Time to Relocate? What to Look Out for Before Deciding the Perfect Place + Best Cities to Raise a Family Around the World & Top 5 Affordable Cities to Raise a Family in India (2019)

• Population: Ten million inhabitants.


• Cities to consider in Portugal: Lisbon and Porto.


• Climate of Portugal: It has one of the warmest and sunniest climates in the continent. Portugal has an attractive climate that has led many expatriates to remain there.


• Languages in Portugal: English, French and Portuguese (Note of warning: Abstain from using Spanish when living in Portugal). It will be wise to begin learning phrases in Portuguese before you finally relocate.


• Healthcare in Portugal: Portugal has a high-quality health infrastructure, with the best institutions found in larger municipalities.


• Transportation in Portugal: Transportation is easy and affordable. The buses, trains and metro system link up major destinations making it easy to move around. For foreigners who have chosen to live in Portugal permanently or at least beyond the period for which your license is valid, it is advised that it be exchanged for a Portuguese license.


• Education in Portugal: Education is free and compulsory until the age of 18. If you are still trying to decide where to raise your family, Portugal is an excellent place to consider.


• Cost of living in Portugal: The cost of living in Portugal is quite affordable, from transport, electricity, food, accommodation to groceries. The prices of purchasing items are usually on the low side. The most substantial thing that would be on your budget will be the money to be spent on accommodation. The climate is mild and less is spent on utility.

With all these, you can be sure Portugal is worth a try.

• Population: 48.5 million people.


• Cities to consider in Columbia: Medellin (The city of eternal spring), Bogota and Cartagena


• Climate of Columbia: Columbia is located close to the equator, so the temperature varies for the best part of the year. The weather in Columbia is hot but tropical in the northern and coastal areas of the country.


• Languages in Columbia: They speak Colombian Spanish. It will be helpful if you learn or brush up your Spanish skills before moving to Columbia.


• Health Care in Columbia: Colombia’s private healthcare institutions generally adhere to adequate quality standards and over 95 per cent of the population has healthcare coverage. Although the healthcare in Columbia is okay, many expats choose to opt for private healthcare.


• Transportation in Columbia: The best way to move around is via the city buses, the metro system, a taxi and Uber which are all at little cost. Transportation in Columbia is reasonably priced.


• Education in Columbia: The literacy rate is about 90% in Columbia, and basic education is free and mandatory until middle age (Age 15).


• Cost of living in Columbia: In Columbia, you will have access to cheap clothing, groceries and luxury amenities. The cost of living is not as overwhelming as other countries of the world. In Columbia, the primary needs you have to consider are, accommodation, food and healthcare and still have much left to eat out with your family. You also have access to the social amenities in the big cities; the malls, lovely restaurants, beautiful office structures and fast internet and this more fun because you have all these amenities but with less of the big city challenges; the crowd, traffic and theft.

Did we mention that food is made fresh in Columbia? Plus they have great cheap and delicious fruits, and work is not so stressful which gives you more time to help the community through social groups. Columbia is a healthy option to be considered.

• Population: 259 million.


• Places to consider in Indonesia: Java, Jakarta and the second largest city, Surabaya


• Climate of Indonesia: Indonesia has a warm tropical climate during the day and throughout the year. The country experiences two seasons, dry and wet seasons.


• Languages in Indonesia: Javanese, Bahasa Indonesian, English and Dutch.


• Health Care in Indonesia: Although expats in the country make use of private healthcare, public healthcare in Indonesia can also be considered as a good option.


• Transportation in Indonesia: There are no subways or streetcar systems in Indonesia. The only forms of public transportation are trains, buses, and taxis.


• Education in Indonesia: In Indonesia, all citizens must undertake twelve years of compulsory education which consists of six years at the elementary level. For expats, international schools are available.


• Cost of living in Indonesia: Local food, clothing and personal care products are cheap and transportation is affordable. The major thing that will be on the high side is the accommodation rate.

• Population: 9 million people


• Places to consider in Mexico: Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Tulum and Guanajuato.


• Climate of Mexico: It varies with the altitude of the various places in Mexico. In the North, you experience lower temperatures while the low coastal areas are usually hot and humid.


• Languages in Mexico: English is widely spoken in professional circles and Spanish.


• Healthcare in Mexico: Mexico’s capital and largest city is home to some of the finest medical institutions in the country, both in the private and public sector. Your health is in very capable hands here.


• Transportation in Mexico: Mexico City has an extensive public transportation network. The peseros, Mexico City’s cabs or minibuses, are easily the cheapest and most popular way of getting around town.


• Education in Mexico: Education is compulsory for children aged six to twelve years of age.


• Cost of living in Mexico: Mexico is affordable, it has been discovered that even the modest of all salaries will sufficiently cover most of your day to day needs.

• Population: 94 million people.


• Cities to consider in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City Hanoi.


• Climate of Vietnam: Vietnam is monsoonal in north and has a tropical climate in the south.


• Languages in Vietnam: Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, and Khmer.


• Healthcare in Vietnam: The health situation is getting better, as an expatriate, it is best to take out private health insurance to cover the healthcare costs of your family.


• Transportation in Vietnam: You will find so many options for transportation; taxi, bus, trains, motorbike, cyclos and Uber also. Without a Vietnamese driver's license expats are not allowed to rent or drive a car in Vietnam. Although foreigners can get the International Driving Permit to drive or rent a car.


• Education in Vietnam: Children enjoy twelve years of basic education on a half-day basis before they transit to a higher form of education or begin work.


• Cost of living in Vietnam: The cost of living is low, and this allows expatriates to enjoy living comfortably in Vietnam. In this Asian city, you can have access to your day to day needs at a fair price; from groceries, transportation, schools and even eating out, you can eat good food out at local bars at a very low price. Three different currencies are used in Vietnam; Gold is used to buy land and housing, for luxury items, the US Dollar is used and for day-to-day items, Vietnam Dong is used.

