Great Britain is the most expensive country to live in and cheaper living costs abroad attract British emigrants by the plane-load, according to research carried out by the organisers of the Fresh Start Show.

In a comparison of the most popular countries, the UK proved most expensive in all categories of living costs, followed by France, America, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and South Africa.

It comes as no surprise then that almost 10% of young Britons cited cheaper living costs as the main reason why they would move abroad. Not only are they attracted by the cheaper cost of living, but also the quality of life is much higher on the equivalent wage.

The Big Mac index has long been one of the best measures of living costs across the world. Not surprisingly, it is most expensive in the UK at £1.99, followed by France at £1.77. South African Big Macs were the cheapest at just £1.20. In fact, food and drink in general are more expensive in the UK, with basic groceries such as bread and milk, and alcoholic drinks like beer and wine costing Britons significantly more than anywhere else.

Running a car is also more expensive in the UK. Not only are motor vehicles more expensive to buy, but petrol is almost double the average price per litre at £0.85. In Australia, petrol is just £0.36 per litre.

Aside from the cheaper living cost of foreign countries, Britons are also tempted abroad by the high levels of crime in the UK, long commutes to work, traffic and to escape the rat race.

Dream Lifestyle

Stuart Birch from Devon moved out to New Zealand in March 2002. Having taken a job in the Ministry of Economic Development he now has a lifestyle he could only dream of in England. He comments: "The wage here grants you a very good quality of life that you wouldn’t have on an equivalent wage at home, "said Stuart. "I have a beautiful flat with a view now, but if I was in the UK I wouldn’t be financially able to live as I do."

Nick Clark, managing director of Homebuyer Events, comments: "It’s not surprising so many people want to move abroad considering how expensive everything is in Britain. There has been a definite increase in the number of people interested in migrating, which is why we decided to launch the Fresh Start Show. Cheaper living costs and a better overall quality of life are enticing Britons by the plane load."