Moving to Bermuda to live for the first time

Moving to Bermuda to live for the first time

Bermuda is a wonderful country and a really great place to relocate to.  Here are some of the things however to consider or at least get used to when you first move here.

The cost of living

Bermuda is very expensive, everything is imported and the because there are no taxes and high salaries everyone has a high disposable income, things like a litre of Orange juice cost $8 dollars whereas in the USA or UK they would be around $2.

Property is very pricey also - a good size family home on beach front location is likely to be $6m-$8m and there is a 15% tax to pay if you are non-Bermudian.

Rentals are more reasonable but a really nice place is still likely to be $12K-$20K monthly you can however find modest houses for $2K-$4K monthly.

Water

Water is in short supply on a tropical island and the majority of the water comes from roof run-off with under home storage, that means if you are not careful you can run out of water, Bermuda is tropical but not so close to the Equator that rain is a big issue, it is more there is a risk that water will run out rather than a likelihood.

Pace of Life

Not everything runs to time here, so buses are not exactly on time and if things break down, you have to get used to waiting for them to get fixed, electricity sometimes gets cut off that type of thing.

Broadband speed for example is slow compared to the USA or the UK and high speed internet cable is only just being rolled out, the small population of the island only around 65,000 means there is no much if any competition so think of all the issues associated with old style monopolies, it is not so bad but not ultra efficient either!.

Choice

Given the small size of the country and that everything is imported there are no large supermarkets and no discount retail outlets, so choice is limited and prices are high.   A lot of people buy second hand goods because of this.

Cars

Like other things here cars are expensive so expect to have to pay top dollar for an old broken down car, families are only allowed one car per household and there are no hire cars allowed, so again there are unexpected limitations.  Everyone uses scooters but that is a bit of a shock to the system if you are used to a luxury car.

The following video will give you a pretty good idea of the challenges and surprises that await you!

Housing in Bermuda is usually of a delightful pastel colour with a white and sometimes pink roof designed to collect rainwater.

The beaches are world class here and some have been voted the best on Earth.

There are plenty of healthy outdoor activities such as sailing and running is popular.

Ice skating!  Well only a temporary attraction this rink came to the island in 2015 for one season only!

Nature of wonderful here and there is a great botanical gardens