As a Croatian, I'm kind of expected to dislike and disparage Slovenia. Hell, no❗️ Having been everywhere in Slovenia more times than I care to remember, having lived and worked there for several years, I can only say that I ❤Slovenia. I ❤ it's people, I have a lot of friends there. They may appear as little bit distanced, but if the saying "my word is my bond" applies anywhere, than it is in Slovenia. I ❤ the beauty of the country, it's culture. And not the last, I ❤ Slovenian cuisine and wine. Coming from a Croatian, it says a lot❗️
@@dissco.partysan3333 Don't pull that thread. Every time you hear a former Yugoslav country start to talk about hate and stuff, just pay it no heed. Let's just say a complicated history lies there XD
@@dissco.partysan3333 It's just centuries of history, nations that are very similar working very hard to maintain their individual identities by nitpicking and creating narratives about how they're better at one thing or another than their brothers in the region. A "western" equivalent of such tribalism would be sports rivalries.
It is so nice to listen to such a description of my country. I think that we too often forget all the good things that we have here. ❤❤❤ Thank you for this.
Which is why you guys should make it very difficult for foreigners to stay there...I spent over 30 years in North America and watched as those countries began going downhill. Today the number of folks that are leaving those nations(Canada and USA) is insane. High costs, high crime, loss of culture, no real unity amongst people because identity politics is everywhere...Just awful stuff compared to how it was when i first went there over 30 years back. In just a few decades you can ruin entire nations if you're not careful.
Yes, I am listening to this video because of the same reason. Probably I will not have enough money to travel a lot during this summer, so I love to listen foreigners, how beautiful is the land, that I take for granted. Makes me not wanting to travel THAT much! 😉
We Slovenians are a very welcoming nation but this is wrong on so many levels. Slovenia has a huge housing problem and it's not helping there are people coming here paying half a million euros for apartment that used to be worth half of that. While expats are happily eating in expensive restaurants, young families and couples wanting a family can't afford even a small apartment. And I'm talking about Slovenians with above average paycheck. If this continues, we'll lose our safety and expats will then leave all these problems behind and move to a new "paradise". Please be a responsible expat and we'll all be happy.
I recently visited Slovenia for the first time and absolutely loved it. I'm a full-time traveler who doesn't have an interest at this point to settle in one place, but after visiting there I can definitely see it as a place I would enjoy basing myself for 1-3 months from time to time. Beautiful, safe, peaceful, green, and somewhat of a hidden gem, or at least underappreciated.
@@nomadjim It seems everyone loves Malaysia. That's a first for Chile though. What is it about Chile that stands out for you? Have you been to Argentina, and how would you compare it to Chile if so?
as far as fast food goes in Slovenia, while we do have McDonald's drive ins or just normal ones, our fast food is more Balkan oriented with burek, kebab.....and burgers. however burgers, like he said, are proper burgers but they still count as fast food:) and as for sightseeing, with home base in Ljubljana, you can literally reach every part of our country within 2h. mountains, beach, wine country, beautiful lakes, caves, gorges, visit castles, waterfalls.......for me personally, as pure relaxation i go to lake Bohinj a few times a year, rent a canou or kayak for afternoon and just..find peace
@@adventurefreaksss forgot to mention: regarding mobile operarors and prices, there are a few and i pay roughly 18 euros per month for 2 sim cards, different numbers, both have unlimited calls and messages and data transfer within Slovenia
Sooo nice too hear so many nice things about my country sLOVEenia ❤. Jeff I really think I saw you the other day in our shop Toskana delikatesa. Very very kind man already saying some Slovenian words ❤ You're the most wellcome in Slovenia. Best wishes.
Hey brother love your videos and interview style, at any rate I'm a retired American who is currently in Ljubljana Slovenia and I'm loving it immensely, I'm also trying it out for size to see if I can live here full time, but allow me to say one thing first I'm also based and have been living in Southeast Asia / Việt Nam for the past 7yrs and now I'm slowly starting to hate it, due to all of the daily life nuances and the darker sides of life that's most foreigners visiting don't know about and to add fuel to flames of a already crazy and chaotic Vietnam it's becoming more and more touristy, so please let Slovenia stay a hidden gem and a low key destination for those who just so happen to stumble upon it, because as many local have already expressed to me and I quote ( we like being low key). So in that being said Slovenia is truly a remarkable and beautiful place for any person who's looking to getaway from the hustle and bustle of life, as well as eco-friendly living and a walkable city with nice and welcoming locals.
Thank you for sharing this! What part of Vietnam are you based out of? Some of the best food in the world!! Let's connect and maybe we can get you on the podcast if you'd like:)
@@adventurefreaksss Hello and thank you for the reply, I'm actually based in Đà Nẵng Việt Nam and I'm married to with a local Vietnamese woman who has two kids, i also spent some time in the north / Hà Nội and the south / Sài Gòn of Vietnam. There a saying amongst us foreigners in the know, which is (Southeast Asia / Việt Nam is glorified by foreigners not locals who was born there and known their country best.) because for us foreigners Southeast Asia is a playground and cheap luxurious living, but for the locals it's daily survival. I don't mind being on the show but fair warning I'm not going to sugarcoat anything even though I love Việt Nam and it's people, my experiences are vast and deep from the point of view of a foreigner / local perspective even though I not Vietnamese, i lives within the local Vietnamese community, so I've got more insights an a deeper connection with locals and daily local life, which makes me despise the Expat Bauble at times, cause to us foreigners who've culturally adapted to Việt Nam it isn't the real Việt Nam and place for tourist pretending to live in Việt Nam 🤣 with all of the Western amenities. So we can connect when I get back to Đà Nẵng, just give your contact info, so we can set things up.
@@travelexploreasia9576 I really like the Hoi An and Da Nang area and I see it's becoming more and more popular. Very beautiful out there as well as the beach. Send me an email when you get back and lets stay in touch! adventurefreaksss@gmail.com
Gotta give props to the podcaster, he asks good questions and always asks the same question again if it wasn't answered properly. He really knows how to sum up info perfectly👍
I went from Slovenia to Los Angeles once I was walking on the beach and after half an hour it seems like that im still at the same place and got nowhere. Everything it's soooo big. Here in 30 minutes you are on the other side of the city just by walking
So glad I stumbled upon this video and your channel. Slovenia has been on the very short list for some time. Perhaps this year but no later than next year. Great info
Slovenian American living in LJ center, part time. So nice to hear that you are enjoying this beautiful country! But in my opinion you are a bit off on the prices of housing and eating in restaurants. A large apartment in the center for 700 or a restaurant entree for $8 or less is pretty rare, in my experience. I'd love to know where you found this. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Lately I've been looking at renting a room at somewhat reasonable distance from a certain university faculty and AFAIK you basically need to win a lottery to get a room for less than 700-800€ with 45 minute one way commute times on a bicycle. The other option is to live in a barracks for 400ish. Or to rent a whole apartment for around 1200-1400€.
I am assuming that viewers are considering Slovenia for retirement ... you already know it's beautiful, but the country does not particularly sell itself as a retirement haven. LJ is a charming city, but not really the Slovenia you want to see ... it's similar to most other European countries in cost and benefits, with the big bonus of health care (which is excellent). No anxiety like in US, where one stay in a hospital can bankrupt you, even with insurance. For prices, you have to consider that 22% VAT (sales tax) is already rolled into pricing (supermarket food and commodities are lower). I have lived in Slovenia for over 35 years (not in LJ), so we have 2 homes built and the car thing settled (brought US cars over for first 20 years, not now). I married a local and chose to stay here for our son; speaks 4 languages and went to a real high school and good colleges, family nearby and small-town living with a short trip to "big" city (although nothing is too far) ... still a no-house-key-needed place to live safe, no HOA's or bars on the windows here. Public transport is excellent here, trains and buses are cheap and nice ... for groceries, about right, no CostCo's here but there are several discount chains with very good quality and far cheaper than the mainline SPAR, Mercator and even Tuš stores. And, yes, it's beach-to-mountains in 2 hours, like So California where I grew up. Basically, America in the 50's/60's ... time capsule.