Living in Vietnam will offer you a true taste of life in the East. It is a great place to consider, more so because there is a steady improvement in Vietnam’s infrastructure.

• Population: 19 million people.


• Places to consider in New Delhi: Nizamuddin East, Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, Green Park and Jor Bagh.


• Climate of New Delhi: The city has a subtropical climate, with mild and sunny weather. The weather is scorching within March and June and rainy during the mid-months with winter onsetting from October last till around February first week.


• Languages in New Delhi: Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English which is considered the business language.


• Healthcare in New Delhi: Delhi is considered one of the best when it comes to medical personnel and institutions. People from all over the world find their way down to New Delhi for medical treatment due to the low costs and top doctors.


• Transportation in New Delhi: Delhi has an excellent transportation system, in fact, one of the largest transportation systems in the Country of India. The fastest way to get around Delhi is via the Metro. Although buses are affordable, they are a less comfortable option. Another option to consider is a cab which offers much more comfort. You can find auto-rickshaws, Ola and Uber to make your trip around the city easier. Getting accommodations in South Delhi is highly advised for expats due to the good and affordable houses in South Delhi and its proximity to transport connections and business centres.


• Education in New Delhi: Some of the best schools in India can be found in New Delhi. The private schools have been known to produce amazing talents. It has been observed that most expats prefer to take their wards to International Schools in New Delhi and that is because they maintain the language and curriculum of your home country or previous location.


• Cost of living in New Delhi: According to an Economist Intelligence Unit survey, New Delhi is one of the cheapest cities in the world. The cost of basic utilities like electricity, gas, water, and garbage-disposal are quite affordable in New Delhi.

By the way, Delhi is a great place to explore the diversity of true Indian cuisine.

• Population: Over 20 million people.


• Places to consider in Mumbai: Malabar Hill, Bandra.


• Climate of Mumbai: Mumbai is influenced by its proximity to the Arabian Sea. The overall climate of the city is moderately hot with high humidity.


• Languages in Mumbai: Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and English.


• Healthcare in Mumbai: Mumbai has India’s best public-health infrastructures. These healthcare facilities are affordable well spread across the city.


• Transportation in Mumbai: The public transportation in Mumbai is one of the best, and these include trains, buses, taxis and auto rickshaws.


• Education in Mumbai: The city is second to none when it comes to education and culture. The international schools in the city are highly recommended as you can choose from schools which follow the teaching curriculum and language of your country or previous location.


• Cost of living in Mumbai: The city has good basic facilities, such as clean water, infrastructure, transportation, education institutes and business opportunities. The cost of living in the city is dependent on where you live.

• Population: Pune has an estimated population of 3.99 million.


• Areas to consider in Pune: Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar, Wagholi and Hadapsar.


• Climate of Pune: Pune has a very pleasant climate all year round. Pune is influenced by the local steppe climate. The daytime is high in summers and cool at evenings and nights. In Pune, there is little rainfall throughout the year.


• Languages in Pune: Marathi, English, Hindi and Gujarati.


• Healthcare in Pune: Pune has a reputation for quality and affordable medical aid. The health facilities are prompt in response and have quality emergency services.


• Transportation in Pune: The public transport facilities are better than other cities in Pune. In Pune, you will find Public buses, rail, suburban railway and Pune metro.


• Education in Pune: Pune was called the Oxford of the east by the late Prime Minister Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru. Pune has various renowned educational institutions and some of these institutions are listed amongst the best of India.


• Cost of living in Pune: Cost of living is lower than what you would expect in the bigger metropolises in India.

• Population: Bangalore has a population of over ten million people.


• Areas to consider in Bangalore: Marathahalli, BTM Layout, Banashankari, Domlur and Jayanagar.


• Climate of Bangalore: The climate is tropical and the summers are much rainier than the winters in Bangalore.


• Languages in Bangalore: Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam


• Healthcare in Bangalore: The city is recognized as a medical tourism destination because many of its medical institutions offer specialized care for various ailments.The unique thing that happens in the health sector is that the private sector offers expats quality treatment relatively low costs.


• Transportation in Bangalore: The main mode of local transport in Bangalore comprises of auto rickshaws, taxis and buses.


• Education in Bangalore: Bangalore has a significant number of International schools due to expats and IT crowd. There are more than 3,000 schools and 13,000 colleges in Bangalore with a literacy rate is over 89%.


• Cost of living in Bangalore: The city is quite affordable and is considered 20% lesser expensive than living in Mumbai.

• Population: Over 9 million people.


• Places to consider in Chennai: Teynampet, Adyar and Tambaram.


• Climate of Chennai: Chennai has tropical climate and some occasional rainfall.


• Languages in Chennai: Most of the population consider Tamil to be their official language, with Telugu in a distant second place. If you are an English speaker, though, living in Chennai should not be a problem. This is another lingua franca in the city, especially among white-collar workers, and most people can speak at least a few words.


• Healthcare in Chennai: Chennai has been termed India's health capital and has seen the inflow of people from across the world and this is majorly because of the low costs, little to no waiting period and functional equipment.


• Transportation in Chennai: It has the best local transport services. The means of transportation are buses, rickshaws, taxi cabs, mini private buses and suburban railway network.


• Education in Chennai: Private and international schools are considered the best for expats. Two of the main international schools the American International School and the British International School.


• Cost of living in Chennai: Chennai is ranked as one of the most preferable cities to live in as it provides the people with all the required amenities at an affordable price. The costs of living in Chennai are significantly lower compared to other cities and the Nations around the world.

Chennai is a perfect place for families who love serene and beautiful places with beaches to visit during the weekends.