One detail that people should consider when deciding where to work as an English teacher is how their potential salary weighs up against the local cost of living. Of course actual salaries vary and depend on a number of factors such as individual schools, a teacher's experience and qualifications. Similarly, cost of living depends greatly on personal lifestyle, wants and needs.
It is possible to gain an idea of the average salary and cost of living for individual countries and that is what we have tried to present here. Comparing salaries with cost of living is important because a high salary does not necessarily mean you will have more money at your disposal.
In Asia for example, Japan has the highest salary but also has a cost of living to match, whereas Vietnam and South Korea offer the biggest difference between incomings and outgoings in the region. Globally, the Middle East offers some the best salaries in the English teaching industry but they do require university degrees and at least two years teaching experience in addition to a TEFL certificate.
The Latin America region offers some of the lowest cost of living but also some of the lowest potential salaries. The best countries in this region for salaries compared with cost of living appear to be Colombia and Costa Rica. Europe offers a range of salaries and monthly costs from low to high with Eastern European countries offering the lowest living costs but the Western European nations paying the highest.
Whether you are looking to start new career as an English teacher or are looking for a way to make money while travelling the world researching your potential earnings and potential cost of living is an important step in preparing yourself for the rewarding adventure that is teaching English as a Foreign Language.
If you wish to display this infographic on your website, please copy and paste the code below into your own web pages.
View an enlarged version of this infographic:
big version