Where would you recommend staying in Slovenia? looking for a mix of sea and mountains, close to walking trails. Looking to move from NY but already have EU citizenship
@@sexerri Hi, well, you can't go too wrong anywhere. I live in southern Slovenia, so we are of course very scenic and green, but perhaps not as striking as the northern part of the country, or the coast. Ljubljana is just a city, but more or less in the center of the country and could be a good base or hub for traveling about. Otherwise, Bohinj in the mountains is always beautiful (scenery and hiking). Kranska Gora/Krvavac/Planica for mountains and skiing, Postojna for the caves, Portoroz/Piran for Adriatic Coast and a Mediterranean vibe, ANYWHERE for beautiful scenery. Roads and highways are good, trains excellent. Slovenia is a country of villages, no urbanization. Your EU passport lets you right in, although not quite a free pass, there are still residency rules for long stay/domicile or work, even for EU if you are not a Slovenian passport (similar to US states). P.S. has to be safest place on Earth. Cheers!
@@sexerri If you want to be close to both, as well as the capital, look into south/west - primorska/severna primorska region. A lot of hilly areas perfest for walking day trips, mostly less than an hour or there about to the sea and about the same to the capital and serious mountains. Notable towns/cities would be Logatec (closest to the capital, flatter area), Idrija (closest to the mountains, hilly area, old, historical, medieval town), Ajdovščina (closest to the sea, as well as Italy, hill range separates it from Idrija region).
Welcome to Slovenia Jeff. Maybe to add something to the insurance and health care discussion. All people that are employed here in Slovenia pay a national health insurance out of our paychecks. So a person that is on minimum wage pays 214 € monthly intu the state health insurance. A person that makes more that insurance goes up proportionately. Out of gross income. So if a person has let's say 3000€ gross wage, he pays around 500€ monthly into the national health insurance. Hope that makes sense.
That is very expensive. As an American many countries don’t agree with our health system. There are definitely some things that need to improve. I couldn’t imagine being a single person, full time employee, and pay around $600. I pay around $300/month. I have a middle of the road plan
@@julieboggs558 Yes it is very expensive. But on the other hand nearly all your medical needs do not require additional payment. Anything from cancer treatment, knee surgery, replacement hips for the elderly, lung transplant, kidney transplant, you name it, everything is in the health plan for every itizen, children and retirees included. In other words a social health scheme. This is very much the case across Europe. If I understand it correctly you guys in the US get gross pay and you pay for health insurance yourself and other things like pension plans etc. Is this correct?
About the bus fair. When you pay that 1,30...you can change that bus or get back with the sane line in the span of 2 hours with no additional charge. At least innLjubljana...
@@wss33 who said anything about pride, its just a fact. The american claiming slovenia doesn't have fast food or that fast food is not a part of the culture here is a silly fantasy.
@@JacksonKillroy exactly. It is true that most of the people here eat fast food just now and then, not on a weakly basis like in US.. but we ofc do have it
It is not true that there is no tax in the costs of restaurant meal. VAT is included in price of almost all goods and services, except of rents and insurance, but there is insurance tax for some insurances, but not health insurance. There is 9,5 % VAT on food, non alcoholic beverages in supermarkets, public transportation, some utilities (food, waste management), cultural and sporting venues, newspapers, prescription and non prescription drugs, and 22 % VAT on most other goods and services, including non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in restaurants.
Nice video. Nice to see how people see our country. Slovenia is not just Ljubljana, yes, its capital city, but you have to explore some more. I prefer living in a smaller city, you may laugh, but Ljubljana is to big and to crowded for me. Few years ago I was thinking to move to some other country, but I changed my mind. Slovenia is realy so comfortable to live in, I did not find anything similar. If you plan to move, do explore some other cities as well. Its worth it. Where ever you live in Slovenia, there is not more than a good hour to Ljubljana by car. And you can choose climate. Coast with higher temperatures and mild winter, colder mountain area of flat Panonia area.. or somewhere in the middle. Prices for houses are lower outside Ljubljana, expences somewhat the same. In general Ljubljana is few % more expensive than other cities. Something to think about. You asked for wifi.. its 20€ + a month. Same with cell phone. And many people speak english, but you will soon learn the language, at least basics. In any case, you are welcome.
i dont know what makes people do videos about hidden gems.... dont you want them to stay that way... gems... hidden.... because they are hidden that they are gems. also, there are tons of McDonalds in slovenia including drive throughs.
No Slovenian in the history of this world has ever driven to Venice for dinner. Venice is super far for our perception. We would never drive more than 20 minutes to go to a resturant, it's just not a thing here. But listening to how an American person thinks makes me realize how spoiled we are.
Haha, then I am the only one in the history 🤣. My friend and I did just that a couple of times. Venice is not very far (of course it depends in which part of the country one lives). Or we went to Graz to have lunch...
Dear Jeff, thanks for your honest and "real-life" description of living in SLO (Ljubljana). I whish you and your family (wife, ...) all the best in Slovenia!
It's very expensive now. Inflation is everywhere. Remember also as an expat, your USD will be worth less and less in any foreign exchange. Count on that if you are going to live anywhere + CBDC.
Great Video with good information !! I had the privilege of visiting Slovenia for the first time this past September and ABSOLUTELY loved it. The people I encountered were very nice and very helpful. I want to give a shout out to the van driver from train station to the airport. This gentleman was very kind and explained a lot of the questions that were asked. The only thing I regret about my trip was Leaving !!, wish I could of stayed longer. If I had to suggest one thing for someone planning to visit or relocate to Slovenia, Rent a car !! The visit to the city was really beautiful but the real beauty is in the countryside or up in the mountains. To all Slovenes, you should be so Proud of your small country with a BIG HEART❤. Save me a spot at the dinner table😁, I'll Be back !!!!!!!!!
Cell phone plans are about 20 Euros a month with an extra 10-12 Euros per line from the major providers, but we ran into problems signing up initially by not having employment by a Slovenian company. But we are set up now and pay about 105 Euros total for 1Gb internet, Cable TV, home phone, and 3 cell phones with 200GB of data from Telekom. To note, there is a separate TV tax from RTV Slovenija for 13 Euros a month. Another way for cell phone coverage is to get a prepaid or alternative SIM from Hofer or similar for maybe 10 Euros a month
@@ParisianThinker You can get internet cheaper. In the city, some have Telemach optical lines in addition to Telekom. Also, other providers can use the lines for 500/100 speeds. Those other providers will be about 25-30 Euros. But we live out and have only Telekom optical. And cell coverage is limited on some other providers. The breakdown is ~ 45 Euros for internet, 25 Euros for TV and Home Phone, 35 Euros for the 3 cell phones.
Great podcast Re, looks a fantastic place to live/retire. I’m in the US right now, but I’m originally from London, England. Would like to look into Slovenia for retirement or at least 6 months 😊
Tbh people here in Ljubljana are sick and tired of americans coming to live here permanently... the rents are barely affordable for locals not to mention buying a home for a millenial is close to impossible! All thanks to Americans and Russians that potentially increase prices on the market.
@adventurefreaksss can jeff suggest a good slovenian lawyer for immigration and also real estate? i will be visiting in the next few months to see if slovenia is right for me for retirement.
we get payed from 1.2k to 1.5k talking about a simple job, rent is minimum 500-1000€ if you want a normal size apartment that is not filled with mold or crumbled (you can find apartments for 300€ but dont do it!). If you want to buy a house and retire just move to Maribor or some village close to it, that region has cheap houses.
@@adventurefreaksss He meant that after paying all the taxes, that amount of money is left from his gross income. So, he is talking about his net income.
The government does not provide health insurance. Slovenia has something similar to the Canadian NHS. With the exception of the socially endangered, every citizen pays a basic deduction...which is about €80 basic and taken from the salary + €40 per month for additional insurance. And it is distributed in solidarity among all citizens for their need for treatment. This covers over-the-counter prescriptions, emergency room and basic health checks as well as specialists, operations and treatments. Then everyone has the possibility of additional payment from the selected insurance company for cases of above-standard care (less waiting for certain services), accidents or even death. Of course, there are also options to pay for all services just like you have in the USA... but this is neither cheap nor reasonable.
