From recent graduates to wealthy professionals, many Britons are now considering moving abroad.
And the driving force behind many is clear: money.
According to UK recruitment website Employer News, more than half of British workers (52%) have considered leaving the UK to seek better job opportunities abroad.
Others are looking for affordable housing and lower taxes, the paper cited research from London-based financial services firm Prograd.
But considering moving abroad and actually doing it are two very different things, especially for parents who have to weigh up whether it’s always greener abroad — when it comes to the whole family.
Countries within the European Union are the best options for Britons looking to leave the UK — with Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Finland topping the list, according to expat insurance firm Williams Russell.
But the US – often referred to as Britain’s “cousin” – came last in a ranking of 28 countries, dragged down by high childcare costs and long working hours.
According to Williams Russell, the average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the United States is $2,793 a month, higher than every country on the list except Switzerland ($3,281) and Ireland ($2,830).
The company relied on user-generated data website Numbeo to determine average national rents, estimating that Britons would have to pay around 34% more in rent to live in the US than in their home country.
The United States also suffers because it is the only country on the list that does not have federally mandated paid maternity and paternity leave.
However, 13 states and the District of Columbia have enacted paid family leave laws, including New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington state, according to the nonprofit Bipartisan Policy Center.
Workers may also want to check their employment benefits. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2023, nearly 40% of managerial and professional occupations will have access to paid family leave.
UK vs US Universities
British families with older children may be swayed by the number of top universities in the US. With 97, the US has more than Germany (34), Italy (19), Australia (17) and Canada (16) combined.
However, American universities often have higher tuition fees. compared to the UK, according to education company Kings Education.
Tuition fees for British citizens are capped at £9,250 ($15,950) a year. In comparison, the cost of attending college in the United States varies widely by institution. Private universities are generally more expensive than public ones, and out-of-state students pay more than in-state students, as a general rule.
For Brits looking for an estimate of how much it will cost to attend university in the US, “International students can expect to pay up to $45,000 a year to study for a bachelor’s degree at a public university and up to $55,000 a year or more at some private schools,” according to Kings Education.
The cost of college in the United States has skyrocketed over the past few decades — a trend that has slowed down since the pandemic.
Eight schools, including New York University, Tufts, Brown and Yale, are approaching the $100,000-a-year mark for tuition and living expenses; however, Families often look to pay much less..
