Sunday, September 18, 2011

Moving to London



Today we look at moving to London in United Kingdom from Istanbul in Turkey. We highlight cost of living and other major differences likely to be experienced in our series of short blogs on moving between different international locations. In London people speak English. In Istanbul people speak Turkish.

London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest and most populous metropolitan area and the largest urban zone in the European Union. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and 5th largest city proper in the world. London is a leading global city and the world's largest financial centres with the largest city GDP in Europe. Central London is home to the headquarters of most of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest. London's influence in politics, finance, education, entertainment, media, fashion, the arts and culture in general contributes to its global position. It is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. The economy of Istanbul has always been the centre of Turkey's economic life because of its location as a junction of international land and sea trade routes. Istanbul is also Turkey's largest industrial centre. Istanbul and surrounding province produce cotton, fruit, olive oil, silk, and tobacco. Food processing, textile production, oil products, rubber, metal ware, leather, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, glass, machinery, automotive, transport vehicles, paper and paper products, and alcoholic drinks are among the city's major industrial products.

The overall cost of living rank in London is 20 out of 300 global locations, which equates it with high cost of living locations.  An expatriate moving from Istanbul to London will experience a change in cost of living of 27.1%.
In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, London is ranked as a minimal hardship location with a hardship index of 10% compared to Istanbul with a hardship index of 30% which is a high degree of hardship location.

Source: Cost of Living London UK as at July 2011.

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