I didnt see the video but by reading the comments I have to say that Slo is amazing in terms of nature and safety. Its an amazing place , great location for travelling around with the car, with kind people but i am moving out as we speak. Healthcare- that people in comments claim that is amazing- is pretty bad. You pay a big % of your income -instead of a flat fee- to get appointment in 1 year's time. The amount of good doctors here are very few, as by definition in such a small place you cannot find a good % of people that are skilled as they should. Slovenians go to Croatia to find good/affordable doctors and expats back to their countries. We were unpleasantly surprised that google couldnt even find private doctors around us. From this year there is also a new law, that will force doctors to choose between either public or private, reducing the limited options even further. Taxes are amongst the highest in EU, especially if your income is a little higher than usual. And without any actual benefits like Switzerland. Even the trashbins that are full in 2 days , takes them a week or even two to come and pick them up. I really see 0 value reflected in the amount of taxes one pays here. Services are bad. They do not care to reply to emails, answer phones. We live just outside LJ and its very hard to find even a cleaning lady. For something more serious, good luck fixing that in time and with proper costs. We had so many bad experiences from our initial contact here with lawyers to simple workers. When they see foreigners they try to money grab. We bought a place here cause we were amazed by the beauty of the lakes and all. Housing is very affordable in some areas. Not in LJ, prices are unreasonable both in rent and buying. And after 2 years we moving out and we prefer to come for long term vacations instead. Unless you are in complete love with nature, life here is very expensive (Paris prices). Cause being a small place, they import everything and everything is over priced. Would I move here knowing all the above? It really depends on how much money you have on the side to counter all the issues. That being said, cannot overlook the fact that i have my door unlock at night and the healthy lifestyle I developed. But all in all I think EU has better options for retirement or living in general.
@@MotionPunkSlovenians going to Croatia for doctor appointments? I never heard of that situation, except for dentists, because they are cheaper there... And the trash bins emptied after a week is also strange, they are usually collected every 3rd day....
@@hannaR_ everything in Slovenia in terms of doctor is very expensive. Yes most people we know, they go to Croatia. And yes... 2 weeks to come and empty the trashbins where we live (a new record in winter). In summer 1 week. For the black bin, maybe a month or I dont know..
I think that you might need to adjust your rental costs upwards - in Ljubljana at least. Property prices are booming and it's very much a seller's market. Rental prices have risen accordingly. Most properties are rented out unfurnished, although there are exceptions. everything is valued based on square metres. 50 sqm is very small and 80 sqm is a more decent size. I suspect that 50sqm would be considered a little too tight by American standards. I would expect €1,100 to €1,200 would get you something you would be happy with (the euro is close to parity with the USD).
Greetings from Slovenia. interesting information on this video. Thanks & I hope you enjoy your stay in Slovenia. wi-fi download: 900 Mbps upload: 110 Mbps (ping2) (around 80 euros) that's for home internet I'm giving info, that's my bill for internet... but you can get a cheaper one for 20 euros but it is not fast, it's ok. yes, we have McDonald but they need to ensure the food is real, not fake! they can get closed down if they dont apply Slovenian law on food they sell. 🤫
a Very happy and congenial man . a Language like that would take quite a while to learn . I wonder if English is commonly spoken . How would you find a rental ?
It seems pretty convoluted... get a Slovenian lease from the US and what happens if your application is denied? And what landlord would lease an apartment to you without you having Slovenian residence? That seems like a chicken and egg problem.
My brother is a landlord and is leasing his apartment out to a foreigner. It's really not that big of a deal. You make a contract and if it comes through it comes through and if it doesn't you get the next person. As long as the prices are fair there are no problems. Sometimes you can get a landlord that puts a small fine in the contract if it doesn't go through but I don't think that's common. In our case here was paperwork done like he just leased so that he received a visa without much hassle and then when he actually moved in he started charging him. This way you make sure that you don't have homeless people on the streets as soon as they come in as getting an apartment can be a hassle.
Not sure why you say you have found an hidden gem.I first visited Slovenia when it was still part of Yugoslavia in 1983.I bought an Apartment in 2004.So many bloggers going to Slovenia and saying the same What a load of rubbish.How can it be a hidden gem when everybody knows about it.
You would be surprised at the amount of people who don't, especially native English speakers. Outright majority cannot locate Slovenia on a map, and they very often confuse her with Slovakia.
Oi Slovenian here, first thank you for the kind words about my country and yes if you moved here and apply for citizenship yes education for the most part is free but its not completly even for us here, you were asking for internet wifi prices when renting, you would probably pay about 15 euro so thats 17$ roughly ofc if yaa renting a room. There are a bit more of diffriencess in prices i would say and yeah we have lots of fast foods just local one's but Mcdonald too in whole country we have about 10-12 of them Ljubljana itself has 4-5 Mcdonalds restaurants to be honest. If ya have any questions how its here just ask a local here we are very open people and straight forward too, we dont beat around the bush as you would say :D
For 1200 bucks you can rent a 3bedroom apartment in the centre quite easily, although the accomodation prices have been skyrocketing in the past decade. 10 years ago the price would be, 400 to 600 bucks.
Slovenia has currently 4 major networks: - Telekom Slovenije (formely Mobitel) - A1 Slovenija (fomerly si. mobil) - Telemach mob. (formerly tušmobil) - T-2. I have A1. Wide coverage, high download limits, low cost. Very happy.
Have to say I am self employed with 500 rent, over 600 taxes and about 300 euro life health water heating electricity and internet bills. Total around 1400 euro, where is the food? And car and clothes and holiday once a year? Workers get around 1000 to 1200 per month. I live in country side not in capitol of Slovenia. My last holiday was 33 years ago so you know I am an old lady, working 300 hours per month to live as I want and help my family. And I feel good. Europa is expensive and the live is healthier, health cost more. First McDonald is 75km from here , no food delivery, I think we all live till 100 hahaaaaaa......love from Slovenia
Average salary is 1500 EUR for 176 average hours per month plus 160 EUR for meals during workdays plus transportation compensation plus minimum of 1250 EUR each year for holidays. You do not go to holidays because you do not want to go not because you can not afford it.
@@dovoso5685 It is per person. So two people would need 2x. But I don't know if the $2K amount is correct. It was about 15K euros a year first time I applied. But you can also have a sufficient amount of savings to show means of subsistence, too. I keep a savings account of $24,000 to show this. The visa application process is Občina (region) dependent. Some offices can be more difficult than others, and you must use the office in which you live/will live. Ljubljana has a good one. Further out can get difficult. For example, the backlog at my Občina was over 3 months to even look at the application.
@@brian7991 Hi and thanks. This is what I was trying to figure out, not the actual expenses but the Visa Requirements for a single guy. Also, I wonder if they allow a combination of income and savings , some countries do and some don't . Furthermore, how is Slovenia better than Greece, or Portugal, or Bulgaria ?
@@brian7991 It's not so bad, to obtain a permanent residency you need to pass a very basic test, equal of maybe A2 level. Basically you need to be able to order food and somewhat pass everyday situations. As one should, living in a foreign country. You are also given free lessons of up to 180 hours. I have friends from different countries that had no problems learning the very basics for the test.
WTF is this guy talking about? Yes, Ljubljana is not very big, but it has 300.000 residents (city) and 500.000 residents (metro). Also theres a several McDonalds including drive thru, KFC, Subway... Bus system in the city is terble an very slow. Majoryti pepole own and use a car for moving around the city. Also train is terible in whole Slovenia. Public transportantion mostly use only high school students who don't have a driving licesend yet and old people who can't drive anymore or never had driving licensed.
the weather in Ljubljana is very bad. in fall and winter you hardly get any sunlight. also fog and rain are very frequefent. Been there for 2 years (i am from Zagreb)
There is fast food here and also many drive throughs, so that info is false. You have several Mcdonalds in Ljubljana, atleast 4 that i can count from memory(all of them have a drivethrough), other quite frankly higher quality local ingredient posh burger spots, you even have KFC and other places like asian fast food. There is no Starbucks or Pizza hut though. Also for traveling the bus system is only good for city travelling, if you wanna explore and go to remote rural spots, car is the only way to go comfortably, trains are slow, old and always late.
As a Slovene, run for the hills! The taxes are unbearable, public services are falling apart and each day there is more and more crime. A simple duplex house in the 50km range of Ljubljana costs 500k€, but the average wage, post tax is around 15-20k€.
