moving out.
Pack your belongings.

First, subscribe (for free) to receive my articles directly in your inbox and receive as a special gift the digital book 20 Essential Hacks for Saving Money While Travelling.

Levi Borba is the founder of the Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author.

Digital Nomads

4 Tips to Moving Out and Living on Your…

When Moving Out in 2022, Carry These Tips with You

Congratulations! They awarded you a master’s scholarship on the opposite side of the continent. Or maybe you just read an email with a fantastic career offer overseas. These scenarios are occurring more often than ever among millennials. But what happens when you move far away? Here are some tips for moving out in 2022.

How Often Do Millennials Move?

According to a study involving 1000 adults made by Porch.com and published by Housingwire, Millennials, on average, move every two years, Baby boomers, every four years, but Gen Xers remained in the same area for almost six years.

While mortgage rates remain low, Millennials are not purchasing houses as early in life as previous generations, which they attribute to school loan debt and other expenses piling up. They are also the generation that goes from the suburbs to the city and back again.

Here is one thing: I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm (and I promise to give you all the answers to the questions later), but:

Even minor activities, such as purchasing a monthly transport ticket, may cause trouble when you live far from home.

You may enter either a spending frenzy fueled by lower prices or a feeling of being ripped off by larger expenses.

Then you become ill and find out that your new health insurance doesn’t cover even simple checkups.

Maybe you’re taking a long-term medication (as anti-baldness drugs like finasteride) and it’s over 300% more costly where you moved. When I relocated to Poland, this was my case.

Adapting to a whole new culture already requires a lot of work and might be stressful. Why not make your life simpler and prevent the issues listed above?

Many years ago, I left my tiny hometown, which smelled like orange cake. I made many mistakes when moving to different continents. I’ll teach you how to prevent these blunders and save hundreds, if not thousands, of bucks.

Tip 1 – Remember the questions to ask before moving out

New places may provide new possibilities, jobs, and friendships. But it also can be costly and bring headaches.

So, before you move to another place, ask yourself these questions (and here are a few more others):

1 — Does it fit my budget even in a pessimistic scenario (eg: unemployed for a few months)?

It seems simple, but the thrill of relocation may cloud your financial judgment. Credit card, mortgage, and student loan payments should not exceed 36% of your annual income.

2. Is it worth relocation to your job, and what are the other professional opportunities there?

Examine similar jobs’ salaries in your new city, since management and remuneration vary.

3 — When is the best time to move?

I moved during winter in Poland and I almost freeze my fingers assembling furniture since I still didn’t have heating. Check your local conditions.

4. How will you get around?

You can use the subway in London to go nearly anywhere, but not in Sao Paulo. Before you move, consider the price, availability, and convenience of public transit, as well as the costs and bureaucracy of automobile registration.

7. Is the local culture suitable for you and would you be happy there?

Every city has its own flavor, and it’s vital that your new home feels like home. If you’re unhappy in your present city and want to move somewhere better, think about why you’re unhappy and what makes the new area appealing.

9. What are your backup plans?

A move may be a mistake. Relationships end, jobs are lost. So save money or have a backup plan in case the new city doesn’t work out.

Tip 2 – How to Estimate Your Living Expenses and Plan the Perfect Budget

Numbeo and Expatistan are two outstanding websites that I have been using since I moved out of my country a decade ago. Both sites create large pricing databases of everything by combining user-generated material and online cooperation.

Users enter the prices for each item (from food to housing and transportation) in their respective areas onto the websites. The tool’s accuracy improves as the number of consultations increases. Numbeo contains about 6 million values spread throughout around ten thousand cities on the earth. Expatistan provides information on the cost of living in over 2,000 places.

Using those methods, I can verify Doha is 99% more costly than Warsaw. This is consistent with my experiences of paying exorbitant rates for a drink in the Qatari capital.

With this wealth of information, it is simple to compare living expenses between your current location and your previous one. You’ll find out whether your budget allows you to enjoy a thrifty, easygoing, or opulent lifestyle.

If you are a remote worker and want to make the most out of your income, check this article with 8 great cities for remote workers where you can save money and enjoy life.

Tip 3 – Make all the pre-departure appointments.

A buddy in the medical field once told me how crucial it is to have access to a patient’s historical information. He meant former exam scores, diagnoses, and comparable data.

As a result, even if you are moving to a nation with universal healthcare, such as Canada or the United Kingdom, schedule an appointment with your local doctor and dentist.

This is important if your location has expensive medical bills (yes, this is about you, America). Nobody wants to hear bad news from a doctor, but you’ll want to know if there’s an issue before you leave and have to utilize your foreign health insurance.

Dentist fees are lower in my own country than in Europe. As a result, whenever I visit my parents, even if just for a short period, I attempt to arrange a visit to the dentist. He can conduct minor repairs and alert me if anything is wrong.

Make a consultation with your dentist, a medical examination, and a blood test. Check to see whether your immunization card has been updated. These aren’t the most entertaining aspects of a trip, but they may save you money and perhaps your life.

Tip 4 – Examine prescription drug costs.

There aren’t many things cheaper in my own country (Brazil) than they are elsewhere. There is one item, though, that is substantially cheaper in Brazil:

Drugs. Medical drugs.

(And beachfront apartments, but this is a subject for this article here).

The reason for this is that the government encouraged the formation of national laboratories producing pharmaceuticals with expired patents, also called “generic drugs”. A generic does not have a brand name; instead, it is named by the active component. The most crucial aspect is that it may be half the price of its branded equivalent.

I use a generic drug called Finasteride. It prevents hair loss, and Hollywood celebrities such as Bradley Cooper have been using it for quite some time. The monthly cost of using finasteride in Brazil was roughly 30 Brazilian Reais, around US$8. When I went to Poland, I didn’t check the prices before boarding the plane. I grabbed my one-month package, as well as my prescription (as it was required), and relocated to Europe.

After the first month, I needed to purchase more. When you stop using finasteride, your hair falls out again. In Poland, finasteride is available under the brand name Propecia (the same as in other markets like the USA).

The cost of a month’s therapy was (hold your seat): 180zl. 43 dollars, which was 537 percent of the price in Brazil.

