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.