For permant residence now you must pass A2 Slovenian language. It is an extremely challenging language for English speakers, but there are ways to learn. Even though, "everyone there speaks English (not as often in urban areas)".. this is not an excuse to not learn or try speaking the national language if your intent is to stay.
Many facts wrong, prices of all things are higher, from food, restaurants to costs ect. Many mcdonalds even drivetrue, kfc, and many local fast food. You can get meal for 10e but just some basic plate in self served menza, no salat or drink. Groceris 100e per week for one person.... Anyway expensive night life or just any kind of activity and it is very unsafe for foreigners. Salary very low, cultue non existing, would avoid Slovenia, any other eu cuntry much better.
...well salaries in Ljubljana are not that low better than Italy,Spain ,Portugal,Greece and comparable with the one in France and outside London....what do u mean no culture?
@@GaiusPrimusMatius Salaries in Italy are double, Spain, Greece is totaly different world. An Slovenija is Ljubljana and nothing else in Italy you have many places worth living in and in Spain or Greece, just hard to compare. Also different culture and history.
Slovenia is a beautiful country. We spent 1 month there hiking and fishing. We noted all the alcoholism that is rampant in the country. Be careful if you drink, as falls as frequent there. Only BELARUS, MONGOLIA, RUSSIA & GUATEMALA drink more than Slovenians who ranks 5th in the world as drinkers. The language is a real barrier. Few want to learn that language as it has no application anywhere else. The sad part is the inadequate healthcare, especially for the elderly who are not locals. Elderly in Slovenia begins at age 60. 😂 We live in France. A much better country for food and health car. It is a nice place for fishing and hiking. Their food is basic, but nothing I would really enjoy eating during a retirement.
Actually the best Chef in the world is coming from Slovenia...check out Ana Roš ..u have to explore more because Slovenia has amazing food very similar to Italian..about healthcare I wouldn't agree because Slovenian healthcare is quite good maybe not that good as in France but not that bad either, u should be living more than 1 month to find out😂.. I'm 56 and my experience is excellent but probably yours was not according to you.... Slovenia is ranking 23.in the world regarding healthcare between Ireland and New Zealand.......also Life quality index Slovenia is ranking 19. In the world while France is on 31. place... HDi index (how developed a country is) Slovenia score 0,926 same as Austria and ahead of countries like France Italy Spain...salaries in Ljubljana are comparable with salaries in France and outside London.... cheers from an Italian living in Portorose ❤❤❤
A terrific choice in Europe EXCEPT for the fact that it's inside the nexus of war between NATO and Russia. I couldn't make that commitment until the Insanity of war is off the table.
@@dominikgruskovnjak2511 In case you don't know politics and history you should know what a war in Europe between NATO and Russia would do. And if it helps I have two degrees, one in political science and one in history, and I know Russian. Any other questions?
How to work with me:
=================================
😎 One-on-one Consulting for planning your move abroad: calendly.com/adventurefreaksss/50min
As a Croatian, I'm kind of expected to dislike and disparage Slovenia.
Hell, no❗️
Having been everywhere in Slovenia more times than I care to remember, having lived and worked there for several years, I can only say that I ❤Slovenia. I ❤ it's people, I have a lot of friends there. They may appear as little bit distanced, but if the saying "my word is my bond" applies anywhere, than it is in Slovenia.
I ❤ the beauty of the country, it's culture.
And not the last, I ❤ Slovenian cuisine and wine. Coming from a Croatian, it says a lot❗️
Thank you for sharing this!
Why are you expected to dislike ? What did the Slovenians do to Croatians?
@@dissco.partysan3333 Don't pull that thread. Every time you hear a former Yugoslav country start to talk about hate and stuff, just pay it no heed.
Let's just say a complicated history lies there XD
@@VaerynCamlost I was asking him. If you are not interested, that's fine with me.
@@dissco.partysan3333 It's just centuries of history, nations that are very similar working very hard to maintain their individual identities by nitpicking and creating narratives about how they're better at one thing or another than their brothers in the region. A "western" equivalent of such tribalism would be sports rivalries.
It is so nice to listen to such a description of my country.
I think that we too often forget all the good things that we have here. ❤❤❤
Thank you for this.
Drži kot pribito! Kljub velikim regionalnim razlikam, smo kot celota (kot narod) močno povezani, v tej mali lepi "kuri". Lp
Which is why you guys should make it very difficult for foreigners to stay there...I spent over 30 years in North America and watched as those countries began going downhill. Today the number of folks that are leaving those nations(Canada and USA) is insane. High costs, high crime, loss of culture, no real unity amongst people because identity politics is everywhere...Just awful stuff compared to how it was when i first went there over 30 years back. In just a few decades you can ruin entire nations if you're not careful.
Yes, I am listening to this video because of the same reason. Probably I will not have enough money to travel a lot during this summer, so I love to listen foreigners, how beautiful is the land, that I take for granted. Makes me not wanting to travel THAT much! 😉
It's refreshingly interesting to hear an outside perspective of one's country
We Slovenians are a very welcoming nation but this is wrong on so many levels. Slovenia has a huge housing problem and it's not helping there are people coming here paying half a million euros for apartment that used to be worth half of that. While expats are happily eating in expensive restaurants, young families and couples wanting a family can't afford even a small apartment. And I'm talking about Slovenians with above average paycheck. If this continues, we'll lose our safety and expats will then leave all these problems behind and move to a new "paradise". Please be a responsible expat and we'll all be happy.
What’s the best way to go about being a responsible, conscious ex-pat? What would be the things to avoid?
I recently visited Slovenia for the first time and absolutely loved it. I'm a full-time traveler who doesn't have an interest at this point to settle in one place, but after visiting there I can definitely see it as a place I would enjoy basing myself for 1-3 months from time to time. Beautiful, safe, peaceful, green, and somewhat of a hidden gem, or at least underappreciated.
@@nomadjim well said. What are your top 3 places so far?
@adventurefreaksss I have lots of favorites, but to name a few: Portugal, Vietnam, Malaysia, Chile, Panama.
@@nomadjim It seems everyone loves Malaysia. That's a first for Chile though. What is it about Chile that stands out for you? Have you been to Argentina, and how would you compare it to Chile if so?
I appreciate how you don't ask the same questions all the time. You're an excellent Podcaster Adventure Freaks, thanks for another great video!
as far as fast food goes in Slovenia, while we do have McDonald's drive ins or just normal ones, our fast food is more Balkan oriented with burek, kebab.....and burgers. however burgers, like he said, are proper burgers but they still count as fast food:)
and as for sightseeing, with home base in Ljubljana, you can literally reach every part of our country within 2h. mountains, beach, wine country, beautiful lakes, caves, gorges, visit castles, waterfalls.......for me personally, as pure relaxation i go to lake Bohinj a few times a year, rent a canou or kayak for afternoon and just..find peace
@@mrtvakamela thank you for sharing. You are certainly living in an incredibly beautiful country!!
@@adventurefreaksss forgot to mention: regarding mobile operarors and prices, there are a few and i pay roughly 18 euros per month for 2 sim cards, different numbers, both have unlimited calls and messages and data transfer within Slovenia
@@mrtvakamela Thank you!
@@mrtvakamela you need more than 2hrs to get to Črna na Koroškem from Ljubljana 😄
@@dan-tech2647 semantics;)
Welcome to sLOVEnia. I am glad you like it.I visited Florida and California years ago and liked it too.
Sooo nice too hear so many nice things about my country sLOVEenia ❤. Jeff I really think I saw you the other day in our shop Toskana delikatesa. Very very kind man already saying some Slovenian words ❤ You're the most wellcome in Slovenia. Best wishes.
What a great podcast. Thanks for these interviews, Re. Slovenia sounds lovely.
Great insight! Moving there in may , american and brit 😊
Hey brother love your videos and interview style, at any rate I'm a retired American who is currently in Ljubljana Slovenia and I'm loving it immensely, I'm also trying it out for size to see if I can live here full time, but allow me to say one thing first I'm also based and have been living in Southeast Asia / Việt Nam for the past 7yrs and now I'm slowly starting to hate it, due to all of the daily life nuances and the darker sides of life that's most foreigners visiting don't know about and to add fuel to flames of a already crazy and chaotic Vietnam it's becoming more and more touristy, so please let Slovenia stay a hidden gem and a low key destination for those who just so happen to stumble upon it, because as many local have already expressed to me and I quote ( we like being low key).
