16 Best Places to Live for Nurses in 2017

If you have finished school and got a nurse degree or you already work but think that the place where you live is not good enough for you, you may want to know which 16 places to live for nurses in 2017 are in case you decide to move in the years to come. If you live in the US, you may want to change your current city of residence and try finding the best cities for nurses in the US. They are not so hard to find considering how many lists with the relevant pieces of information exist on the internet. However, as you probably know, you need to work as a practitioner first before to gain practice and experience, so you should choose one of the hospitals for nurse practitioners and start working there.

The internet offers information about the best states for nurses together with the nursing salaries in previous years. It is all right if you start considering the given numbers first because salaries may greatly vary in different states, so do not hesitate to find out which country pays nurses most. Sometimes the question may be not which country but which cities are perfect and are therefore the best cities for nurses. A good place in this sense is determined not only by a good salary but also by well-organized traffic, low cost of living, and low crime rate.

What if you are one of those brave and adventurous people who want to try something completely different – to change the country and work somewhere else in the world? Being a nurse is never an easy job and working in a new country can be a serious adventure. So, before you make any decisions about your future job, try to find and read about the experiences of nurses who have already done a similar thing. Their experiences can be very useful for you and can help you find a good place for working and living. Logically, the next step is finding the best places for nurses to work abroad and that is not hard with all those relevant lists online. We have actually done that for you. By collecting all the necessary information, data and useful numbers, we tried to answer the question which is the best place in the world to be a nurse.

We started from the lists which already exist on the internet, including our own list of 15 Highest-Paying Countries for Nurses made two years ago, and used them as a starting point for our research. Many of the countries mentioned there can be found on many different lists, so it was logical to explore them while making this list, too.

We thought that it would not be a mistake if we first explored the countries where an increasing demand for nurses is expected in the future. Nevertheless, we did not ignore the fact that these places are not necessarily good places to live. If you are a nurse, a good place to live is defined as a country which is safe, has a low cost of living comparing to the offered salary, and where you are respected at work with good working conditions.

To make the list of 16 best places to live for nurses in 2017 we used all the above-mentioned factors. We made a list of most mentioned countries and then found the given annual wages for each country and cost of living there. The number shown as cost of living is an index obtained from several parameters (including rent, prices in restaurants and stores, cost of food and clothing), where higher number shows the higher cost of living and literally more money that you need to spend on daily needs. We also added the percentage of nurses who work 8-hour shifts, since there is a considerable difference in this point among different countries and it is supposed to be an important parameter. Finally, we made the list of places to live for nurses in 2017. Have a nice trip and good luck at your new job!

16. Ireland

Basic salary – $24,500

Cost of living – 79.91

Nurses who work eight hours – 9%

As you can see from these numbers, Ireland, as the starting entry on our list of places to live for nurses in 2017, offers a good starting salary compared to the cost of living, but only 9 percent of nurses work eight hours, so that qualifies this country for a place on the bottom of the list. Known as the home country of a famous writer Oscar Wilde, it is also known for its cleanliness and amazing nature. So, if you like Guinness beer and sheep in perfect green grasslands, working long hours is not that important.

15. The UK

Basic salary- $23,800

Cost of living – 82.68

Nurses who work eight hours – 45%

Do you like their history, culture that influences the whole world, monarchy, and football? Then this is a place for you. Although the cost of living is slightly higher, almost half the number of nurses stay at work for only eight hours. It is also good to know that their salary can be higher than of many other people employed in this country and it is surely a good place to live if you are young and love going to parties.

14. Finland

Basic salary – $29,132

Cost of living – 78.62

Nurses who work eight hours – 71%

It is a cold country in the North of Europe, but, according to numerous tourist guides, people there are very warm and friendly. Their culture is similar to that of Russia, but the cost of living and the salary are closest to Europe. It is good to know that their nurses usually finish work after a normal 8-hour shift. If you do not have a problem with the cold and unfriendly weather, it could be a good country for you. Now let’s see which country is next on our list of places to live for nurses in 2017.

13. Switzerland

Basic salary –$20,200

Cost of living – 133.32

Nurses who work eight hours – 18%

Have you ever heard how high the cost of living in this country is? That is basically the biggest problem for a nurse who starts working in this country. However, there are other qualities that make Switzerland very nice and attractive. This is the country of the Alps, chocolate, and Heidi. Known for its cleanliness, well-organized institutions and the mixture of different cultures and languages, it invites you to try living and working there.

