Luxembourg: a great country for expats
87% of expats in Luxembourg agree that expatriation was a very good decision and they would highly recommend a life abroad, with the average recommendation score for moving to Luxembourg being 8.5 out of 10 points (the global recommendation figure for a life abroad being 8.2). Expats aged 55 and over even recommend life in Luxembourg at a rate of 9.7.

Living in Luxembourg is a long term decision with 70% of foreign residents stating that they are willing to spend the rest of their lives in Luxembourg. Only a quarter of respondents would like to leave the country when they retire. 

Three insights from expats to newcomers to Luxembourg

1. Cost of living and real estate: higher than expected
   78% of newcomers in Luxembourg think that they did not accurately forecast the rental or property prices before their relocation. Indeed, for 8 out of 10 respondents, property prices were higher than expected. Also a negative surprise in terms of costs were grocery prices (higher than expected for 54% of newcomers) and restaurants (higher than expected for 63% of respondents).
   
   At the other end of the spectrum are the positive surprises: fuel and commuting costs are cheaper than expected by expats (cheaper for 51% and 37% of respondents respectively).
    
2. Investing in property:  sooner rather than later
   73% of expats would advise newcomers to purchase a house within five years of arriving in Luxembourg, according to the study. Only 1 out of 10 recommend waiting for more than 10 years. 
    
3. Luxembourg offers a better quality of life
   The majority of respondents to the survey were not familiar with life abroad before arriving in Luxembourg. Luxembourg attracts new resident workers mainly from bordering countries: in this survey, 60% of the respondents came originally from France, Belgium and Germany. The two main factors that have driven respondents’ expatriation decision were “a better quality of life” and “a better remuneration”. For 62% of expats, a better quality of life was the main driving factor to move to Luxembourg.

TOP TIPS

What expats wished they had done prior to moving to Luxembourg:

• Receive information about the living costs in the country
• Receive guidance for administrative to-dos
• Make sure to have enough savings
• Open a bank account in the new country of residence (for 94% of those surveyed)