So in that being said Slovenia is truly a remarkable and beautiful place for any person who's looking to getaway from the hustle and bustle of life, as well as eco-friendly living and a walkable city with nice and welcoming locals.
Thank you for sharing this! What part of Vietnam are you based out of? Some of the best food in the world!! Let's connect and maybe we can get you on the podcast if you'd like:)
@@adventurefreaksss
Hello and thank you for the reply, I'm actually based in Đà Nẵng Việt Nam and I'm married to with a local Vietnamese woman who has two kids, i also spent some time in the north / Hà Nội and the south / Sài Gòn of Vietnam.
There a saying amongst us foreigners in the know, which is (Southeast Asia / Việt Nam is glorified by foreigners not locals who was born there and known their country best.) because for us foreigners Southeast Asia is a playground and cheap luxurious living, but for the locals it's daily survival.
I don't mind being on the show but fair warning I'm not going to sugarcoat anything even though I love Việt Nam and it's people, my experiences are vast and deep from the point of view of a foreigner / local perspective even though I not Vietnamese, i lives within the local Vietnamese community, so I've got more insights an a deeper connection with locals and daily local life, which makes me despise the Expat Bauble at times, cause to us foreigners who've culturally adapted to Việt Nam it isn't the real Việt Nam and place for tourist pretending to live in Việt Nam 🤣 with all of the Western amenities.
So we can connect when I get back to Đà Nẵng, just give your contact info, so we can set things up.
@@travelexploreasia9576 I really like the Hoi An and Da Nang area and I see it's becoming more and more popular. Very beautiful out there as well as the beach. Send me an email when you get back and lets stay in touch! adventurefreaksss@gmail.com
Great guest! He's informative and upbeat!
Thank you. Jeff is very nice guy and very informative!
In Ljubljana there is a mcdonalds every 500 m. And most of them have drive throughs
Is that good or bad?
@@mikef2813bad… boycott
Great, useful and fun interview 💖🙏. You BOTH are awesome to watch. BRAVO 👏.
Gotta give props to the podcaster, he asks good questions and always asks the same question again if it wasn't answered properly. He really knows how to sum up info perfectly👍
I went from Slovenia to Los Angeles once
I was walking on the beach and after half an hour it seems like that im still at the same place and got nowhere.
Everything it's soooo big.
Here in 30 minutes you are on the other side of the city just by walking
Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
So glad I stumbled upon this video and your channel. Slovenia has been on the very short list for some time. Perhaps this year but no later than next year. Great info
Slovenian American living in LJ center, part time. So nice to hear that you are enjoying this beautiful country! But in my opinion you are a bit off on the prices of housing and eating in restaurants. A large apartment in the center for 700 or a restaurant entree for $8 or less is pretty rare, in my experience. I'd love to know where you found this. Thanks for sharing your experience.
700 gets you a room in the city center and 8€ is a kebab and a coke
Lately I've been looking at renting a room at somewhat reasonable distance from a certain university faculty and AFAIK you basically need to win a lottery to get a room for less than 700-800€ with 45 minute one way commute times on a bicycle. The other option is to live in a barracks for 400ish. Or to rent a whole apartment for around 1200-1400€.
In the city centre rooms are usually around 250€, and you can find a small apartment (around 30m2) for 600-700€...
agreed, also 100 for utilities for 1bedroom? no way. and he forgot heating costs completely.
You are wellome to our house anyttime we all speak english, we cook good food and we like to entertein. Wellome to Slovenija.
Can I come to?
Every first Sunday of the month, museums have free entry..!!! ❤
Great info! Thank you!!
Thanks for another great interview about a super cool sounding place. :)
Thank you @seamusp5991!!
I am assuming that viewers are considering Slovenia for retirement ... you already know it's beautiful, but the country does not particularly sell itself as a retirement haven. LJ is a charming city, but not really the Slovenia you want to see ... it's similar to most other European countries in cost and benefits, with the big bonus of health care (which is excellent). No anxiety like in US, where one stay in a hospital can bankrupt you, even with insurance. For prices, you have to consider that 22% VAT (sales tax) is already rolled into pricing (supermarket food and commodities are lower). I have lived in Slovenia for over 35 years (not in LJ), so we have 2 homes built and the car thing settled (brought US cars over for first 20 years, not now). I married a local and chose to stay here for our son; speaks 4 languages and went to a real high school and good colleges, family nearby and small-town living with a short trip to "big" city (although nothing is too far) ... still a no-house-key-needed place to live safe, no HOA's or bars on the windows here. Public transport is excellent here, trains and buses are cheap and nice ... for groceries, about right, no CostCo's here but there are several discount chains with very good quality and far cheaper than the mainline SPAR, Mercator and even Tuš stores. And, yes, it's beach-to-mountains in 2 hours, like So California where I grew up. Basically, America in the 50's/60's ... time capsule.
This is terrific information. Thank you for sharing this! It sounds like you've carved out a very nice life in Slovenia!
Where would you recommend staying in Slovenia? looking for a mix of sea and mountains, close to walking trails. Looking to move from NY but already have EU citizenship
@@sexerri Hi, well, you can't go too wrong anywhere. I live in southern Slovenia, so we are of course very scenic and green, but perhaps not as striking as the northern part of the country, or the coast. Ljubljana is just a city, but more or less in the center of the country and could be a good base or hub for traveling about. Otherwise, Bohinj in the mountains is always beautiful (scenery and hiking). Kranska Gora/Krvavac/Planica for mountains and skiing, Postojna for the caves, Portoroz/Piran for Adriatic Coast and a Mediterranean vibe, ANYWHERE for beautiful scenery. Roads and highways are good, trains excellent. Slovenia is a country of villages, no urbanization. Your EU passport lets you right in, although not quite a free pass, there are still residency rules for long stay/domicile or work, even for EU if you are not a Slovenian passport (similar to US states). P.S. has to be safest place on Earth. Cheers!
@@sexerri If you want to be close to both, as well as the capital, look into south/west - primorska/severna primorska region. A lot of hilly areas perfest for walking day trips, mostly less than an hour or there about to the sea and about the same to the capital and serious mountains. Notable towns/cities would be Logatec (closest to the capital, flatter area), Idrija (closest to the mountains, hilly area, old, historical, medieval town), Ajdovščina (closest to the sea, as well as Italy, hill range separates it from Idrija region).
Welcome to Slovenia Jeff. Maybe to add something to the insurance and health care discussion. All people that are employed here in Slovenia pay a national health insurance out of our paychecks. So a person that is on minimum wage pays 214 € monthly intu the state health insurance. A person that makes more that insurance goes up proportionately. Out of gross income. So if a person has let's say 3000€ gross wage, he pays around 500€ monthly into the national health insurance. Hope that makes sense.
Thank you for this information!
Way more expensive than France and also let health care available.
That is very expensive. As an American many countries don’t agree with our health system. There are definitely some things that need to improve. I couldn’t imagine being a single person, full time employee, and pay around $600. I pay around $300/month. I have a middle of the road plan
@@julieboggs558 Yes it is very expensive. But on the other hand nearly all your medical needs do not require additional payment. Anything from cancer treatment, knee surgery, replacement hips for the elderly, lung transplant, kidney transplant, you name it, everything is in the health plan for every itizen, children and retirees included. In other words a social health scheme. This is very much the case across Europe. If I understand it correctly you guys in the US get gross pay and you pay for health insurance yourself and other things like pension plans etc. Is this correct?
Great narrative and very helpful in our upcoming planned transition!
About the bus fair. When you pay that 1,30...you can change that bus or get back with the sane line in the span of 2 hours with no additional charge. At least innLjubljana...
Thank you for adding this information!!
Welcome to my country. I hope my fellow countrymen are treating you well.
lol we do infact have multiple mcdonalds drive thrus, there is more than 10 mcdonalds just in Ljubljana.. we also have subway, kfc, we had burgerking
"fast food is not a culture here" lol you can pick up a kebab on every corner
That's not something to be proud of.
