After detaching from Yugoslavia and surviving a three-year-long war, Bosnia-Herzegovina is not doing well economically. Its request to join the EU from 2016 is still pending. It does, however, have a neighboring country with such membership: Croatia. Aside from Croatia and a small stretch of the Baltic Sea’s shore, Bosnia-Herzegovina also has borders with Serbia and Montenegro.
This country has captivating landscapes of lakes, forested areas, and quaint little villages. Its population stands at a little over 3 million people, who speak Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian.
Local purchasing power is 48.71% lower
Rent is 93.78% cheaper
Groceries are 70.24% cheaper
Local goods and services are 64.95% cheaper
Poland
As a country that survived many brutal wars, Poland has very much evolved over the years. It is now a member of both NATO and the EU, and enjoys a stable economy. Neighboring on seven other countries, this European powerhouse also has peaceful beaches at the Baltic Sea's shores.
There are nearly 38 million people living in Poland, calling the city of Warsaw their capital. Much of the city's beautiful architecture has been hurt by wars, but thanks to professional restoration work, you could never guess it.
Local purchasing power is 28.25% lower
Rent is 86.07% cheaper
Groceries are 70.31% cheaper
Local goods and services are 61.85% cheaper
Libya
The two main pillars on which Libya's economy stands are oil and sand. This sunny country is located in North Africa at the shores of the Mediterranean. It has borders with Chad, Niger, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan.
The capital of Libya is Tripoli. The city is home to a little more than a million people out of the country's nearly 7 million residents. Most Libyans speak Arabic, but don't be surprised to hear some Italian too, as the place used to be an Italian colony.
Local purchasing power is 32.65% higher
Rent is 81.2% cheaper
Groceries are 52.99% cheaper
Local goods and services are 54.15% cheaper
Macedonia
It took Yugoslavia's disintegration for Macedonia to be formed. This little country has around 2 million people living in it, most of which speak Macedonian or Albanian.
Macedonia is located in the Balkan area, but thankfully, it hasn't seen as many ethnic wars as its neighbors. This country has borders with Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece.
Local purchasing power is 60.15% lower
Rent is 93.98% cheaper
Groceries are 74.59% cheaper
Local goods and services are 69.07% cheaper
South Africa
This country used to be torn apart over an apartheid regime, but is now one of the most successful and modern democracies in Africa.
Nearly 60 million people live in this sunny country. They come from a large variety of ethnic backgrounds, such as descendants of European colonizers, Zulu, and dozens of other indigenous communities. English is only one of this nation's 11 official languages.
Local purchasing power is 1.04% lower
Rent is 83.67% cheaper
Groceries are 63.73% cheaper
Local goods and services are 56.88% cheaper