Leaving the UK?
Post-Brexit visa landscape, cost-of-living vs the pound, and where your UK income actually goes further. Ranked for British passport holders specifically.
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destinations
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countries
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avg cost index
The post-Brexit visa landscape
The post-Brexit visa landscape changed everything for UK relocators. Free movement to EU/EEA ended in 2021. UK passport holders now need a third-country visa for any EU stay over 90 days in a 180-day rolling window. The good news: most popular UK-expat destinations have introduced specific routes for Britons (Spain Non-Lucrative + DNV, Portugal D7 + D8, France Long-Stay Visitor visa, Italy Elective Residency, Greece Golden Visa).
Cost-of-living advantage versus the UK has compressed in expat hubs but remains real elsewhere. Lisbon now runs roughly 20-30% cheaper than London; Bucharest + Budapest 50%+ cheaper. SortaRich anchors all costs to your UK home city + GBP baseline, so the comparison reflects what your UK income actually buys.
Where do most Britons move when leaving the UK?
Most Britons move to Spain when leaving the UK — it is the largest UK-expat destination (~300K+ Britons, with major concentrations on the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Mallorca + Tenerife/Canaries). Australia (~1.2M), the US (~700K), Canada (~600K), France (~150-200K), New Zealand (~250K), and Ireland (~250K) round out the largest UK-expat populations. Fastest-growing 2020-2025: Portugal (D7 + D8 boom), Spain (Non-Lucrative remains popular despite post-Brexit friction), and Cyprus (favorable tax + EU residency).
Best country for Britons to retire to?
The best country for Britons to retire to depends on budget: Spain leads on scale + healthcare (Non-Lucrative Visa for retirees with ~€2,400/mo passive income + private health insurance), Portugal on lowest income threshold (D7 visa from ~€820/mo, full EU access, SNS healthcare after residency), Cyprus on tax (favorable Non-Domicile regime + EU access), France on established UK-retiree infrastructure (Long-Stay Visitor visa — Dordogne + Provence), and Italy on culture + tax (Elective Residency Visa for passive-income retirees + 7% flat-tax for retirees moving to Southern Italy small towns). Cost-conscious alternatives: Malaysia (MM2H), Thailand (LTR + retirement visas), and Mexico (Temporary Resident).
Does the NHS cover Britons living abroad?
No — once you become "ordinarily resident" in another country, you are no longer entitled to free NHS care in England. Some reciprocal-healthcare arrangements remain (S1 form for state-pension-age retirees moving to EU/EEA + Switzerland gives access to local public healthcare on the same basis as locals; the UK government reimburses the destination country). Pre-state-pension-age retirees typically need private insurance until they qualify for the destination country's public system. Always check the GHIC + S1 + reciprocal-arrangements rules at gov.uk before relocating.
How does cost of living compare to the UK?
Cost of living vs the UK (PPP-adjusted, UK = 100): Spain ~75, Portugal ~70, Italy ~85, France ~95, Greece ~70, Cyprus ~85, Bulgaria ~50, Romania ~50, Poland ~65, Hungary ~60, Czechia ~70. Outside Europe: Australia ~110, Canada ~95, New Zealand ~95, Mexico ~50, Thailand ~50, Vietnam ~40, Malaysia ~55. SortaRich anchors all comparisons to your UK home city (London vs Manchester vs Edinburgh produce different baselines) — so the comparison reflects what your actual GBP income buys.
Top destinations
Ranked by cost of living, data quality, and relevance.
#5Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand · 127K
#6Surabaya, Java
🇮🇩 Indonesia · 2.9M
#9Bandung, Java
🇮🇩 Indonesia · 2.4M
#10Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea · 10.3M
#12Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil · 6.7M
#19Barranquilla
🇨🇴 Colombia · 1.2M
#20Aguascalientes
🇲🇽 Mexico · 722K
#22Santiago de Querétaro
🇲🇽 Mexico · 1.6M
#26Kuala Lumpur
🇲🇾 Malaysia · 1.5M
#28Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
🇪🇸 Spain · 384K
#34Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina · 2.9M
#36Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa · 3.3M
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