@@wss33 who said anything about pride, its just a fact. The american claiming slovenia doesn't have fast food or that fast food is not a part of the culture here is a silly fantasy.
@@JacksonKillroy exactly. It is true that most of the people here eat fast food just now and then, not on a weakly basis like in US.. but we ofc do have it
@@JacksonKillroy Perhaps "street food" is a better term regarding burek and kebab.
It is not true that there is no tax in the costs of restaurant meal. VAT is included in price of almost all goods and services, except of rents and insurance, but there is insurance tax for some insurances, but not health insurance. There is 9,5 % VAT on food, non alcoholic beverages in supermarkets, public transportation, some utilities (food, waste management), cultural and sporting venues, newspapers, prescription and non prescription drugs, and 22 % VAT on most other goods and services, including non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in restaurants.
Thank you for this addition!
Nice video. Nice to see how people see our country. Slovenia is not just Ljubljana, yes, its capital city, but you have to explore some more. I prefer living in a smaller city, you may laugh, but Ljubljana is to big and to crowded for me. Few years ago I was thinking to move to some other country, but I changed my mind. Slovenia is realy so comfortable to live in, I did not find anything similar. If you plan to move, do explore some other cities as well. Its worth it. Where ever you live in Slovenia, there is not more than a good hour to Ljubljana by car. And you can choose climate. Coast with higher temperatures and mild winter, colder mountain area of flat Panonia area.. or somewhere in the middle. Prices for houses are lower outside Ljubljana, expences somewhat the same. In general Ljubljana is few % more expensive than other cities. Something to think about. You asked for wifi.. its 20€ + a month. Same with cell phone. And many people speak english, but you will soon learn the language, at least basics. In any case, you are welcome.
Thank you for this valuable information!!
i dont know what makes people do videos about hidden gems.... dont you want them to stay that way... gems... hidden.... because they are hidden that they are gems. also, there are tons of McDonalds in slovenia including drive throughs.
we have a Mcdonalds on every corner lol and drive throughts as well. KFC is opening now as well.
No Slovenian in the history of this world has ever driven to Venice for dinner. Venice is super far for our perception. We would never drive more than 20 minutes to go to a resturant, it's just not a thing here. But listening to how an American person thinks makes me realize how spoiled we are.
Haha, then I am the only one in the history 🤣. My friend and I did just that a couple of times. Venice is not very far (of course it depends in which part of the country one lives). Or we went to Graz to have lunch...
@@hannaR_ Congrats! You might be the first ones indeed! I don't drive more than 10 minutes to go to a restaurant, I guess I'm VERY Slovenian.
I did, but i'd suggest to look around for trattorias outside venice (which is nothing but a tourist bait)
Welcome to Ljubljana, dear Jeff
Dear Jeff, thanks for your honest and "real-life" description of living in SLO (Ljubljana). I whish you and your family (wife, ...) all the best in Slovenia!
It takes up to two hours to walk from the edge of Ljubljana to the center.
Jeff, I wish you a good life here.
There is a fast food in evey corner in Ljubljana 😅😅😅 but yeah it’s not shitty fastfood like in the US…
As a real estate agent in Slovenia I think the rentals quoted are not realistic-higher than quoted
Thank you
Interesting video, I like it, but rent prices seem a bit optimistic :) I would like them to be as low.
Thank you for viewing!
Rent prices are half of that if you move to some less crowded place. Capital cities are usually expensive...
It's very expensive now. Inflation is everywhere. Remember also as an expat, your USD will be worth less and less in any foreign exchange. Count on that if you are going to live anywhere + CBDC.
Great Video with good information !! I had the privilege of visiting Slovenia for the first time this past September and ABSOLUTELY loved it. The people I encountered were very nice and very helpful. I want to give a shout out to the van driver from train station to the airport. This gentleman was very kind and explained a lot of the questions that were asked. The only thing I regret about my trip was Leaving !!, wish I could of stayed longer. If I had to suggest one thing for someone planning to visit or relocate to Slovenia, Rent a car !! The visit to the city was really beautiful but the real beauty is in the countryside or up in the mountains. To all Slovenes, you should be so Proud of your small country with a BIG HEART❤. Save me a spot at the dinner table😁, I'll Be back !!!!!!!!!
About the tipping. There is no forced tipping, but! every waiter will be overjoyed if you leave a nice tip. 😉
I'm not sure if I know all the facts, but.. fast food is on every corner. Ljubljana alone has at least 5 drive true MDs. Not to mention the others.
My thoughts exactly!
I want to go to Slovenia. My grandparents were from Kanal.
Do it!!
This is the kind of migrants we want. Welcome!
Cell phone plans are about 20 Euros a month with an extra 10-12 Euros per line from the major providers, but we ran into problems signing up initially by not having employment by a Slovenian company.
But we are set up now and pay about 105 Euros total for 1Gb internet, Cable TV, home phone, and 3 cell phones with 200GB of data from Telekom. To note, there is a separate TV tax from RTV Slovenija for 13 Euros a month.
Another way for cell phone coverage is to get a prepaid or alternative SIM from Hofer or similar for maybe 10 Euros a month
Thank you for this information!
Very expensive internet, etc. France is so cheap for the same items.
@@ParisianThinker You can get internet cheaper. In the city, some have Telemach optical lines in addition to Telekom. Also, other providers can use the lines for 500/100 speeds. Those other providers will be about 25-30 Euros.
But we live out and have only Telekom optical. And cell coverage is limited on some other providers.
The breakdown is ~ 45 Euros for internet, 25 Euros for TV and Home Phone, 35 Euros for the 3 cell phones.
Dude, there's like 50 McD's in Ljubljana and kebabs and other fast food joints.
Great podcast Re, looks a fantastic place to live/retire. I’m in the US right now, but I’m originally from London, England. Would like to look into Slovenia for retirement or at least 6 months 😊
Great to hear. It is such a beautiful country and I am puzzled why nobody talks much about it. Thank you for sharing!
You can stay for 3. months without a visa.
Hvala, da delite svoje izkušnje.
enjoyed the video, the one area not covered was the language barrier and how american's are viewed.
Thank you Kevin for the kind words and your feedback!
Tbh people here in Ljubljana are sick and tired of americans coming to live here permanently... the rents are barely affordable for locals not to mention buying a home for a millenial is close to impossible! All thanks to Americans and Russians that potentially increase prices on the market.
Remember, your perspective doesn't necessarily reflect the experiences or opinions of an entire city's population.
I hope u would welcome an Australian... I'm not wealthy & i would rent out of the city probably. 😊💚 I'm just looking for options.
@@adventurefreaksss yes it does
@@klada000 ?
No, we are not.
@adventurefreaksss can jeff suggest a good slovenian lawyer for immigration and also real estate? i will be visiting in the next few months to see if slovenia is right for me for retirement.
Are u planning your trip to Slovenia yet ?
If you nationalize you get full coverage for like 40 bucks a person
Good to know. Thank you!
we get payed from 1.2k to 1.5k talking about a simple job, rent is minimum 500-1000€ if you want a normal size apartment that is not filled with mold or crumbled (you can find apartments for 300€ but dont do it!). If you want to buy a house and retire just move to Maribor or some village close to it, that region has cheap houses.
Thank you for this information. Not sure what you meant by your opening comment of getting paid 1.2k?
@@adventurefreaksss He meant that after paying all the taxes, that amount of money is left from his gross income. So, he is talking about his net income.
The government does not provide health insurance. Slovenia has something similar to the Canadian NHS. With the exception of the socially endangered, every citizen pays a basic deduction...which is about €80 basic and taken from the salary + €40 per month for additional insurance. And it is distributed in solidarity among all citizens for their need for treatment. This covers over-the-counter prescriptions, emergency room and basic health checks as well as specialists, operations and treatments. Then everyone has the possibility of additional payment from the selected insurance company for cases of above-standard care (less waiting for certain services), accidents or even death. Of course, there are also options to pay for all services just like you have in the USA... but this is neither cheap nor reasonable.
So, if a foreign person retires there, would they join a private health insurance company & pay a monthly premium/ amount?
