Pros and Cons of Living in Estonia

Summary: The pros of living in Estonia include its beautiful natural scenery, its vibrant culture, and its excellent education system. Estonia also has a strong economy and a low cost of living, making it an attractive destination for expats. Additionally, the country is known for its high quality of life, with a strong emphasis on work-life balance. On the other hand, the cons of living in Estonia include its cold climate, its language barrier, and its limited job opportunities. Additionally, the country is still relatively small and isolated, making it difficult to access certain services and amenities.

What are the pros and cons of living in Estonia?

Expats, digital nomads and retirees living in Estonia responded:

"Expats and digital nomads living in Estonia appreciate the country's high quality of life, with its low cost of living, excellent public transportation, and vibrant cultural scene. They also enjoy the fact that Estonia is a tech-savvy nation, with a strong digital infrastructure and a supportive environment for entrepreneurs. On the downside, some expats and digital nomads find the language barrier to be a challenge, as well as the cold weather in the winter months. Additionally, some may find the bureaucracy and paperwork involved in setting up a business or residence to be a bit overwhelming," said one expat in Estonia.

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What do expats in Estonia appreciate most about the local culture?

"Their song festivals, Beautiful native language, Love of Nature, Long lived history, Story of survival of a culture," said one person in Tallinn.

What do expats find most challenging?

"Expats in Estonia often find the language barrier to be the most challenging aspect of the local culture. Estonian is the official language, and while English is widely spoken, it is not as commonly used as in other European countries. Additionally, the local culture can be quite reserved and formal, which can be difficult for expats to adjust to. Furthermore, the weather in Estonia can be quite extreme, with cold winters and short summers, which can be difficult to get used to," said one person in Estonia.

"1. There was tension surrounding the language and I was harrassed a couple of times because I didn't speak Estonian. The worst part about this is that they were medical professionals. The situation with the language has changed and I haven't had a bad experience for awhile but it was the most challenging part. 2. There's tension between Estonians of Russian decent and Estonians that are not of Russian decent. This could also play into the language being made out to be something to hold over others who don't speak the language. It's not everyone though. It's just loud by a small few and it has gotten better. Estonia is a place of improvement and progression at a rapid speed. So this and the above challenge might not even exist anymore. 3. The quality of medical care is below westernized standards. It's not just with equipment but also with the professionalism and the education of some of the medical staff. I'm also going to include customer service in general with this one. The customer service has gotten better and in the bigger cities it's great but the more rural areas could still use some changing. I heard it was so much worse in the soviet times. I am looking forward to this aspect to continue getting better and just as rapidly as everything else," remarked one expat in Tartu.

Pros and Cons of Living in Estonia

What are the pros and cons of living in Estonia?

What do expats in Estonia appreciate most about the local culture?

What do expats find most challenging?

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