Living and working in another country is a dream for many people. HSBC Bank International commissioned an independent survey which asked expats living all over the world to share their personal experiences. Expat Existence, the first report in the Expat Explorer series, reveals which countries received the highest scores for accommodation, luxury, the ability to earn and save, and how long people remained in their new homes.

Earn and Save
• Hong Kong-based expats have the highest salaries with almost half (49%) earning more than £100,000 per year.
• Despite the current economic climate, most expats spend more whilst still being able to save. Top countries for saving included India, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

Accommodation
• 74% of expats living in Singapore said their quality of accommodation had improved since moving away from home. This increase in quality was also experienced by expats living in the United States (61%) and Belgium (59%).
• The UK was identified as the most expensive expat location for accommodation with more than 85% of expats revealing that their living costs had increased.
• India was the cheapest country to live in, with only 21% claiming their costs had increased.

Longevity
• Europe is a popular destination overall for its longevity - 82% of expats now living in the Netherlands have been there for three or more years, followed by Germany (77%) and Spain (76%).
• Ireland and New Zealand have the greatest percentage of global travellers with more than three quarters (80%) of respondents originally from both countries stating that they had been away from home for longer than three years.

Luxury
• The report also investigates whether expats lifestyles are more luxurious than in their home country. Expats scored changes in luxuries such as private healthcare, pool ownership, employing staff etc.
• The UAE was the most luxurious destination, followed by Singapore and India.

The second part of the Expat Explorer series, Offshore Offspring, focuses on the family and will reveal what it's like for parents to raise their children internationally. To find out more about the survey and the financial solutions when living and working abroad, go to:

www.offshore.hsbc.com/expatsurvey