When I stopped taking it, my hair began to fall out. Fortunately, I had a vacation to Brazil planned for a few months later. Following a visit to my dermatologist, he prescribed finasteride as a continuous-use medication, enabling me to purchase and transport more boxes to Europe.

I still have my curling, black as obsidian hair on top of my head. Victory.

Tip 5 – Read This Book Before Moving Out (Click Here)

Conclusion of Tips for Moving Out and Living on Your Own

1 — Ask the proper questions before moving (see list above).

2 — Visit Numbeo or Expatistan to compare the pricing and living expenses of your future and current cities.

3 — Make an appointment with your doctor and dentist for a general checkup.

4 — Check beforehand the prices of any medications, treatments, or therapies that you need. Ask your doctor for a prescription if required by the local legislation.

5 — If your destination has a different language, hire a sworn translator to translate the prescription. This will come in useful if airport security stops you because of medicaments. Otherwise, you run the danger of being mistaken for a drug dealer or smuggler. Never, ever travel with medicines unless you’ve double-checked that they’re completely legal in your destination.

And the most important of all tips for moving out: be patient. It takes some time for you to settle.

Moving Out, Working Abroad and Keeping Your Sanity: 11 secrets to make your expat & digital nomad life better than you imagine

If you liked this article about tips for moving out in 2022, take a look at these below:

Save Money on Travel — 4 Travel Hacks to Give You Peace of Mind

Two Fine Benefits of Living Abroad (Hint: They Will Laugh at You)

5 Tips for Moving to Europe — Crucial Advice for Anyone Coming from a Warm Country

If you wish to become a Medium member and have access to articles like this, check this link. It is only $5 per month.

Levi Borba is the CEO of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the channel Small Business Hacks, and best-selling author. Subscribe to my articles (for free) and receive (also for free) the ebook “The Blueprint for First-Time Business Owners”.

Digital Nomads

4 Living Abroad Tips

10 Tips on Adjusting While Living Abroad

It is simple to make plans for good times. However, to prosper, you must first survive. So to brace yourself for the nasty stuff, I will give you here 4 tips for living abroad.

The years 2020 and 2021 were full of surprises. But 2001, 2007, and at least a dozen other years in the previous century were comparable. More will follow.

I’m telling you this to emphasize why you should never let your guard down.

Perhaps the most crucial recommendation of all is to not anticipate normalcy.

(But this advice is not helpful, differently from the tips for living abroad below).

I’ll give you four tips in the following paragraphs. All of these are simple to implement, yet incredibly useful in unforeseen scenarios.

These living abroad tips will increase the speed with which you flee from a collapsing environment, minimize the expense of that same escape, or just avoid possible conflicts in your new location.

1 – Always have an escape plan on hand.

Assume you need to depart from the city. Now.

This is a valid situation, but most expats and digital nomads would rather not even consider it. Still, it happens, and they attempt to address it on the fly, even if it may cost many times as much as if they had prepared.

I’m referring to situations in which an emergency occurs and you need to leave the region promptly, within a couple of hours.

It might be because of the death of a loved relative from your homeland.
It might be because of a sudden shift in the sociopolitical atmosphere.
Or even a chaotic sanitary situation, such as the 2020/2021 pandemic.

Regardless of the cause, you should be able to fly (or move) away as quickly as possible if necessary.

In my instance, I know that if a severe emergency occurs before 14:00 every day, I may purchase a trip to Amsterdam in the late afternoon and fly from there to Brazil. There is also an option through Paris, and both would let me arrive on the opposite side of the world the following morning.

Creating an escape plan has a beneficial side effect: You may also check the prices for buying last-minute tickets. For example, I found some time ago that last-minute flights to my parent’s state are on sale during certain times of the year.

Establish your escape route and keep it in mind in case of an emergency. And, if you need it, here are some more airport tricks to save money on airline tickets.

2 – Consider your options carefully before purchasing a vehicle.

Before we get started, let’s clarify that you don’t always need a vehicle. In certain places in South America or the Middle East, having a car (or living with someone who has one) is a must, but not in Eastern Europe. At least not in the major cities, and certainly not for the majority of the population.

This is one of the key arguments I make in my second book, Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads, and Expats: The Ultimate Guide: 50 Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Ways. It is also widespread concern among my consulting firm’s clients.

I mentioned the Middle East in the previous paragraph because there was no underground (or subway, as Americans call it) in Doha while I lived there.

The oppressive heat for three-quarters of the year and the lack of sidewalks made walking a struggle. So driving to work was unavoidable.

But I still didn’t want to purchase a car. I wasn’t even sure I’d remain in Qatar long enough to recover my expense. What if I left months later and needed to sell the car quickly for a ridiculous price?

The answer to this problem was in the next door. Literally. I agreed with my roommate in which I paid for a portion of his gas and he drove me to and from work. I just utilized ride-sharing apps to go to other destinations.

The monthly cost of this arrangement was far less than the cost of purchasing an automobile. If you don’t have a roommate with whom to negotiate this kind of agreement, there are still options that will save you money.

The first option is to rely on ride-sharing apps and taxis. In Chile, I could walk to work, and public transportation was readily accessible, as it was in Poland.

So, when I needed a ride, I used any phone app to hire a driver. Because my use was intermittent, the cost was less than that of auto insurance. For this reason, using ride-sharing apps like Lyft or Uber will most likely save you money if you are not a frequent driver.

Another option is to just rent a vehicle (one of my favorite tools for that is RentalCars).

When you rent a car instead of purchasing one, you will enjoy several advantages that most expatriates overlook:

Often there is no need to pay for insurance.
Not paying for administrative processes such as document transfers or inspections.
Not paying for repairs (unless specified in the rent agreement).
Not losing with depreciation. After three years (assuming 16,000 kilometers a year), a standard vehicle will be worth over 40% of its original price. In other words, you will have lost around 60% of its value at a rate of 20% each year.
When going on vacation, you may return the automobile instead of paying for rental during your absence. You may also sublet it if your lease permits it.
Some rental businesses provide free tire and oil change.
Some automobile rental firms pay the government taxes associated with car ownership.
If you need to leave the area for an unforeseen cause, you don’t have to sell your automobile at a loss. This is often one of the most significant losses I’ve seen expats face while leaving the Middle East for unexpected reasons. If your employer completes your contract, you may have as little as one month to depart, which is sometimes insufficient time to locate a buyer at a reasonable price.