I didnt see the video but by reading the comments I have to say that Slo is amazing in terms of nature and safety. Its an amazing place , great location for travelling around with the car, with kind people but i am moving out as we speak.
Healthcare- that people in comments claim that is amazing- is pretty bad. You pay a big % of your income -instead of a flat fee- to get appointment in 1 year's time. The amount of good doctors here are very few, as by definition in such a small place you cannot find a good % of people that are skilled as they should. Slovenians go to Croatia to find good/affordable doctors and expats back to their countries. We were unpleasantly surprised that google couldnt even find private doctors around us. From this year there is also a new law, that will force doctors to choose between either public or private, reducing the limited options even further.
Taxes are amongst the highest in EU, especially if your income is a little higher than usual. And without any actual benefits like Switzerland. Even the trashbins that are full in 2 days , takes them a week or even two to come and pick them up. I really see 0 value reflected in the amount of taxes one pays here.
Services are bad. They do not care to reply to emails, answer phones. We live just outside LJ and its very hard to find even a cleaning lady. For something more serious, good luck fixing that in time and with proper costs. We had so many bad experiences from our initial contact here with lawyers to simple workers. When they see foreigners they try to money grab.
We bought a place here cause we were amazed by the beauty of the lakes and all. Housing is very affordable in some areas. Not in LJ, prices are unreasonable both in rent and buying. And after 2 years we moving out and we prefer to come for long term vacations instead.
Unless you are in complete love with nature, life here is very expensive (Paris prices). Cause being a small place, they import everything and everything is over priced.
Would I move here knowing all the above?
It really depends on how much money you have on the side to counter all the issues. That being said, cannot overlook the fact that i have my door unlock at night and the healthy lifestyle I developed. But all in all I think EU has better options for retirement or living in general.
@@MotionPunkSlovenians going to Croatia for doctor appointments? I never heard of that situation, except for dentists, because they are cheaper there...
And the trash bins emptied after a week is also strange, they are usually collected every 3rd day....
@@hannaR_ everything in Slovenia in terms of doctor is very expensive. Yes most people we know, they go to Croatia. And yes... 2 weeks to come and empty the trashbins where we live (a new record in winter). In summer 1 week. For the black bin, maybe a month or I dont know..
I think that you might need to adjust your rental costs upwards - in Ljubljana at least. Property prices are booming and it's very much a seller's market. Rental prices have risen accordingly. Most properties are rented out unfurnished, although there are exceptions. everything is valued based on square metres. 50 sqm is very small and 80 sqm is a more decent size. I suspect that 50sqm would be considered a little too tight by American standards. I would expect €1,100 to €1,200 would get you something you would be happy with (the euro is close to parity with the USD).
Thank you for this!
Greetings from Slovenia. interesting information on this video. Thanks & I hope you enjoy your stay in Slovenia. wi-fi download: 900 Mbps upload: 110 Mbps (ping2) (around 80 euros) that's for home internet I'm giving info, that's my bill for internet... but you can get a cheaper one for 20 euros but it is not fast, it's ok. yes, we have McDonald but they need to ensure the food is real, not fake! they can get closed down if they dont apply Slovenian law on food they sell. 🤫
@@markokorosec174 thank you for sharing this! We love Slovenia!
sLOVEnija ❤️ IS Beautiful ❤🎉❤😊
I pay 50 eur/month for cell 4GH service and internet 100+gb, but I have no TV. I never ever exceeded allowances of the contract.
Thank you!
a Very happy and congenial man . a Language like that would take quite a while to learn . I wonder if English is commonly spoken . How would you find a rental ?
He provided a link that I include in the actual video to view rentals and properties for sale. I'll add that to the description now:)
@@adventurefreaksss Thank you Re .
Slovenians are very good at English as a second language, so you'll have no trouble communicating with them. Everyone speaks it!
@@Rogerg2858 xlnt , that's what I was hoping to hear . thnx
@@Rogerg2858 Great info! Thank you!!
Isn't it true that "non-renewable" simply means that you have to reapply from scratch?
Very good question!
You need to go out of the country for 6month and then you can come back :)
After 5years doing this you can apply / get citizenship
@@KikyWe3DGaming So to keep the residency you have to leave each year for six months??! Most people won't want to live like that.
@@dovygoodguy1296 depends on witch visa u came to the country… in if you are from anywhere within EU union you can come whenever you want
As an Australian, I'd like to apply for a retirement visa just once !
It seems pretty convoluted... get a Slovenian lease from the US and what happens if your application is denied? And what landlord would lease an apartment to you without you having Slovenian residence? That seems like a chicken and egg problem.
My brother is a landlord and is leasing his apartment out to a foreigner. It's really not that big of a deal. You make a contract and if it comes through it comes through and if it doesn't you get the next person. As long as the prices are fair there are no problems. Sometimes you can get a landlord that puts a small fine in the contract if it doesn't go through but I don't think that's common.
In our case here was paperwork done like he just leased so that he received a visa without much hassle and then when he actually moved in he started charging him. This way you make sure that you don't have homeless people on the streets as soon as they come in as getting an apartment can be a hassle.
Long term foreigners get temporary residence at the place they rent.
It's made difficult because of how their culture is structured.
@@ParisianThinker what are you even talking about lol
Not sure why you say you have found an hidden gem.I first visited Slovenia when it was still part of Yugoslavia in 1983.I bought an Apartment in 2004.So many bloggers going to Slovenia and saying the same What a load of rubbish.How can it be a hidden gem when everybody knows about it.
Well, Kevin it isn't all about you. But thank you for checking us out!
You would be surprised at the amount of people who don't, especially native English speakers. Outright majority cannot locate Slovenia on a map, and they very often confuse her with Slovakia.
Oi Slovenian here, first thank you for the kind words about my country and yes if you moved here and apply for citizenship yes education for the most part is free but its not completly even for us here, you were asking for internet wifi prices when renting, you would probably pay about 15 euro so thats 17$ roughly ofc if yaa renting a room. There are a bit more of diffriencess in prices i would say and yeah we have lots of fast foods just local one's but Mcdonald too in whole country we have about 10-12 of them Ljubljana itself has 4-5 Mcdonalds restaurants to be honest. If ya have any questions how its here just ask a local here we are very open people and straight forward too, we dont beat around the bush as you would say :D
Who is your cellphone carrier? T-Mobile?
How much does it cost to rent 2 bedroom apartments near downtown? $1200 per month or more?
For 1200 bucks you can rent a 3bedroom apartment in the centre quite easily, although the accomodation prices have been skyrocketing in the past decade. 10 years ago the price would be, 400 to 600 bucks.
You can easly rent 2 bedrom apartment for 750-900€
@@martinthemaverick6052 I don't know about 'easily' and you would have to move out of the centre a bit for that.
Slovenia has currently 4 major networks:
- Telekom Slovenije (formely Mobitel)
- A1 Slovenija (fomerly si. mobil)
- Telemach mob. (formerly tušmobil)
- T-2.
I have A1. Wide coverage, high download limits, low cost. Very happy.
Slovenia. Looks beautiful but expensive and the limited visa options sound a bit complicated with requirements.
Slovenia is very beautifull. But its very expensive. Try to buy fplace in ljubljana you have to be a millionare.
Thanks for sharing this!
Have to say I am self employed with 500 rent, over 600 taxes and about 300 euro life health water heating electricity and internet bills. Total around 1400 euro, where is the food? And car and clothes and holiday once a year? Workers get around 1000 to 1200 per month. I live in country side not in capitol of Slovenia. My last holiday was 33 years ago so you know I am an old lady, working 300 hours per month to live as I want and help my family. And I feel good. Europa is expensive and the live is healthier, health cost more. First McDonald is 75km from here , no food delivery, I think we all live till 100 hahaaaaaa......love from Slovenia
Thank you for sharing this information!
Average salary is 1500 EUR for 176 average hours per month plus 160 EUR for meals during workdays plus transportation compensation plus minimum of 1250 EUR each year for holidays. You do not go to holidays because you do not want to go not because you can not afford it.
300 hours per month?
I wish we stay hidden gem. As a Slovenian: please dont come here !
i still dont know where to find this under 10 dollars night out
Great video but , the $$ 2K monthly income, is it for a couple ? How much would it be for a single guy ? Very similar to Greece or Austria...