12. Poland

Basic salary – $3,500

Cost of living– 38.91

Nurses who work eight hours – 21%

This European country has survived many changes in the past two decades and it seems that it still has a problem with salaries and keeping steps with other countries in Europe. But, together with low salaries comes the low cost of living and acceptable working time, so why not? Their beers and interesting culture and tradition can be very attractive for foreigners.

11. Norway

Basic salary – $31,796

Cost of living– 116.99

Nurses who work eight hours – 90%

This is another cold country with an extremely high cost of living, but with an acceptable working time as well. They have legislation which prevents long shifts for nurses in order to decrease the number of mistakes at work. It can be an interesting place to live if you can accept their cold emotions and a very practical organization of life and work. To sum it up, Norway is definitely worth to be considered as your future place to live.

10. The Netherlands

Basic salary – $31,000

Cost of living – 71.91

Nurses who work eight hours – 80%

This orange country literally invites you to pack your bags and go to live there. Famous for its tulips and windmills, it can be very attractive for young people who are interested in this great culture and nightlife. For nurses, it is good to know that they believe in cycling, so people there are healthy and have long lives. As you can see, their nurses mostly work the acceptable 8-hour shifts.

9. Sweden

Basic salary – $60,000

Cost of living – 76.85

Nurses who work eight hours – 67%

It seems that cold weather and the North mean a great opportunity for nurses. Their salary in accordance with the cost of living promises a very good living, and, knowing that Swedish culture is related to other cultures in Europe and that there are many different nations who live in this country, nurses can hope for a very interesting everyday life there.

8. Greece

Basic salary – $16,360

Cost of living – 59.11

Nurses who work eight hours – 82%

Let’s go to the South for a moment, just to warm up. After all those big economic problems in the past, Greece seemed to be removed from all the lists of promising countries for work, but they have stood up to their feet and now the country deserves to be in the middle of the list of 16 best places to live for nurses in 2017. Although the salary does not promise a very exciting life here, Greeks care about their nurses who mostly work eight hours.

7. Chile

Basic salary – $33,500

Cost of living– 53.81

Nurses who work eight hours – 5%

This is another warm country, on our list of places to live for nurses in 2017, with great opportunities for nurses. Chile is on the list of countries with an increasing demand for nurses in the future, but that is not always good news for nurses. Although the salary is around the average, their legislation forces nurses to work at least 12 hours due to the small number of nurses in this country. However, this great country, with an interesting culture and warm weather, can be a good place for nurses.

6. The US

Basic salary – $67,930

Cost of living – 75.85

Nurses who work eight hours – 26%

This list would never be complete without the US and there are many reasons for that. Although their nurses work long hours, the country offers great opportunities for practitioners as well as modern medical equipment and good salaries. Consequently, we can say that this is a good place for nurses and all those who want to improve themselves and get a promotion in the future.

5. New Zealand

Basic salary – $40,000

Cost of living – 82.08

Nurses who work eight hours – 90%

This green country, one of the places to live for nurses in 2017, known for sheep and the perfect climate, is a good choice for nurses, too. As you can see, nurses work only eight hours there. The country also has well-organized medical institutions and healthcare and offers a good starting salary. Since New Zealand is a former part of the UK, your knowledge of the English language will be necessary if you decide to go there to live.

4. Germany

Basic salary – $19,400

Cost of living – 64.48

Nurses who work eight hours – 74%

This strong and professional nation has organized its country and medical care in the same way, so it can be a great place to start for young nurses who want to learn and practice. It is also the country which offers excellent working conditions and numerous opportunities for getting a promotion to the employed.

3. Belgium

Basic salary – $27,000

Cost of living: 75.89

Nurses who work eight hours – 84%

This is another country on or list of places to live for nurses in 2017, with a mixture of cultures and nations, formally divided into three districts – the French, the Dutch and the German one. It means that you will need to know the language of the district you plan to live and work in and be familiar with the habits of people who live there. But, judging by the above-mentioned numbers, it is a good country for nurses and this is not expected to change in the future.

2. Canada

Basic salary – $65,000

Cost of living – 68.52

Nurses who work eight hours – 30%

It can be described as a cold or a warm country, depending on the part where you decide to go. Canada is known for the largest waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls, and two official languages – English and French. Being a large country, it promises numerous opportunities for finding a job, changing positions, and finding the best hospitals to work.

1. Spain

Basic salary – $29,600

Cost of living – 61.55

Nurses who work eight hours – 90%

And the winner is a warm and sunny country in the middle of Europe, with some great music, colorful culture, and spicy cuisine. The numbers promise a good salary when compared with the cost of living and it is sure that nurses there do not work longer than a regular 8-hour shift. So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and go to see why this country is in the first place on the list of 16 best places to live for nurses in 2017.