When someone states that paying for a vehicle rental is a waste of money, they often overlook all the preceding reasons. Renting, rather than purchasing, may save money in various situations.

3 – Prepare a basket for your “next visit home.”

If you already live abroad, you likely have a collection of miscellaneous objects that are worthless where you reside but necessary for your next trip home:

Keys to your parent’s home.
Adapters for power outlets
International currency
Passes for public transportation
Cables and chargers
Local documents, such as a health insurance card or a driver’s license.

Even if they aren’t helpful right now, it’s best not to throw them away. You will need them the next time you visit relatives and friends. To prevent losing it, make a compact basket or box containing everything you’ll need while traveling back home (or the place that was your home).

If you need to make an emergency trip, documents, keys, and cash are already assembled and quick to get to the airport.

4 – The first word you should learn in any language when living abroad.

Long-term travelers are classified into two groups. The first are individuals who never learn a single word of the idiom of their new country. They rely only on the assumption that people will speak English, and they believe that there is no need to say Thank You in the local language.

The second kind is individuals who just know a few words (or, for some brave and daring, more than a few). They often start with the equivalents of Hello, Bye, and Thank You. While the significance of those terms cannot be overstated, they are far from the most crucial item to understand at first.

Knowing how to say “Hello” in Russian (Privet) may not help you avoid a problem in Russia. It’s wonderful to know how to say Buenos Dias (“Good Morning” in Spanish), but it’s unlikely to save you from getting into a fight on the Mexican buses.

If you trip on someone’s foot or mistakenly touch someone else’s baggage at the airport, there is one expression that may save your skin. It is:

I’m sorry.

The amount of problems prevented when you learn how to apologize in your new idiom is astounding. In the subway, I saw folks upset because a pedestrian accidentally bumped them with a bag, realized what had happened, and then went without saying anything. He probably didn’t even know how to pronounce it, but…

First, learn how to say “I’m sorry.” It may already be beneficial at passport control when the border officer inquires about your lodging reservation and you realize you forgot to print it.

Image of a map to illustrate an article about 4 living abroad tips for Expatriates. Image by un-perfekt from Pixabay — Below is the summary of our (often ignored) 4 living abroad tips for Expatriates

4 Living Abroad Tips: Conclusion

1 – Always have an escape plan on hand.

2 – Consider if renting is not more economical than buying a car, especially when you are not sure you will remain in the new country long enough.

3 – Always have a “next visit home” basket ready.

4 – Learn how to say “I am sorry” immediately after arrival, on your first day.

Check also:

Two Fine Benefits of Living Abroad (Hint: They Will Laugh at You)

Tips and Crucial Advice for Anyone Moving from a Warm Country to Europe

Shock! The Cost of Living in London vs Other European Capitals

If you wish to become a Medium member and have access to articles like this, check this link. It is only $5 per month.

Levi Borba is the CEO of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author. Subscribe to my articles (for free) and receive (also for free) the ebook “The Blueprint for First-Time Business Owners”.

Cultural Shock

Two Fine Benefits of Living Abroad (Hint: They Will…

Discover how to start a life abroad while buying tomatoes.

I don’t like to waste the time of my readers, therefore here are two of the finest benefits of living abroad, things that I learned during almost a decade as an expat:

Two untold but splendid perks of expatriate life are:

1 — To meet friendly grocery shop cashiers or old ladies in the doctor’s waiting room.

2 — To harness the incredible power of getting embarrassed.

Now that you know the short answer, you can either go back to your episode of The Voice, or understand how it works in the next paragraphs (and thank me later).

How to start a life abroad while buying grocery

Picture your first week in a new country.

You’re still not in your permanent house, but in accommodation, until you determine which part of town is best for you.

So you set up a meeting with a local realtor to examine what reasonable and comfy options are available.

On your way to the meeting, you buy a sandwich and a coffee to go. With a hesitant grin, the young cashier urges you to be patient while she learns her new profession.

You enter the metro and seat beside an empathetic 60-year-old lady. She asks the time. You respond to her and grab your phone to see whether someone from the foreigners’ group on Facebook replied to your inquiry about where a young man like you should reside.

When you get to your final stop, you notice the old lady has left.

You walk a couple more miles and arrive at the realtor’s office fifteen minutes early. You sit at the reception on the left of a man with his child. You smile and pick your phone to finish reading the responses to your question in the Facebook group.

When it is time for the meeting, the real estate agent brings you into his office to show you all the “incredible” possibilities you must see.

That’s when you understand it’s an expat scam. There are a lot of them. There’s nothing better than an immigrant desperate to find a home, a car, or insurance. For a skilled salesman, it’s easy money, so he’s more likely to show you deals that pay the highest commission for him.

Sadly, the worst solutions often pay the highest commissions. The cheerful and educated salesman has an added incentive to sell whatever crap he has to some naïve foreigner.

Not all professions with titles like advisor, agent, consultant, expert, etc. are swindlers, but there is a good chance.

So who should you trust if not them?

Some might seek answers about their new country in their company’s human resources department or university student section. Someone will occasionally aid, but they will often be too busy with their own chores to assist you. To help you is not their primary role.

Some will seek assistance from other foreigners, which can be problematic because many of them are still recent in their new country and may not know all issues.

So who’s left? Who else should you hear?

The answer belongs to our unsung heroes: the common folk!

The shy young clerk at the grocery shop. The old lady who sought to chat with you about the weather. The father whose child wanted to play with you in the waiting room.

What were you doing when those possibilities to discover more about your new home arose? You took out your phone to seek advice from strangers who may know less than you!

In every big city, you may ask questions to anybody you meet. Be it at the checkout or a non-touristy metro station. Take risks. Worry not about the language. You will have some excellent stories to tell.

It’s only through talking to locals that you learn about genuine problems and how to deal with them.

You will learn to adapt to the environment, avoid common pitfalls, and master the necessary street savvy. If you pay attention, you may even pick up on the emotional subtleties forming your new home’s culture.

Pay attention to your surroundings instead of your phone’s dark screen, even if you are reading this article on it. Screen time is hurting our social abilities. Don’t miss an opportunity to chat. Rather than relying on Facebook updates, go on an adventure.

