How to NOT have an X-Trailing Spouse

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Xpatulator

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I was that woman, I could have been a man in this situation, but I was that woman. You know the one, the Trailing Spouse as we are commonly known.  The one that gets to say “Yes” to moving abroad with their partner, the one who leaves their job, moves the family, deals with the chaos and arrives in a foreign country to settle the brood into a new way of life.

After doing as much research as I possibly could, we still arrived in a country that was completely foreign. The airport was bustling with an array of people from all over the world – India, Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, America, the UK, Philippines, just everywhere and then there was us.   Continue reading →

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Cost of Living Differences Around the World — Just How Big Are They?

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Xpatulator

World cost of livingWhat makes one city more expensive than another?  Why is Switzerland so expensive? Why is Tokyo no longer the most expensive place in the world?

Switzerland is fragmented into different cultures and different languages in different geographical areas. In comparison to most countries, people do not like to move and will remain in the same area all their life. Continue reading →

Posted in 2013 International cost of living, cost of living calculator, cost of living comparison, cost of living ranking, cost of living rankings, Expatriate Pay, Expatriate Salary, Geneva, Switzerland, Tokyo, Zurich | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The What? The Balassa–Samuelson Effect.

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Xpatulator

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The Balassa–Samuelson effect is the theory behind the Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator (SPPP). The goal of this calculator is to determine how much salary, in a host location, will give an employee the same purchasing power as they currently have in their home location. Take for instance two British Teacher’s with the same education and experience based in London. One is assigned to Zurich (with the highest global cost of living) and the other to Bhutan (with the lowest global cost of living). Based on the cost of living (local prices for the same goods and services) the SPPP Calculator will determine a far higher salary for the teacher assigned to Zurich, not because of productivity or performance which we assume would be the same, but to equalize their salary purchasing power. Continue reading →

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Property Tax for Singapore

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Xpatulator

Will this make it more expensive to live in Singapore as an expat or will companies cover this cost?

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Expat Countries — Expensive or Cheap?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Xpatulator

LinkedIn-Company-bannerYesterday I posted an article on the most expensive cities to live in as an expat, why are these the most expensive cities and which expat cities are cheaper to reside in? Cost of living rankings are released by many different companies on a yearly basis to highlight which locations are the most and least expensive to live in the world. Xpatulator.com releases these rankings once every quarter, keeping up to date with the latest political and economic trends that influence these rankings, as well as the exchange rates that are affected due to these influences. Continue reading →

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Do You Live In The Most Expensive City In The World?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Xpatulator

Xpatulator.com logo-03Xpatulator.com releases the Cost of Living Rankings every quarter, these rankings measure the comparative cost of living in  780 locations, covering every country worldwide.  Local prices are used to  compare  defined quantities of the same goods and services, these are then converted to a single currency. Sources include local service providers in each location, international service providers, official governmental statistics and global agency data. The data is quality assured and manually checked by Xpatulator Analysts. The prices of similar related items have been grouped together into 13 basket groups and the cost of living index calculated for each basket in each location. The 13 basket groups are the result of extensive research of actual spending habits ensuring the cost of living indexes reflect a reality-based international expenditure pattern. Continue reading →

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Top Ten Repatriation Tips: Arriving on Home Soil

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Xpatulator

ImageThe date is set, your tickets are booked and there is excitement in the air with the prospect of being back on home soil. What now? Have you planned what you need to do when you land? This is why your next check list needs to be created, even though you have settled all the issues you may have run into in your host country, arriving back at home is certainly not an easy process. These Top Ten tips should help you along your path home. Continue reading →

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Top Ten Repatriation Tips: Leaving Your Host Country

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Xpatulator

IMG_3154I certainly was not expecting to be selling furniture and packing our rented house up at the end of last year. I did not foresee us leaving our expat abode for a good couple of years to come.

It happened on a quiet evening while sitting at our compound pool watching the kids swim. Steve turned to me and with a quizzical look asked how I would feel about going back home? It was not the question I was expecting him to ask, but without hesitation and with a broad smile I asked: “When?” We chatted about his resigning a few more times, when would be appropriate and questioned the kids about how they felt about our expat home, their schools and friends and then subtly found out how they would feel about going home. They did not hesitate, with a resounding YES all round we started making arrangements. Continue reading →

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Being An Expat, Your Salary, Your Cost of Living

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Xpatulator

world mapIn many social or work situations, I often get asked the question: “So what exactly do you do?” or “What is the business about?”

My usual response is to explain that I am a part owner in a Cost of Living web business, and in most cases I get blank stares with the follow on question, “What is that about?”

Pretty simple actually. Try answer this question: “How much do you need to earn to have a similar or better standard of living in another country?” Answer that with accuracy and you will understand the complexity that goes into figuring out what exactly you need to earn.

So why is it important to ensure that you know what your salary and benefits should be before you decide to move? What exactly is the Cost of Living, COLI, COLA and SPPP? Continue reading →

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How Does Your Salary Compare?

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Xpatulator

Most of us spend much of our time working for a salary. The average person will spend close to 40 years earning a salary of some sort. Do we spend enough time and effort making sure what we get paid is adequate?

People who are in organized labour such as unions, are often made aware of the impact of inflation on their purchasing power, and the value of their benefits, over time. Continue reading →

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