I see articles like this and I’m reminded once again of one of the reasons why we moved back to the USA.

We definitely got a little flak from people, both in-person and online, for choosing to move out of New Zealand, in part, because of the high cost of living.  Phrases such as, “You get what you pay for” were spoken our way, implying that yes, cost of living is high in NZ, but so is the quality of living.  I’ve even used this phrase a few times myself, often in emails to others seeking advice about moving there.  I want to let them know upfront that they can expect to pay higher rates, but there are benefits associated with this.  Of course, “paying higher rates” is different for everyone.  If you’re coming from a housing market where cost of living is already high, then it probably doesn’t seem like as big of a deal to you to move to NZ.

NZ does have a high quality of living, make no mistake.  But so does Williamsburg, Virginia.  The USA as a whole?  It’s lower than many other countries, but living where we are, we’re happy.  Affordable housing (for us), great community, family-friendly, child-friendly (both at parks, in restaurants, entertainment options, etc.), low crime stats, and close(r) to our loved ones.

I suppose that when I see articles like the one that I linked to above, I remember that while I do miss living in NZ, I don’t miss the high costs, the difficulty in furthering my own education (I’ve been contacting universities here in the USA about going back for my MSN in a strictly online format, something that would have been impossible in NZ… even the in-person format would have been outrageously expensive for me), or the distance from loved ones and the high costs involved to visit them.  Or rather, the high price we pay for not being able to visit them and have them in the boys’ lives.

In the end, you have to decide what makes the most sense for you and for your family.