Quote Originally Posted by Koronin View Post
emily, that sounds wonderful. Should I even ask how expensive it is to live there?
Sure, Koronin -- I wrote a blog post about that very thing: http://bebelize.weebly.com/1/category/budget/1.html

Costs are really all over the map and should only be one of several major considerations if you even have an inkling about moving to a foreign country, though.

The advice I give everyone now: visit before you move, rent before you buy property, and make sure the place you are considering is really a good fit for you long-term.

As I've mentioned on several other threads, we are planning to move back to the US next year. It's been a fun and interesting time here, and we have no regrets about giving it a try, but long-term, it's just not the place for us. Yes, it's warm year-round and beautiful, but there are drawbacks as well. Some are general things that would bother anyone (for example, crime), some are specific to us (for example, can't do road cycling!). Sometimes you don't even realize the things you'll miss and things you take for granted until you no longer have them.

Sorry for the thread hijack -- feel free to PM me if you have further questions!