Working or studying in a foreign country is an opportunity that many would rush at the chance to do. But moving abroad comes with its own set of challenges, none of which ever seem to go as planned. One of the first things you are faced with when you decide to live abroad is where to stay. It’s important to find a place to live that suits your specific needs, offers some convenience, and perhaps moost importantly, feels like a home. But anyone can find great places to live while they work or study abroad just keeping a few simple rules in mind.
- Location is Everything
Whether you are moving abroad to work or to study, it makes sense that you live in a convenient area and close to where you will be spending most of your time. Doing a little bit of research about the place you are going can help you find an area that may suit you.
Things to think about when you are chosing an area to live in are:
- Proximity to Work/School
- Proximity to Public Transportation
- Restuarants, Shops, Markets in the area
- School Zones, Entertainment districts
If you have some time after you arrive to chose a place it would probably be a good idea to speak with some locals about where to live. If not, doing the most amount of research that you can before you travel is a great way to get a head start.
- Stick to a Budget
Working within a budget is going to be very important when settling abroad. The last thing you want to do is spend to much money on an apartment and not have enough money for food. If the area in which you like to live is our of your budget a smart idea is to look for neighbourhoods close by that are easy to get to by subway, bus, or other forms of transportation. You can easily save a little money by living a few neighbourhoods away which in reality is only a 10 minute longer commute.
- Shop Smart!
It’s incredibly important to shop for your specific needs and not have any extra cost.
Whether you are moving to Paris to work in retail or moving to Bangkok to study international marketing (known as เรียนต่อ ป ตรี อินเตอร์การตลาด in Thai), it’s good to plan on how long you’ll be staying and what your apartment will need. If you are only planning on staying a semester, chosing an apartment that is already furnished is a wise decision. A good rule to follow is if you don’t need it at home, it’s likely that you don’t need it when you are living abroad!
