From recent graduates to wealthy professionals, many Brits are considering moving abroad these days.
And the driving force for many is clear: money.
More than half of British workers (52%) have considered leaving the UK for better job opportunities abroad, according to UK HR website Employer News.
Others are looking for affordable housing and lower taxes, it said, citing research by London-based financial services firm Prograd.
But thinking about moving abroad, and actually doing it, are very different things, especially for parents, who need to consider whether the grass is greener abroad — with the whole family in mind.
According to expat insurer Williams Russell, European Union countries are the best bet for Britons looking to leave the UK – with Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Finland topping the list .
But the United States — often referred to as Britain’s “cousin” — comes last in the ranking of 28 countries, dragged down by high childcare costs and long working hours.
At an average of $2,793 a month for a three-bedroom apartment, rent in the United States is higher than every country on the list but Switzerland ($3,281) and Ireland ($2,830), according to Williams Russell.
The company relied on user-generated data website Numbeo to determine rental averages across the country, estimating that Britons would pay around 34% more rent to live in the US than in their home country.
The US is also taking a hit for being the only country on the list without federally mandated maternity and paternity leave.
However, 13 states and the District of Columbia have 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 Center for Bipartisan Policy.
Employees may also want to check their employment benefits. In 2023, nearly 40% of management and professional occupations were eligible for paid family leave, according to the US Department of Labor.
UK vs US universities
British families with older children may be affected by the number of top universities in the US At 97, the United States has more than Germany (34), Italy (19), Australia (17) and Canada (16) combined .
However, American universities usually cost more than those in the UK, according to education company Kings Education.
Tuition fees for British citizens are capped at 9,250 British pounds ($15,950) per year. In comparison, the cost of attending university in the US varies greatly by school. Private universities are often more expensive than public universities, and out-of-state students pay more than in-state students, as a general rule.
For Brits looking for a figure to attend college in America, “international students can expect to pay up to $45,000 a year to study a degree at a public university and up to $55,000 a year at some private institutions.” at Kings Education.
The cost of American universities has skyrocketed in recent decades — a trend that has been slowed by the pandemic.
Eight schools, including New York University, Tufts, Brown, and Yale, approach the $100.00 per year mark for tuition and living expenses. However, families often find ways to pay much less.