You may get invited to parties or discover a new gastronomic treat. Kimchee became one of my favorite meals after a chance encounter.

Just ask the metro woman if it will rain today (and ask which transport is quicker if a storm happens). Ask the parent with the child about upcoming sports events. Ask the grocery shop girl about her new neighborhood and leave a coin in her tip bucket.

What are you waiting for?

Yes, sometimes you may get embarrassed. Some people may think that you are flirting with them. But here lies the second finest among the benefits of living abroad. The most difficult to explain (but I will try).

Check also: 5 Tips for Moving to Europe

The most indescribable among the benefits of living abroad

I started studying Polish a year before I arrived in Poland, intending to run a backpacker hotel.

After a year of adjusting to life as a foreigner in Poland, I could have a rudimentary conversation on my own.

I learned Polish conversationally using the approach described in this article. Buying a cereal bar in a convenience store was difficult at first.

And that was great. It is a chance for personal growth — and laughs. Here are 4 situations that I used to make my point.

Check also: How to Successfully Move Abroad: solve your doubts here and reduce the anxiety about leaving home

That day I was a Golden Retriever.

I was returning home after an afternoon in Lodz, Poland’s third-largest city.

There was a gas station nearby with a well-stocked convenience shop where I could get some food after a long day of volunteer work.

As a poor college student, my grocery basket had only sausages and juice, but I craved a cereal bar.

I discovered it in a blue, little rectangular container with a wheat image. It looked like a cereal bar, so I grabbed it and put it in my basket with the rest.

The cashier’s queue was short. When Smartphones were not in every pocket, I opted to read the cereal bar’s ingredients. While bringing it closer to my eyes to view the little characters, I noticed a strange fragrance.

The cashier was young, and young Poles can speak English — Poland has one of Europe’s best educational systems. So I asked him what flavor it was.

He didn’t know, since it was dog food.

I had time to return it to the shelf, even though I was so hungry I could eat the whole snack without a bark.

The day I accidentally informed three girls that I was mentally challenged

Warsaw has a street called Ulica Nowy Swiat, which means New World Street. Like other European cities, it has well-preserved, historical sections with fancy boutiques and ice-cream stands.

A strip club is in one of the street alleyways. Since most pedestrians avoid busy areas of the street, the club sends a few girls to approach single males and invites them out for a drink with pretty ladies.

On a chilly winter afternoon, I rushed through this area, late for an appointment. Suddenly, a brunette asked if I wanted to go to the adjacent pub (which is, in reality, the strip club). They usually have an umbrella. This looks like a call sign.

Since I was already late and had no time to invent other justifications to not visit the bar, I just wanted to say that I was already late.

My idea was to say Sorry (Przepraszam), but (ale) I am (jestem) late (opóźniony).

What I truly said?

Sorry, but I’m mentally impaired. All because of a typo (late is actually “spóniony”).

The girl laughed and let me go. A few months later, I used the identical term (opózniony) wrongly. When my wife corrected me, I remembered the umbrella-girl’s laughter.

The good part? Umbrella-girls are persistent in bringing customers to the “bar”, however, once I mistakenly announced my condition, she didn’t try again.

The day I just wanted to ask a father about his son’s age.

Here, every adult who comes to a hotel check-in with a child must be a parent or have written consent from the child’s guardians. Years ago, I was working at the reception when a father and his son arrived. I’d say he was 15 or 16, but he could be older.

I wanted to ask if his son was a minor (in Polish, niepelnoletni). So I questioned the father whether his son was “niepelnosprawni”.

Suddenly, the man’s face went sour. Something was wrong. It seemed like those seconds that are amplified by a factor of ten.

Lucky for me, the man recognized my foreignness and inquired, “Do you mean niepelnoletni?”

I responded sure and apologized for any errors, while the father checked his son’s age and IDs.

Later, I checked my words. The word I wrongly used (niepelnosprawni) meant disabled.

The doctor and my little leg

Food is one the best ways to learn body parts in a foreign language (this is not valid, however, if you are a vegetarian).

That’s how I learnt Polish terms for breast/chest, knees, and neck (by learning how to cook pork knee and neck). By asking for chicken thighs, or “udko kurczaka in Poland, I learned how to speak thigh (udko).

So, I woke once to go to the bathroom, but I felt a terrible pain in my left thigh and almost fell on the floor. My wife advised me to go back to sleep. The p ain persisted even after hours of sleep, so I visited an orthopedist.

He inquired what was wrong.

“Boli moje udko”, I said, meaning “m y thigh hurts”.

“Udo?”, said the doctor.

I thought I misheard something. Maybe he simply said udko softly. So I repeated yes, “udko”.

The orthopedist was puzzled. I couldn’t understand it. This is a simple sentence and I thought I said it correctly.

I was really not.

I later learned that udko is the diminutive for Udo. In another word, udko means “tiny leg”.

It’s hardly surprising that a 97 kg, 1.83 m tall former high school handball fullback says his small little leg hurts.

But you know what?

One thing I realized: being embarrassed while attempting to learn Polish in public let me forget my fear of trying new things, of being exposed to the unknown, to ridicule, to be deemed odd.

The benefits of living abroad, the joy of adopting (and occasionally failing) a new idiom, and discovering a new place in the actual world are priceless.

Get out there, since a universe awaits.

And I’m sure you’ll have some hilarious, amazing moments.

If you enjoyed this piece about the benefits of living abroad, here are some other articles for you:

8 Great Cities for Content Creators Where You Can Save Money and Enjoy Life

If You Are Single, This Is the Cost to Live In These 6 European Capitals

The European Capital Where You Can Live With Less than $400 Monthly

Moving Out, Working Abroad and Keeping Your Sanity: 11 secrets to make your expat & digital nomad life better than you imagine

If you wish to become a Medium member and have access to articles like this, check this link. It is only $5 per month.

Business in Europe

Tips and Crucial Advice for Anyone Moving from a…

5 Tips for Moving to Europe

In Europe, there is a sizable amount of expatriates from warm places like Australia, Latin America, or the southern regions of the USA. Among them, issues like cultural shock, accommodation, or homesickness receive attention enough. But there are tips for moving to Europe that are almost unheard of.

