Best Places for Single Male Expats (how much, living, price)

[RobinsonCrusoe]

Thanks to my job, I've been all over the world. Here's my list of the cities/countries I've lived/worked/played in. Maybe you guys here can chime in too with your thoughts on places you're familiar with.

First off, there are TONS of expats everywhere. German, American, French, Dutch, Brazilian, Chinese, etc. Also, because I'm single and male, this is gonna be really one-sided. I'm sure the list would look very different from the perspective of a single female, family, or the retired. Also, the rankings at the end are completely subjective and not based on any scientific methodology. Just how good I think the place would be for single male expats to live long-term/forever.

EUROPE

• France: Perennial favorite among expats of ANY kind. I've lived/worked in Paris, Dijon, Strasbourg, and Marseilles. Culture definitely differs a bit according to region, but things like love of travel, meeting/eating/relaxing with close friends/family, living the good life are still the same anywhere you go. Oddly enough, people here can be quite progressive in many ways, yet very narrow-minded about other things. French girl I dated was very open-minded about who she dated, yet really didn't like Algerians. Go figure... Great place for single male expats, however, even without money. You'll need money to get by, of course, but when it came to meeting women here, how much money I had didn't seem to matter as much as when I lived in NY. Good sense of fashion, style, and manners takes you a long way here. Girls are quite receptive to random strangers approaching them, so long as you're not creepy about it and dress well. Girls here were into the cute, gentle guys. If you're a "bro" studying abroad here, relax the attitude and you'll get much farther. [My rank for single male expats: 9/10]

• Germany: Of all the countries I've been to, the most "similar" to the US, or perhaps just New York. Lived in Berlin, Munich, Freibourg, Hamburg. Again, southern region will be a bit different in culture than the north. Lots of expats here as well. I found Berlin a little boring, but loved the scene in Hamburg and Munich. I DID find that how much you made and what you did mattered a bit more here. The girls here are quite open to foreigners and a lot of them can speak English, even if they act like they don't. My co-workers, a black dude and a Vietnamese guy, both American, both did very well for themselves with women here. Me, on the other hand... So even though I wasn't too hot here, I'd still say it's a great place for single male expats. Learn some German. Also, there are some very tall women here! I'm average height for a dude, but a lot of girls here were about my height. Maybe I let that get to me??? [My rank: 9/10]

• Netherlands: Just Amsterdam. I visited Rotterdam and Eindhoven but didn't stay long enough to get a good feel. I'm not sure if this is a great place for long-term stay. I got pretty bored after just a few weeks here. Whereas I can see expats put in for the long haul in France/Germany, I'm not too convinced about the Netherlands. That being said, it's an interesting place to live in. Single men can do very well here because the women are pretty open-minded of different cultures. Being "Dutch" generally means tall and white with blond hair, but when you walk around town, you'll quickly notice it's quite multicultural. For single male expats, it's probably a fun place to visit and party in for a few days, maybe a week or so. But I wouldn't stay here long-term. Also, the most successful playboys around? The Indo-Dutch guys. Know the language, the culture, yet exotic and different. Although, honestly, everybody here speaks English anyways. [My rank: 4/10]

• Czech Republic: Prague. What a place! Interested in teaching English but don't want to do Asia? Well then Prague's your place. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say I've met some of the nicest people here. My family's originally from Texas and I thought that Texans were some of the nicest ppl around till I got to Czech and was pleasantly surprised. Just genuinely nice and helpful. If you're into the dark-haired beauties, there are plenty to be found here. They're also BIG beer-drinkers so get ready to go round-for-round with them. It's a fabulous place for the single male expat especially after you factor in the how much cheaper things are here. I did very well for myself here Be nice, courteous, and respectful, but have a bit of an edge and the girls will take notice. [My rank: 10/10]

ASIA

• Japan: Tokyo. Wow. Very different from Europe! But in Asia, Japan is one of the few countries where all kinds of expats can find their niche, whether you're a single male, female, family, or retired. For single men, it's really very interesting. First off, you'll need to play things a lot more subtlely than you would in the West. Randomly approaching girls and even the way you would flirt with them could backfire on you here. Instead, it's all about social circles and being introduced by mutual friends. That's not to say girls here aren't down for immediate hookups. You just have to remember that they come from pretty traditional/conservative backgrounds and they care A LOT what their friends/family think about them. If there was any racism, it was all kept under the surface but from what my friends there told me, racism is very much alive in all parts of Asia, not just Japan. Now, Japan is expensive. VERY expensive. You have to have money just to survive. Dating Japanese girls is ALSO very expensive. So make sure you do the math before you come here so that you don't go broke cause it can happen faster than you think. The amount I budgeted for myself for 3 months lasted maybe 1. Is it still a good place for single males? Well, I've come across many guys who've settled down here to raise a family. Some of them are English teachers. Others work for corporations. If you're ok with the rigid nature of conservative Asian society then it's a great place to settle down. Girls here find Americans exotic and proudly flaunt their Western boyfriends. Also, prepare to get used to grown women in their 30's act and talk like they're 14 years old while sporting Hello Kitty gear. Although I found many of them attractive, I wasn't into the whole plastic-surgery-to-make-your-eyes-look-Western thing. [My rank: 6/10. For the long haul...you need to have dough.]

• Korea: Seoul. Just like Tokyo, it's a huge swarming behemoth of a concrete jungle, only with a lot more mountains. Culturally not very different from Japan, although they would kill you if you said this to their faces (racism!) The environment here is a lot more...colorful...than Japan. While the Japanese came off as kind of poker-faced and unwilling to express their true thoughts, Koreans are not afraid to get in your face. Don't mistake their raised voices for fighting/arguing...that's really how many of them naturally talk. Girls here are also like that, which I found more comforting than when I was in Japan. You would also need to be introduced via a mutual friend, but in general, many of them were very easy to talk to and get along with. Impress them with your drinking abilities. Try speaking to them in your broken Korean and they'll love it. If you're ok with all the plastic surgery they're doing to their faces here, then this could be paradise for you. Seoul is like Japan, except at half the price and with a lot more colorful people. It definitely takes some getting used to. [My rank: 8/10]

That's all I got for now. I've omitted the countries I've stayed in less than 3 months.

[Budke]

Ok

[azoria]

Ok.

[bigappleguide1]

the best place for single ex pats is either rio de janeiro, brasil or bangkok , thailand., manila,philippines ...overall..it's brasil for me...very friendly people, great food, great opportunities teaching english... from a new yorker who will semi retire there one day.

[paull805]

The pub!

[dragonborn]

Originally Posted by paull805

The pub!

Cheers!

[paull805]

Cheers indeed! lol

[MalaMan]

Originally Posted by bigappleguide1

the best place for single ex pats is either rio de janeiro, brasil or bangkok , thailand., manila,philippines ...overall..it's brasil for me...very friendly people, great food, great opportunities teaching english... from a new yorker who will semi retire there one day.

I agree that Brazil is a very good place for single expats who like to party and to have a social life...

Making friends in Brazil is very easy. If you want to have a big social circle, you can have it in less than six months.

[SolitaryThrush]

The best place for single male expats is a place which doesn't attract single male expats who brag about how easy the locals are.

[Carioca Da Gema]

Originally Posted by SolitaryThrush

The best place for single male expats is a place which doesn't attract single male expats who brag about how easy the locals are.

agreed