We are heading back to New Zealand soon and the situation does seem pretty grim from what I hear from friends. Ideally, we’d like to settle down in NZ but it’s looking like we may end up in Australia instead.
Finding yourself in an even worse job market 5 years from now is a very real possibility.
Housing there is more affordable also but not for long, people are buying insane houses there coz cost "nothing".
If this is something that you already considered and have enough saving to do so, personally, I would start looking for what can I do over there job wise to avoid using all my savings and screw it, I am off. No matter how small is the income coz you will need to start from the bottom, I am getting tired of IT, too much drama, all the time, if living in Asia doing something completely different but that pays the bills and that I am happy with, I wouldn't come back. Australia within the last 11 years went to shit big time, and it is getting worse by the day.
I have considered the same, I think it might be a little to late for me now, who knows.
Most major wester economies did the same in past 11 years: stagnating wages, exploding CoL. Life was good 11 years ago when salaries were great and housing still abundant and affordable to buy but this isn't the case anymore.
If you expect an improvement, moving anywhere there right now would be like jumping from a lake to a pond.
Truly some of the most fortunate, least deserving people on the planet. I am thankful I can get my special category visa and when my parents eventually pass away I will set my roots down in Australia. Despite all of the Australians.
I'm interested where in SE Asia you think you can can just barge in, buy a property and live. It might pay to actually look into what it takes to do that legally, it might not be as simple as you think.
While I am happy working in IT right now, there are a number of other professional activities I could see myself learning.
Curious what other professions you'd pursue?
So instead of 150k which just barely can get you mortgage you go for 50k?
I moved nearly 6 years ago from one very wealthy country to another much less wealthy. I chose a job with a 3 times lower salary. While I miss parts of my life in that previous country and understand my retirement will be lower, I still find a lot of positives in that life change for various other reasons.
When you move from one country to another, reaching the maximun salary you can obtain is not necessarily the most important parameter/goal.
It takes prime ministers salary to get a mortgage for an MEDIAN house in Auckland. I really don't know how normal people get by.