Things like the “temperature” hindrances are hardly discussed — and here I am not only talking about the weather but also temperament.

The problem is that those forgotten matters affected most, if not all, Latin Americans living in Europe. While some of these issues have inexpensive and easy answers, the lack of attention about them results in us, immigrants, discovering the solution only after having problems.

To be frank, the tips that I will write below may not apply to sun-balmy places like Portugal, Spain or Greece. But if you are moving to countries like Germany, Sweden, or even the UK, keep reading.

These 5 tips for moving to Europe are based on my personal experience as a Brazilian in Poland. They are some of my most valuable insights on moving away from home, and I believe they will be beneficial to you as well.

1 — Moving to Europe for a Year? Remember about Vitamin D during the Winter!

Winter with snow. If you are moving to Europe for a year or more, and have darker skin tones, be aware that you may lack Vitamin D during the cold season. — If you are moving to Europe for a year or more, and have darker skin tones, be aware that you may lack Vitamin D during the winter.

On average, people that live near the tropics, like Latin Americans, have darker skin tones than most Europeans, particularly those from the continent’s northern and eastern regions.

Darker skin is a convenient adaptation for anyone living in sunny areas such as Brazil’s northeast or the Andean altiplano. Darker tones filter out more of the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. They have more melanin, which means they are more protected from sunburn and other problems caused by excessive sun exposure, such as skin cancer.

The issue is that the same UVB rays that cause cancer are also responsible for breaking down cholesterol in skin cells, providing energy for the human body’s vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D is essential for good health, and a lack of it can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, depression, and immune system problems.

During European winters, the sun is a rare visitor, and days are much shorter. In December, for example, the sunset in Warsaw is around 15:30, and the sky can be cloudy for weeks. In the winter, the total amount of sunlight per month is less than 30 hours. To put it into perspective, there isn’t a single month in Buenos Aires or Mexico City that has less than 130 hours of sunlight.

People in countries such as Poland and Estonia have very white skin, which filters fewer UVB rays. So, even with a small amount of sunlight, they get enough UVB to get the vitamin D they need.

That was not my case. I have olive skin, and I spent my first year in Poland constantly feeling ill and getting sick. I went to the doctor, and he ordered an exam, which revealed that I was severely deficient in vitamin D.

My problem of fatigue and constant sickness was solved after I started taking Vitamin D3 supplements during the fall and winter — something that costs me less than 8 euros per month.

2 — Moving to Europe from the US? Here we can go to work by bicycle or roller-skaters!

With a few exceptions, such as Santiago, Chile, most cities that I lived in outside Europe are not bike-friendly and have inadequate public transportation.

If you are moving to Europe from the US, likely you also know what I mean.

Others, such as the Brazilian capital (and planned city) Brasilia, have plenty of cycling routes, but the climate makes riding a bike to work or school unappealing — unless the person doesn’t mind arriving swimming in his sweat.

Things are different in Europe. Yes, the climate in the northern regions is still unfavorable for riding a bike to work during a few months of the year, but for the rest of the year, even in a city as cold as Helsinki, cycling is an excellent mode of transportation. When you consider the safer traffic, the flat topography of most capitals, and the high cost of fuel, it’s easy to see why so many people use bicycles to get around.

You don’t even have to own a bicycle. Large European cities frequently provide bike-rental services, where you pay a nominal charge to ride from one location to another. In Warsaw, this service is known as Veturilo, and the first 20 minutes of renting are free. I went riding one of Veturilo’s bikes when I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning. It was a wonderful morning trip that cost me one zloty (less than 30 cents of euro).

As a bonus, it will assist you in absorbing some UVB rays for Vitamin D synthesis (see point 1 above) and staying in shape!

Book recommended: Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads & Expats: The Ultimate Guide: 50 Tips, Tricks, Hacks and Ways to Free Stuff & Cheaper Flights

3 — Avoiding long showers to help your skin (and pockets)

Water prices — not bottled water, but the water used for showering, flushing, and so on — in countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina are significantly lower than in Europe. Water will be far more expensive in middle-income nations such as Poland and Hungary than in Chile, for example.

In Poland, a 10-minute shower with 120 liters of water will cost 1.5 zlotys or 30 cents of euro at the current exchange rate. This is merely the cost of the water; it does not include the cost of heating or other charges. This price would be far higher in Germany, the United Kingdom, or France. The identical 10-minute shower in So Paulo, Brazil, will cost 29 cents of Real, or less than 5 cents of Euro. Showering once a day in Poland will cost you 108 euros, compared to 13 euros in Brazil.

We shower a lot in hot countries. However, I would not recommend continuing this practice in Europe. This will not only save you money, but it will also benefit your skin, because frequent and hot showers cause dry skin and hair, according to American Academy of Dermatology researchers.

Gas is expensive nowadays, but there are some extreme ways to reduce heating costs.

4 — To have a better life in Europe, learn the language and use it to understand the ethos.

Learning the language of your new nation will open up a whole new world to you.

This is, unfortunately, something that many of those moving to Europe as an American ignore, and try to live the whole time only using English. This deprives them of so many incredible perspectives of life…

You’ll be able to say “Thanks” or “Please” when shopping at the grocery store or ordering at a café.

Better than that: you will also notice the nuances that shape people’s humor and behavior in their daily activities. Understanding local jokes and insults can give you a good notion of what is humorous and shocking in your new neighborhood.

Lera Boroditsky, a cognitive scientist, confirmed in her studies that language shapes the way we think. As a result, learning the local language allows you to think like a local, increasing your chances of success (or at least survival) in your new nation. What could be a greater incentive than this? Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian philosopher, wrote:

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”.

An easy way that I found to learn new idioms is to frequent language exchange groups. Not only will you be able to speak with people in your new location and learn their idiom, but they will be delighted if you offer to teach them your language.

5 — The meaning of a smile varies according to the country

Smiling may appear to most of my people to be a minor gesture. Born in the Brazilian countryside, I learned early on that smiling at people on the street was not unusual. I’m not referring to Joker-style frightening laughter, but to those courteous demonstrations of goodwill that are accompanied by a nod. On a good day, we salute our neighbors, coworkers, and anybody who crosses our path.

The same was true for the first nation I lived in after leaving Brazil, Chile, as well as other countries I visited in the area.