At the end of the video I break down the basic costs of living. Thank you!
@@adventurefreaksss This is not what I was asking, but thanks anyway.
@@dovoso5685 It is per person. So two people would need 2x. But I don't know if the $2K amount is correct. It was about 15K euros a year first time I applied. But you can also have a sufficient amount of savings to show means of subsistence, too. I keep a savings account of $24,000 to show this.
The visa application process is Občina (region) dependent. Some offices can be more difficult than others, and you must use the office in which you live/will live. Ljubljana has a good one. Further out can get difficult. For example, the backlog at my Občina was over 3 months to even look at the application.
@@brian7991 Hi and thanks. This is what I was trying to figure out, not the actual expenses but the Visa Requirements for a single guy. Also, I wonder if they allow a combination of income and savings , some countries do and some don't . Furthermore, how is Slovenia better than Greece, or Portugal, or Bulgaria ?
Have u decided whether to go ?
Does the long-term lease help for a temporary or also a permanent residence visa?
You can apply for permanent only after 5 yrs of living here. The main thing is you having enough income or finding a job in Slovenia.
@@JurijKozjak-r2k Which would make it appealing for older retired Americans and Canadians except for the fact of war in Europe.
A permanent visa also requires a language proficiency exam. This is not easy for people who are not familiar with Slavic languages.
@@brian7991 So the only alternative is the temporary visa for several years, and then starting again from scratch....
@@brian7991 It's not so bad, to obtain a permanent residency you need to pass a very basic test, equal of maybe A2 level. Basically you need to be able to order food and somewhat pass everyday situations. As one should, living in a foreign country. You are also given free lessons of up to 180 hours. I have friends from different countries that had no problems learning the very basics for the test.
WTF is this guy talking about? Yes, Ljubljana is not very big, but it has 300.000 residents (city) and 500.000 residents (metro). Also theres a several McDonalds including drive thru, KFC, Subway... Bus system in the city is terble an very slow. Majoryti pepole own and use a car for moving around the city. Also train is terible in whole Slovenia. Public transportantion mostly use only high school students who don't have a driving licesend yet and old people who can't drive anymore or never had driving licensed.
the weather in Ljubljana is very bad. in fall and winter you hardly get any sunlight. also fog and rain are very frequefent. Been there for 2 years (i am from Zagreb)
True.
Sounds perfect for me. I love gray skies, cold and fog.
Welcome to sLOVEnia!
No more Wellcome
SLOVENIA as it is will be gone in 10 years
LJUBLJANA is allready like KABUL
what is he yappin there are multiple drive througs even in Ljubljana just go to BTC
Happy for u living a dream❤
That dog needs a puppy upper😮
@@gif24gt60 lol thats zoie, she likes to hang out with me when im podcasting:)
There is fast food here and also many drive throughs, so that info is false. You have several Mcdonalds in Ljubljana, atleast 4 that i can count from memory(all of them have a drivethrough), other quite frankly higher quality local ingredient posh burger spots, you even have KFC and other places like asian fast food. There is no Starbucks or Pizza hut though. Also for traveling the bus system is only good for city travelling, if you wanna explore and go to remote rural spots, car is the only way to go comfortably, trains are slow, old and always late.
@@Psysso thank you for this addition!
Trains are NEW, railway is under constuction and will last at least till 2029.
@@dominikgruskovnjak2511 Very cool! Thank you
NO, Slovenia is OUT! Too complicated and too much $ to qualify $2,000!!
As a Slovene, run for the hills! The taxes are unbearable, public services are falling apart and each day there is more and more crime. A simple duplex house in the 50km range of Ljubljana costs 500k€, but the average wage, post tax is around 15-20k€.
Thank you for this!
This is true everywhere now.
In Ljubljana we have 5 McDonalds 😂 not one
I count 10. 😁 Jarše, BTC city park, BTC zdraven žita, Rudnik zdraven pumpe, Rudnik supernova, AC barje sever, AC barje jug, Šiška aleja, Šiška zdraven hotela, Center. .
For permant residence now you must pass A2 Slovenian language. It is an extremely challenging language for English speakers, but there are ways to learn. Even though, "everyone there speaks English (not as often in urban areas)".. this is not an excuse to not learn or try speaking the national language if your intent is to stay.
I would like to consider this country. is there a digital nomad visa in Slovenia?
No, but you can stay for up to 90 days.
do not come...
As Kamala would say: do not come.
That is what we need more Americans jesus
Did you know that disdain towards another is actually a disdain and dislike towards yourself?
And Bosnians and Serbs and Albanians and gypsies 😁😁😁
@@adventurefreaksss proven my point. we dont like you period.
Just remember kids, if you're poor any country will suck.
The point of the podcast to show people with little that they can live quite well living abroad. And their quality of life improves, not sucks:)
Many facts wrong, prices of all things are higher, from food, restaurants to costs ect. Many mcdonalds even drivetrue, kfc, and many local fast food. You can get meal for 10e but just some basic plate in self served menza, no salat or drink. Groceris 100e per week for one person.... Anyway expensive night life or just any kind of activity and it is very unsafe for foreigners. Salary very low, cultue non existing, would avoid Slovenia, any other eu cuntry much better.
What? You must be a Slovenian who do not want foreigners to move in 😂😂😂
...well salaries in Ljubljana are not that low better than Italy,Spain ,Portugal,Greece and comparable with the one in France and outside London....what do u mean no culture?
@@GaiusPrimusMatius I mean if you consider corruption nepotism culture, than there is plenty
@@kinimodcinham1752 nepotism and corruption I completely agree but unfortunately this is present all across Europe..
@@GaiusPrimusMatius Salaries in Italy are double, Spain, Greece is totaly different world. An Slovenija is Ljubljana and nothing else in Italy you have many places worth living in and in Spain or Greece, just hard to compare. Also different culture and history.
where's google translate when you need it .
Translation: California became a shithole because of me voting liberal and now I am moving to another country.
Which country?
Slovenia is a beautiful country. We spent 1 month there hiking and fishing.
We noted all the alcoholism that is rampant in the country. Be careful if you drink, as falls as frequent there.
Only BELARUS, MONGOLIA, RUSSIA & GUATEMALA drink more than Slovenians who ranks 5th in the world as drinkers.
The language is a real barrier.
Few want to learn that language as it has no application anywhere else.
The sad part is the inadequate healthcare, especially for the elderly who are not locals.
Elderly in Slovenia begins at age 60. 😂
We live in France. A much better country for food and health car.
It is a nice place for fishing and hiking.
Their food is basic, but nothing I would really enjoy eating during a retirement.
@@ParisianThinker thank you for this addition.
Actually the best Chef in the world is coming from Slovenia...check out Ana Roš ..u have to explore more because Slovenia has amazing food very similar to Italian..about healthcare I wouldn't agree because Slovenian healthcare is quite good maybe not that good as in France but not that bad either, u should be living more than 1 month to find out😂.. I'm 56 and my experience is excellent but probably yours was not according to you.... Slovenia is ranking 23.in the world regarding healthcare between Ireland and New Zealand.......also Life quality index Slovenia is ranking 19. In the world while France is on 31. place... HDi index (how developed a country is) Slovenia score 0,926 same as Austria and ahead of countries like France Italy Spain...salaries in Ljubljana are comparable with salaries in France and outside London.... cheers from an Italian living in Portorose ❤❤❤
A terrific choice in Europe EXCEPT for the fact that it's inside the nexus of war between NATO and Russia. I couldn't make that commitment until the Insanity of war is off the table.
Well, from Europe’s point of view, internecine strife is more likely on the other side of the Atlantic.
@@dcartier1692 I'm referring specifically to an expanded war between NATO and Russia. Last time I looked they are both in Europe.
Slovenia borders Italy far away from Ukraine. Why worry about the war between Russia and Ukraine while in Slovenia?
You know absolute zero in geography and history. Stop commenting things you dont know and understand.
@@dominikgruskovnjak2511 In case you don't know politics and history you should know what a war in Europe between NATO and Russia would do. And if it helps I have two degrees, one in political science and one in history, and I know Russian. Any other questions?
I want to live here. Are they accepting of Americans?
Welcome