Best Countries to Live as a Developer

A lot of people dream about getting a remote job as a programmer, and relocating to a different country.

But relocation can turn into HUGE financial losses and stress.

Throughout the last 5 years, I relocated 2 times and visited around 18 countries across the globe.

I want to share what I've learned and share a free "Relocation Checklist" that will help you to relocate smoothly and choose the best country for you.

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Benefits of Relocation

Motivation

Every visit to a new country is insanely motivational.

You want to work hard, you want to achieve things and conquer the world.

Moreover, if you were surrounded by toxic people, or just lived in a sh*t place, relocation can truly help to change your life.

A new environment will force you to improve and grow.

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More Money

There are 3 reasons why you can start making more money in a new country:

• You'll be motivated to work harder.
• You'll have more opportunities. A new country can have better salaries or will help you to find new connections that will result in better offers.
• Better taxes 🥸 🤑. If you work as a freelancer in Germany, that freaking s*cks. Paying 50-60% of your income as taxes is insane. But there are a lot of countries in the world, where you can pay as little as 5%-20% of income taxes, on top of the lower living expenses.

I experienced all of those 3 things.

• My visit to Dubai insanely motivated me to work hard, as luxury places, skyscrapers, and reach people around you force you to go forward.
• When I moved to Warsaw I was able to get an offer for a CTO position in a startup, that helped me to double my salary.
• Overall taxes for developers in Poland are quite good.

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Better life

Sitting on the beach, drinking fresh Mango Smoothies, eating the tastiest food in the world, and going to massage saloons every single day.

It's not a dream, it's actually achievable if you are a developer who works remotely.

Yes, you are getting used to life like that and it gets boring with time, BUT you can at least give it a try.

Moreover, it isn't that expensive.

You gonna ask me, how is it possible, and my answer will be pretty simple:

GO TO ASIA!

There you can rent beautiful apartments for as little as $30 per day or even less.

You can have insanely tasty breakfasts and dinners for $5-$15.

You can visit massages for $8-$15.

You can drink super tasty mango smoothies for $0.25-$0.5

So even if you are an average developer, you'll be able to afford a pretty chill life in Asia.

I'm a big fan of Asia and I go there for 2 years in a row, and I will continue!

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Of course, Asia has its cons, so you need to just give it a try to see if you have a vibe fit with it!

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Problems of Relocation

Everything above sounds very good, but relocation can have its difficulties, that I want to mention:

• You will mostly like gonna have a period of huge nostalgia when you'll be missing your home a lot 😢.
• You will spend some money on documents, long-term rent, and to buy everyday things.
• In some countries, you won't feel welcome. And no matter how long you'll be living there, you'll always be a foreigner.
• You might have a language barrier.
• As an immigrant, you'll have fewer rights than citizens.
• If you expect that a new country will solve your internal problems you are wrong. If you have some sh*t inside of you, it will follow you no matter where you gonna go.

Besides those things, there are hundreds of other tricky things you can experience during relocation.

But it doesn't have to be bad.

A lot of people relocate smoothly and easily and it makes their life better.

But as I always say:

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

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Relocation Checklist

Alright, as promised here is a checklist of things that you need to check, before relocating as a developer.

1. Research Visa/Residence permits and what you need for it.
2. How easy is it to open a solopreneurship business / register as a freelancer? And what taxes will you have to pay? (most developers operate as solopreneurship).
3. Check long-term rent prices and overall living expenses.
4. Watch at least 10 YouTube Interviews with people who also relocated there.
5. Check if this country has a community of people who speak your native language (it can be a Facebook Group, WhatsApp/Telegram Chat, or Forum). Join this community and they will be super happy to answer all of your questions and help you to avoid common mistakes.
6. Live in this country/city for 3-6 months BEFORE deciding to fully relocate. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Visiting a country as a tourist and living in the country are 2 completely different things. It's a very common pitfall to compare your experience as a tourist and think that living full-time there feels the same.

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Conclusion

Personally, I haven't yet decided where I want to live for my whole life.

For now, the closest thing that feels like home for me is Europe.

But I enjoy Asian culture, so the perfect yearly life for me will be 6 months in Asia, and 6 months in Europe 😅.

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There is no perfect place on earth.

Every country has its cons and pros, so you have to decide what factors are the most important for you.

And I might sound too boring or trivial if I'm gonna say it, but it's true:

The best place on earth is where you have people whom you love and trust.

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