However, I later moved to Poland.

On a certain day, as usual, I greeted one lady that worked with me. Cheers Dominika, everything fine?

She said yes and asked if I was fine too. I answered, “Everything great!”

Then she asked me: So, why are you smiling? Some good news?

After the surprise of hearing such a question, I said, “Oh, not really. But nothing bad happened either”

I’ve been paying closer attention to the facial expressions of individuals around me since that day. This led me to the conclusion that paying attention to physical and behavioral details is beneficial while adjusting to a new culture. — something that I wrote about in my book Moving Out, Working Abroad, and Keeping Your Sanity.

People in Poland do not smile unless they have a compelling reason to do so. A similar trait I saw in other Slavic nations I visited. To mention a few, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Russia.

I’m not implying that Slavs are always pessimistic or gloomy. A happy young couple chatting during a walk or a father playing with his daughter are likely to chuckle or perhaps giggle. Outside of such occasions, though, their facial expression is serious.

People may misinterpret joyful expressions. Smiling during a formal talk may be interpreted as not taking it seriously. My wife’s grandmother once felt I didn’t believe her story because I had a smile on my face.

In other cases, folks may assume you’re a moron or have a psychiatric condition., as a Russian proverb says:

Smiling for no reason is a sign of stupidity.

Which side is correct? The slavs that need a reason to smile or the Latin-Americans that need a motive to not do so?

Likely both. That is why humor is one of the 4 dimensions of cultural shock.

How Easy Is It to Move to Europe

There are many reasons why people want to move to Europe. The economic situation in their home country may be bad, or they may want to experience a different culture. If you are thinking about moving to Europe, you should take some time to consider the benefits and drawbacks of this move.

The first thing that you must consider is your visa status and what type of visa you need for living in the country where you want to live. This will depend on how long you plan on staying and what type of work you do. You should also make sure that your employer can sponsor your visa so that if something goes wrong with your application, they have already agreed that they will help pay for any costs associated with getting a new visa or returning home if necessary.

Another thing that needs consideration is health care coverage while abroad. Most countries have health care coverage available for visitors, but it may not cover everything that is needed if an emergency arises while living there permanently. If possible, check out what kind of coverage each country offers before making

If you don’t have a job lined up yet, then try looking into work visas or permanent residency permits so that you can legally work in the country where you want to live (I wrote a special article on this subject, called the best countries to start a new life abroad with no money). Once this has been done, then it’s time for the fun part: packing up all your stuff and moving!

Conclusion: 5 Tips for Moving to Europe

1 — Darker tones of skin filter out more of the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays and can cause a lack of Vitamin D during the European winter. A lack of Vitamin D can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, depression, and immune system problems. Take a supplement.

2 — Biking is an excellent model of transportation in Europe due to the mild climate during spring, summer and fall. Large European cities frequently provide bike-rental services.

3 — Avoid showering more than once a day, and take a colder shower. This will also benefit your skin, as frequent and hot showers cause dry skin and hair.

4 — To have a better life in Europe, try to learn the language and use it to understand the ethos. Understanding local jokes and insults can give you a good notion of what is humorous or not in your new neighborhood.

5 — Smiling during a formal talk may be interpreted as not taking it seriously. People may misinterpret joyful expressions as stupidity.

Do you have other tips for moving to Europe? Share with us in the comment section!

If you liked this article, check these selected for you:

The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Europe in 2022

Shock! The Cost of Living in London vs Other European Capitals

If you wish to become a Medium member and have access to articles like this, check this link. It is only $5 per month and will support writers like me.

Digital Nomads

4 Insider Tips on When to Find Cheap Flights

When Is a Good Time to Find Cheap Flights (Proven and Tested)

The airline industry is by far the sector with the most refined mechanisms for pricing and customer segmentation. For this reason, instead of asking yourself how to find cheap flight, you should seek when to find cheap flights, an here I will tell you why.

Companies in this market use advanced statistical tools to determine the willingness to pay from the passengers and which extras (also called ancillaries) have the best return.

Therefore, the fact that on some flights you need to pay for a glass of water and in others you have wine for “free” is probably a result of mathematical models — the precision of these models is open for debate.

Some of the greatest airlines on the planet (including the one that I worked for) sponsor a research consortium in the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). There, they develop the advanced science behind their practices. Everything aimed to help airlines survive in a hyper-competitive market while remaining profitable.

But if you — the passenger — understand their methods, you can pay less for your next flight.

Much less.

Or at least have some nice perks.

4 of these hacks are below, and many others you can find in my book Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads & Expats: The Ultimate Guide.

Before starting, a quick but necessary context from the science behind airline prices, or Revenue Management.

What Does Revenue Management Mean?

Revenue Management (RM) is a set of techniques where historical data are the input on equations to forecast consumer behavior. Based on those forecasts, RM optimizes product availability and price with the ultimate goal of maximizing revenue.

TL;DR: smaller prices when the demand is low, bigger prices when the demand is high (it is not always like that, but this is a good simplification).

Revenue Management is the reason that flight prices change so frequently. How each company applies this science can be the difference between bankruptcy and profitability.

During the last forty years, RM soared in popularity among airlines. It was a matter of time until other industries adopt the same methods. Now you can find revenue management departments in sectors like:

● Hotel and Tourism

● Rail and bus transportation

● Concerts and Festivals

● Theatres, Stadiums and Sport Events

● Restaurants

● Cinemas

When you hear about a festival promoting cheaper early bird prices, or a cinema charging less for Wednesday tickets, this is RM. All those industries use Revenue Management because they have a limited number of seats/rooms/tables to sell, and as a result, they need to market it for the optimal price to avoid empty places. Remember what I said above, that you should not ask how to find cheap flight, but when to find cheap flights?

You will not find a paper company using RM because if they have a period with lower demand for A4 sheets, they will just make less of it, or produce more if the demand is higher.

But why all this context is necessary?

Because RM Will Tell You the Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets

And, as a rule of thumb (there are a few exceptions), RM favors anticipation.

Passengers purchasing their tickets earlier provide the company time to better plan their future moves. For this reason, they offer better prices with considerable anticipation. Airlines are often trying to stimulate early buying.

