Ask HN: Good countries for American expats

I lived in Peru/Bolivia in 1968-69, taught high school physics in Spanish. One of the most enriching experiences of my life.

An example would be someone sent to HK, Tokyo, Singapore, maybe Shanghai. I have less experience with Shanghai but just looking at the services available it looks like there's an "expat" crowd. Simply search for "apartments in ____" If you find several websites advertising expensive apartments for expats then that city is probably a place with lots of them.

Me, I've never been an "expat" by the definition above.

In any case, if you can get a company in your local country to send you you'll often not have much trouble. They'll take care of the visas and immigration issues. You won't be expected to speak the language. You'll likely get paid more than you would if you went on your own which can be a big deal.

You might also consider a country that speaks the same language. Their cultures are still different. England has a very different culture than the USA. So does Singapore. I'm going to guess so do Australia and New Zealand. Might not be as different as China or India but still different.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great place to visit but the crime rate is ridiculous and that has many knock-on effects - for example, you have to drive nearly everywhere as people are afraid to walk places after dark. You often have to live in walled off houses/compounds with a lot of security. Drink driving is very prevalent there and vehicle accidents happen all the time because of the electricity going out/how people use intersections. There is a lot of fear amongst people but much if it is justifiable, as everyone seems to have a horror violent crime story. Eventually, the limitations caused by perceptions and realities of crime make the actual world where you live quite small (certain areas, towns, streets, etc) and we found it quite stifling (for people from Ireland). Occasionally there are hints of the old racism (often black vs black these days). Also, the culture of everyone having a maid and how the poor are treated becomes very uncomfortable (felt a bit like 12 years a slave sometimes) if your not used to it. Bureaucracy is a bit of a nightmare. Also the medium term prospects of the country because of the corruption now in the ANC don't look great TBH.

Still, it's well worth a visit, especially to the national parks, Cape Town, etc. If you get a chance go to Zimbabwe - weirdly that's actually a country I would choose to live in over South Africa, as criminal (not political) crime is a lot lower and you feel much more free.

Living on a "premium" district in Lima (Miraflores, San Isidro) can cost you as much (or more depending on your expectations) as living in the US (Dallas TX for example) but you get similar services, amenities, security etc, as you would there too.

Living on more peripherial area of Lima or out on a further away province can be dramatically cheaper.

I know of expats that earn/spend $10k+ a month in Lima, live on a 300m2 luxury apartment , their kids go to top private schools and drive a luxury vehicle.

I also know expats that live in provinces fairly well for one tenth of that.

Peru at the moment is in a good moment of it history, it is fairly safe, and there are plenty of things to do/learn fairly inexpensively. All in all I consider it a great place and experience for the whole family.

I work remotely (IT), so no issues with work or work permits .

What has your experience been?

More bureaucracy, more organizational hierarchy, but also a nice environments (close to the woods, mountains, etc.). People are a bit nicer/warmer here, but Dutchmen are more honest/to the point.

What is your particular career?

Academia.

How much is your rent or did you buy?

We rent. Southern German university city. Approximately 900 Euro, 1100 Euro including garage and water.

Where did you move to/from?

Groningen, The Netherlands, though I commuted to Amsterdam for a while.

How are the schools?

Our kid only goes to kindergarten now. They are great. Less commercial than NL, much cheaper, nice personnel. I don't know about schools, but many German Bundesländer have free university education.

Have you become fluent in the native language and was the language barrier difficult to overcome?

I had German in high school, so I can understand the language without too much trouble. I can speak at a basic level. The percentage people knowing English as a second language is far lower than The Netherlands or Scandinavian countries. But since we live in a university city, it's not too bad.

How long have you lived in this country?

1 year, and a couple of months when I was a child.

Are you a permanent resident or do you plan on moving back to the Netherlands?

Not sure, so far I am leaning towards staying permanently.

What's the cost of living compared to where you moved from?

Pretty much the same, though the wages seem to be better in academia.

Has your quality of life improved or not? How and why?

Yes, there are more opportunities, since it's larger country with more cities. Also, it's easier to relax more here, given that nature is nearby.