Not only airlines but any industry that uses revenue management. Here, do a test: search for train or bus tickets with DB (Germany), Amtrak (USA), or FlixBus and find out how prices probably will get more expensive if you look for a ticket for this week instead of 1 month ahead. The same happens with major hotel chains.

You may also find exceptions with touristic packages and hotels in large cities during the low season. In their cases, often prices will be better at the last minute. This provides excellent opportunities for tourists.

With airlines, events, festivals, or football games, it is a safer bet to simply buy earlier.

Besides how many days before the flight/concert/game you are buying your ticket, RM also considers the variable of from where you are buying.

Revenue Management systems will attribute to you a willingness to pay based on your place of origin. Remember: it is not bigotry, it is statistics.

So if you are buying an airline ticket from Los Angeles (USA) to La Paz (Bolivia), there is a chance that the airlines will show different prices for an IP from Bolivia and another for an IP from the USA.

With that in mind comes our first hack.

How to Use a VPN to Get Cheaper Flights

It is common for airlines to offer different prices on the same flight — all depending on where you are from.

There are a few ways for airlines to define your location:

Credit Card
IP
The language that you used to navigate their page.

Years ago, a scandal erupted in Brazil when passengers realized that switching the language of an airline reservation page they could access much better prices.

Nowadays, changing the idiom will rarely work — still, it is worth a try. A better alternative is to research flight tickets as a VPN user.

What is a VPN User?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. . You can become a VPN user by purchasing a subscription from a VPN provider (there are some free providers, but their quality is not at the same level). This is a way to change your IP to another location. If you are booking a flight from Canada to Argentina, and live in Montreal, try comparing the prices while using a VPN that gives you an IP from Argentina. Always use a secure network to avoid information leaks.

Besides the IP, there is one more way for airlines to identify you and offer not-so-good prices: they send cookies that are stored by your browser.

Don’t be fooled by their tender names. Cookies, in this case, serve to sour purpose: companies can use it to check how many times you searched for the same flight. If you seek a destination often, airlines will know you need it. So, they may increase the price the next time you look for it.

But how to avoid cookies? The next hack will do it for you.

Incognito Mode Flights

To avoid cookies and not let the airlines know how badly you to fly to a specific destination during a certain period — a piece of information that they may use to give you more expensive prices — activate the incognito mode of your browser.

In Incognito, no cookies and site data are saved on your device. This will prevent their tracking. Voilà! With Incognito mode, you became invisible to them.

Now you can search for the ticket combination you want, as many times as you wish, without airlines increasing prices just because they know how badly you want to fly to that place in that week.

Why (Not Always) Are One Way Flights More Expensive — And How You Can Benefit from It

Airlines seek to stimulate clients to purchase round-trip tickets (where you travel from A to B and then back from B to A).

They do it to reduce the number of passengers flying from A to B and then take another company to fly back from B to A. Revenue Management managers call that flight imbalance, and it is very undesirable from a financial perspective. Therefore, they stimulate round-trip tickets by presenting lower prices for them in comparison with two one-way tickets.

BUT

This is not valid for most low-cost airlines, because they are not worried with flight imbalance in the same way as national carriers, such as United or British Airways. Low-cost airlines have smaller airplanes that switch between multiple destinations. For this reason, selling one-way tickets is not an issue for them.

It means a fine opportunity to enjoy a flexible itinerary by flying with one-way tickets, hopping from one destination to another. You may even find situations where two one-way tickets with low-cost airlines are cheaper than a round-trip!

Flight imbalances may also give you another benefit. Check this next tip.

How to Book Cheap Flight Tickets by Using Imbalanced Dates

This is a fascinating trick I learned during my time inside airline headquarters.

When a big event (like the Super-Bowl or the Olympics) or a holiday (like Carnival in Venice, Italy) approaches, airlines allocate extra airplanes to those cities, and tourism agencies organize charter flights. They do this because the demand is higher and passengers are willing to pay a higher price.

For anyone willing to travel on big dates, it can be expensive.

BUT

Remember about the flight imbalance? It gives to flexible travelers a significant advantage.

To explain how, first remember that every time an airplane flies, it generates expenses for the airline. Fuel, for example, may represent almost 40% of all company expenses. Therefore, an aircraft should be as full as possible to offset the flying costs — fuel, pilot and cabin crew salaries, landing and takeoff taxes, etc.

Even with expensive prices, it is easy to sell a ticket to Venice during Carnival. It is also easy to sell a flight to the host city of the Olympics. All the extra flights tend to depart full on the way to Venice or to the Olympics.

But an airplane will not stay grounded in the airport during the entire Olympics or carnival, waiting to bring back the same passengers that flew in that direction.

The airplane must return from Venice or from the Olympics to its base, and this return will also have fuel or crew salary expenses. If it departs empty, it will lose a lot of money. This is the problem generated by the Imbalance: a flight with a huge demand in one way, but minimal demand on the way back.

Since one passenger is better than zero, airlines offer promotions and special prices to anyone willing to fly in the opposite direction.

Here is where your opportunity lies. Here is when to find cheap flights.

Example: The Winter Olympics of 2022 starts in Beijing on February 04. Airlines and tourism companies will offer flights to the Chinese city departing from all over the world. You can expect a salty price to go to Beijing before or at the beginning of the games. In the other hand, a flight departing from Beijing on 04 or 05 of February probably will have very low prices, because the number of people willing to fly out of the city during the games is not even near the number of people flying into the city. To not have empty airplanes on the way back, airlines will offer great discounts. If you doubt, I am willing to make a wager.

Bottom line: If your city is hosts a large event or holiday, to travel out from there during this day (and return to your city when everyone is leaving it) may save you a significant sum of money.

Conclusion on When to Find Cheap Flights

Be an Early-Bird with airlines, but look for last-minute packages with travel agencies.
Use a VPN to get cheaper flights
Research ticket prices with your browser on the Incognito mode
Buy Imbalanced flights.

Were you familiar with any of these hacks? I prepared another article with some additional tips to save money at airports — it is worth taking a look if you would like to save some serious cash during your next holiday.

Living in a Stressful City? Consider the 8 Least Stressful Places in The World

The Best City for Digital Nomads and (Some) Expats! Forget Chiang Mai!

If you wish to become a Medium member and have privileged access to articles like this, check this link. It is only $5 per month.

Levi Borba is CEO of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the channel Small Business Hacks, and best-selling author. You can check his books here, his other articles here, or his Linkedin here.

Digital Nomads

Things to Know When Moving Out

Things to Know When Moving Out – How to Avoid Expensive Headaches

Moving house or settling into a new property is an exciting yet stressful time for anybody. It’s a time for your organizational skills to come into play, as you transfer your whole life from one property to another. Here is a list of things to know when moving out. Amongst sorting paperwork, documents and ensuring the transition will go smoothly, one of the most important and yet slightly tedious jobs comes down to packing your belongings.

No matter how many times you move, there are always things you wish you had done differently to make the day as stress-free as possible, and this is where pre-planning comes into motion. Moving can seem less of a chore if things are broken down and organized properly, and as there are multiple ways to prepare for moving house, We Buy Any House has compiled their top tips to help you prepare to move house within a set time frame.

What do 8 weeks before moving out

By this point, the papers for your move have probably come to completion, and the plan to move is officially in motion. The first step among the things to know when moving out is, after sorting your legal documents and any other paperwork, to deal with the logistics of your move, finding out when and how the move will take place- preferably in the least stressful way. During this period, here are a few things to do:

▫ Researching moving companies and getting recommendations from family and friends who have had positive experiences with specific moving companies.

▫ Find out more regarding the legalities of moving. What your rights and responsibilities are with moving.

▫ If you aren’t familiar with the area, research banks, doctors, and schools. You must gather and fill in any paperwork you may need to set up accounts.

7 weeks before moving out

At the 7 weeks mark, you will more than likely still be researching and preparing for your move. But there are still things to know when moving out. You must finalize things for the big day, such as hiring a moving company and finding out all relevant expenses. In this time, get an estimate from a removals company. If necessary, ask them to come and do an inventory so they can see exactly what they are moving. Additionally, it’s a good time to file important paperwork that you may need at hand, alongside making lists of people you will need to contact and inform about your move.

6 weeks before moving out

This is where things to know when moving out get into motion. Although you may not be ready to box up your life entirely, it’s a good idea to start getting organized. Here are a few ways to start:

▫ Start by decluttering your home- and your wardrobes are the easiest place to start. Assess which clothes you want to keep, and then, with the rest, put them in a box to either be donated or taken to the bin. Once the wardrobes are done, then start with items in the room. Keep going systematically around your house until all rooms are decluttered.

▫ It’s important to get rid of what you aren’t keeping. Make sure that they’re not just left in a box somewhere around your house. Make time to take them to the charity shop or tip.

▫ Start packing items that aren’t frequently used, such as seasonal items or things that are stored in the loft, garage or shed.

▫ If you have children, now is a perfect time to complete the final paperwork for school transitions.

5 weeks before moving out

Once you have decluttered your house, it’s now time to prepare how you are going to pack and box up your home. Additionally, it’s also a good time to inform neighbors and loved ones of your move, so that they have time to prepare and perhaps free up space to give you a hand with the move. Some other things to consider are:

▫ Refrain from doing big food shops. Start using up food that’s left in the storeroom or fridge. The same rule applies if you have your shopping delivered- try not to bulk buy.

▫ For your loved ones who you wish to keep in contact with, send out your new address so they don’t think you have disappeared.

▫ Purchase moving supplies. This includes boxes, packing materials, labels, tape, and box cutters. Try to vary the types of boxes you have, as some things such as cutlery or ornaments may require more sturdy boxing.

▫ Get a labeling system and packing schedule in place.

4 weeks before moving out

It’s officially the month you’re moving, and before you invest all your time in packing, there are a few other things that need to be sorted.

▫ Confirm major details such as removals company and insurance. You want to be crystal clear about the plan of action.

▫ Fill out an official change of address at the post office.

▫ Get the time off work for the day of the move. If you have children or pets, it’s also a good idea to get sitters for the day as you won’t want the process to be extra stressful.

▫ Consult any businesses or services and ensure that they have changed your address to all relevant accounts.

3 weeks before moving out

At three weeks, this is a great time to sort out the smaller but important issues. Firstly, cancel any home deliveries that you currently have, or forward them to your new address. This includes things such as newspapers or milk services. Secondly, gathering important items in the house such as family heirlooms, and keeping them separate from the rest of the moving boxes. Take pictures of precious items, and then you will be able to notice any scratches or damage done.

2 weeks before moving out

It’s almost crunch time, and now is the time to get the last things in order. You want to prepare as if you’re going on an extended holiday. So here are a few tips:

▫ Pack little and often so that everything isn’t left until the last minute.

▫ Confirm important information such as that you’ve registered your new address and things such as insurance are complete.

▫ If you’re taking appliances with you, such as freezers and microwaves, make sure they’re cleaned and ready to go. For things such as freezers, remember that they need to be disconnected and defrosted.

1 Week before moving out

The moving day is so close, and it may appear everything is set in place. However, there are a few minor tasks you shouldn’t forget about, such as:

▫ Turn off all utilities the day before you move out.

▫ Back up all technological devices in case they get damaged or important files get lost because of turning the system off.

▫ Go over what you’ve packed, ensure everything is labeled and securely packaged.

▫ Dispose of anything that isn’t fit for transport, such as aerosols, chemicals, or flammable items.

▫ Make sure you and your family members have packed a suitcase that comprises everyday comfy clothes and toiletries to wear and use while you’re in a transitional phase.

▫ Deep clean the house and ensure it’s left in a spotless state.

Other tips and things to know when moving out

In the case you plan (or already decided) to move out, there are a few other articles I wrote to help you.

If you are in the planning stage of your relocation, check my article about how to successfully move abroad.

There is also an article with simple calculations to help you decide between renting or buying a house and another with 3 rules to follow before purchasing a house or a car.

I also wrote a guide to help anyone willing to move abroad for retirement (even though retirement for younger generations may be an illusion), one about moving abroad to invest in emerging countries, or as a student (and how to survive on a tight budget).

And, at last, here are two useful lists to decide about your relocation: one of the most stressful cities on the planet, and the other of the most laidback cities.

In your opinion, what are other things to know when moving out? Let us know in the comments.

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